RENATA ISOPO

It was a standing-room-only full house, October 2, 2018 at Laval City Hall as numerous fiery issues erupted, with a large number of concerned and outraged citizens going on the attack.

Locals came in droves to demand answers on a variety of concerns: poor services, unfinished roads, street drainage and blockage, lack of parking, useless bicycle lanes, ignored speed limits, green space, use of cannabis, lack of providing children’s activities in newer developments, and problems surrounding construction of the Laval Aquatic Complex. In a snapshot, the issues appear limitless, and the “fever” rages high amongst Lavallers.

Undeniably, Mayor Demers and the 21 Councilors have their hands full in Quebec’s third largest city, population 430,000. As the city continues to boom with explosive construction sites, so do problems which don’t seem to be resolved in a timely manner, causing anger and frustration among affected residents. So wages the war, and these are a few of the major battles, with some residents fully believing that yes, you can fight city hall.

The parking crisis

The parking war continues, particularly in Zone 16 – streets in the proximity of Concorde Metro, and Zone 17 – near Montmorency CEGEP as central Laval expands, and parking becomes rare.  Residents want swift solutions.  People living around Urbania, Montmorency, and  Place Bell are overwhelmed by cars.  “It’s a living hell” – was the general sentiment.

Resident Etien Sakr requested that besides residential vignettes, visitors’ vignettes are needed to accommodate guests since they have to drive endlessly to find parking. “It’s one of the worst neighborhoods to park in,” he stated, upset and impassioned.  While the description paints a dire picture of the fierce game of parking space musical chairs in Zones 16 and 17, the complainant illustrated the lengths drivers will go to when faced with an acute parking shortage.  Community groups in the area have long decried the excessive lack of parking. Still no viable long-lasting solution.

Residential permits solve only part of the problem.  To exclusively say that certain streets are only for residents goes against the professed model of vibrancy considering the city’s long-range vision of urban growth. Too often, complaints about parking are addressed in politically expedient ways by Councilors anxious to placate angry residents. Firmly and unanimously, it was requested of Council to review policies on residential parking and proposed visitors permits to achieve balance and appease taxpayers.

In a post-meeting interview, mayor Demers told TLN, “Part of the problem has been solved when it comes to Place Bell. The near-by shopping centers rent their parking space for special events in order to accommodate and alleviate the parking situation.”  “A band-aid solution for now,” murmured by-standers.

Up in smoke over pot

The ramifications of legalized marijuana keep popping up as City Hall prepares for the reality that is rapidly approaching on October 17.  Municipalities are at the sharp end of the dilemma, and it’s no different for Laval.  City governments will have the bulk of responsibility to enforce regulations. Laval residents have their concerns and want answers.

Val-de-Brises resident Mario LeBrun asked Council to implement by-laws/regulations prohibiting smoking cannabis anywhere which is deemed public domain, such as parks, open-air shopping centers, schools, etc, as 85 other cities are doing.  City Hall hasn’t assessed the depths of potential regularity headaches, but it will have to make sensible recommendations to taxpayers, and to the province.  Difficult decisions and challenges are ahead. Is this as simple as the regulation of cigarette smoking in or around public areas? “No way”, says Le Brun, “even though cigarettes kill and they’re sold anyway.”

Undoubtedly, the unwritten law of unintended consequences will kick in along with the new marijuana laws and restrictions.  Apparent from questions asked at the Council meeting, this greatly worries residents who insisted on assurances that children will not come into harm’s way. “These are paramount values in our society, and they shouldn’t be messed with,” stated Mr. LeBrun to TLN.  It was obvious, by the concerns voiced by Mr. LeBrun, speaking on behalf of many, that freedoms are sacred and must be above and beyond the reach of any intrusive government. City Hall must make provision by implementing by-laws/regulations regarding legitimate apprehensions – the consumption of cannabis in public areas. Residents want their rights and freedoms respected. It’s up to the mayor and councilors to act in good faith and respect taxpayers’ requests. It didn’t end here.

Aquatic Complex: costs and delays; bike paths: useless and dangerous

Mr. LeBrun also asked about construction of the Val-des-Brises Viaduct whose progress seems stifled, and about the costs of the Aquatic Complex on Terry Fox Avenue near the Cosmodome, scheduled for completion in 2020.  The initial cost of $61.1 million has substantially increased, an unaccountable increment for a facility which might not even be ready for the 2020 Quebec Games to be hosted by Laval.  Mr. LeBrun stated at the meeting, “In my opinion, the Laval administration is not dependable.” When will the Aquatic Complex be delivered? No response.

Construction of new bicycle lanes is another bone of contention. “The whole thing is ridiculous,” said a resident of a neighborhood with many young families.  Despite new bike lanes, there is more traffic congestion, confusion among drivers, and frustration that cyclists don’t appear to be using the dedicated lanes. Yes, cyclists need to be accommodated, but at what cost, since there are streets in Laval where the paths are a financial waste, and a cause of aggravation for drivers.

During intermission, when TLN asked Saint-Bruno Councilor and Deputy Mayor David De Cotis why there were so many disgruntled residents in an uproar at the meeting, he quickly responded, “Citizens have lost faith in the administration.”

Martin C. Barry

In the Oct. 1 Quebec general election, Christopher Skeete, the Coalition Avenir Québec’s candidate in Sainte-Rose, became the only CAQ candidate from Laval’s six ridings to be elected. For Skeete, number three was a charm, since he ran unsuccessfully in two previous provincial elections. Newsfirst Multimedia had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with Skeete at our offices. What follows is a transcript edited for length.

NM: Are you taking a break after the win?

Skeete: This is kind of when the dust starts to settle a bit. We’re waiting for news on when we’ll be taking our oaths of office, that sort of thing. Those of us who were elected are in contact with the National Assembly. People in Laval are starting to let me know about their activities. We’re getting into gear.

NM: Networking with community groups is certainly a major thing for elected officials. You say you are starting to do that.

Skeete: Well actually I’m not starting – I’ve been doing that since 2012. Don’t forget I ran in the 2012 election and also in 2014. We had already mapped out all the groups in Sainte-Rose and other parts of Laval.

NM: Within 24 hours of the election, CAQ leader François Legault declared that the party would be going ahead with the proposed new laws to regulate the wearing of religious symbols by public service officials and employees. Considering that Laval is very multicultural and some people in certain communities might see this as oppressive, what have you to say about the proposed legislation?

Skeete: I wouldn’t characterize it as tumultuous or in any way off to a bad start. I think, actually, I find it refreshing that we’re finally being clear. Don’t forget Bouchard-Taylor [Quebec’s ‘reasonable accommodation’ commission] was 10 years ago, and for 10 years this divisive issue has been used as a political wedge to separate Quebecers from one another. So I, on the contrary, applaud the clarity – the fact that we want to put this behind us quickly –  and then we can go on with the real business of the state.

NM: So you’re suggesting it is best to get this out of the way before going onto other business.

Skeete: I think it’s important that we turn the page after 10 years of really not dealing with this issue, which was promised in the first mandate of Mr. Couillard in his first year and it was never delivered, and which was proposed by [former Premier] Charest back when Mr. Charest proposed the Bouchard-Taylor commission. I think that it’s time that we act. We need to put this behind us. And, quite frankly, I am also very tired that this is being used as a political wedge issue that is dividing Quebecers. So I want clarity and I think that’s what Quebecers also want – clarity on this issue.

NM: There are a lot of minorities in Quebec. We wonder just how representative the CAQ’s point of view is. It’s some people’s point of view, but not everyone’s

Skeete: Well, I’m from a minority. So I know exactly what it feels like to be a minority in Quebec. I think the thing that’s been missing in this file is clarity and action. So I think the Liberal Party used it as a scarecrow to scare Quebecers into voting for the Liberal Party by default because they didn’t have the sovereignty file to rally those people with them. On the other side, though, I think the PQ in 2012, when they tried to use the charter and all that, they refused to compromise and tried to use it as a wedge issue and as a political weapon to get their way. So I applaud actually our direction to want to get this done so we can stop talking about it once and for all and get on with the business of the state.

NM: From your own point of view and interpretation, what is the point and purpose, from the way you see it, of forbidding public officials and workers from displaying religious symbols?

Skeete: It’s actually not my interpretation. It’s the consensus that was drawn out of the Bouchard-Taylor Commission, right. So this commission, lest we forget, was pan-Quebec, two very notable people in Quebec with lots of credibility who went around speaking with everybody in order to gain a consensus. And a consensus by definition means compromise. And their consensus was that people in authority, people who represent the power of the state should be free from religious symbols. And I think that’s a very moderate, very reasonable point of view. So I think we really need to stay on that course to put it behind us. The fact that is hasn’t been solved for the past 10 years is actually what the problem is, in my eyes.

NM: It has also been suggested that there are quite likely to be legal challenges to the religious symbols measures being brought in. What is your response to that?

Skeete: I think we live in a free society. People are free to contest the government as they see fit. I don’t have a problem with people exercising their rights.

NM: Sainte-Rose was the only riding in Laval that went to the CAQ, while the others stayed Liberal. What’s your interpretation of why Sainte-Rose went as it did?

Skeete: First of all, I think it’s great that for the first time in history the CAQ and its predecessors actually went beyond the Rivière des Mille Îles. I think it shows that Laval itself is done being taken for granted by the Liberals. If you look at the difference in scores in Vimont and in Laval-des-Rapides we came very close. So I think that signals that there’s a lot of potential in Laval for the CAQ. So my interpretation is: it was a tough road. The Liberals have been around for 150 years. It was always going to be a tough fight, but I think now the message is clear that people are ready to move on to an alternative that’s going to be credible and deliver the goods.

NM: Sainte-Rose seems to be quite a volatile riding. After first being created for the 2012 election, its voters have elected PQ, Liberal and now CAQ MNAs in the space of just six years. What does this tell you about the nature of Sainte-Rose?

Skeete: I don’t think the riding is volatile. I think Quebecers have been looking for an alternative. You know, if you look at 2012 there was a Liberal fatigue and I think people were looking for a change so they tried the PQ. And then the PQ was less than ideal and they went to the Liberals. I think people were waiting for the CAQ to demonstrate that it’s ready and that it could recruit a talented team. I think this time they saw that opportunity to send the Liberals out on a break.

NM: As the only CAQ MNA in Laval, but as an elected member of the governing party, what services would you like to see increased in Laval? What is Laval missing that the previous government hadn’t done?

Skeete: I think the biggest problem that I see in terms of what immediate impact the CAQ government can have for Laval is just fixing or adjusting this chronic underfinancing that we have of all our institutions. If you look at education, at health care, at culture, Laval is always getting less than its fair share per capita. So from my point of view I think that would be something that we would want to fix – that historical inequity. And I think that’s the advantage of having put in a CAQ government and having a CAQ representative on the island. Finally there can be change to the discussion, stop being taken for granted and get what’s ours.

NM: The CAQ has often stated its position on the future of Quebec’s school boards – that they should be abolished and replaced. The boards themselves, especially the Anglophone ones, have reacted by suggesting they will fight back in court.

Skeete: I don’t know that they’re going to be fighting us. I’ve think I’ve had some recent discussions with Anglophone groups. I think the biggest concern the English community has with regards to school boards is the suspicion that we’re going to start attacking language rights. I think that’s the real battle. I don’t think the real battle is school boards per se, I think the real battle is English language minority rights. And on that the CAQ has been clear: English-speaking Quebecers are a founding people of Quebec, English people should feel at home in Quebec and that is never going to change. What we’re talking about with school boards is giving more power to English-speaking Quebecers by decentralizing decision-making, empowering parents, empowering teachers and empowering the local principals. So if we can make principals and teachers more accountable and give more power to parents, I think the opposite will happen, I think more people are going to have power. I think it’s an empowerment vehicle, not a disempowerment thing or a disadvantage.

NM: Based on the by-laws of the school boards, they have to conduct universal suffrage elections in order to elect a chairman. Where do you stand on that subject?

Skeete: To be honest, I’m not an expert on school board democracy. But I like the term universal suffrage – because from what I do know about school boards, it’s far from universal. I think voter turnout on the French side is about 3 per cent – voter turnout on the English side is at best 17 or 18 per cent. It’s better than three, but it’s a lot less than what I would consider legitimate. So I think we’re going to see what happens. Now we’re still waiting for the dust to settle in terms of the Premier-elect taking power. And I’m sure that once the minister of education is sworn in we’ll be in a better position to answer that question. But for the time being I would caution against universal suffrage. I think it’s less than universal.

Martin C. Barry

In a bid to ensure the Canadian Coast Guard has the equipment it needs to keep Canadian seafarers and waterways safe, the federal government has announced it will be paying a Laval-based steel engineering firm more than $12 million to build 184 four-season lighted navigation buoys to be deployed in St. Lawrence River navigation channels between Quebec City and Montreal.

A network of buoys

Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau was joined by Laval-area Liberal MPs Eva Nassif and Angelo Iacono as well as officials from the Coast Guard at the engineering facilities of Canam-Ponts in Laval’s industrial park on Oct. 5.

The new modernized buoys will become part of the Coast Guard’s network of over 17,000 aids to navigation located across the country, including light houses and beacons, helping to maintain what the federal government says is one of the safest navigation systems in the world.

Less maintenance needed

The four-season buoys are considered to be unique, designed using Canadian Coast Guard expertise to withstand the severe ice and tidal conditions found in the St. Lawrence shipping channel. They will remain in the water year-round and only require maintenance every two to four years.

The four-season buoys will replace the seasonal navigation aids operated by the Coast Guard that are currently deployed each summer and winter. The reduction in servicing and maintenance required for the new buoys will allow the Coast Guard to achieve operational efficiencies. The contract with Canam-Ponts includes options by the government to acquire up to 204 additional four-season lighted navigation buoys.

Supporting the Coast Guard

“This investment in new and modern equipment for the Canadian Coast Guard is an example of our government’s commitment to ensuring the safe transport of people and goods on our waterways, while providing opportunities for businesses in Quebec,” said Garneau.

“Our government is ensuring economic growth in Quebec and all over Canada,” Nassif added. “This investment is another example of our commitment in creating good middle class jobs, and I’m happy my constituents in Vimy and in Laval will directly benefit from this project.”

Company growing in Laval

Marcel Dutil, president of Canam Group Inc. said the buoys fit in with the company’s plans for the future in Laval. “It is a new range of products for Canam-Ponts, and it is making sense in terms of our development and operational diversification plan,” he said.

“This contract fits within the long-term vision we have for the Laval firm, which has been making metal components for more than 57 years. Our employees are among the most specialized in the industry. This project is a beautiful challenge for us.”

Alfred-Pellan MP Angelo Iacono noted the local economic benefits that are resulting from the project. “It’s creating jobs,” he said. “I’m hearing it’s going to create two shifts, with more than 15 jobs per shift. So this is very positive news.

Revisiting Canada’s ports

“It also falls exactly into line with something I am currently working on with the committee for transport and infrastructure,” he continued. “We’re doing a big study on the ports of Canada. With an increase in trade that’s coming around, we realize that we need to take another look at our ports and this is part of it.”

The first delivery of the four-season lighted navigational buoys is expected by late October this year to the Canadian Coast Guard bases in the cities of Québec and Sorel.

Two buoy models

Two navigation buoy model sizes have been designed and will be built to be deployed in various locations of the St. Lawrence shipping channel, based on different operating water depth conditions. The larger buoy model measures 9.5 meters in length, a hull diameter of 1.3 meters, weighs 4,000 kilograms and will operate in water depth conditions of 9 to 30 meters.

The smaller buoy model measures 8.7 meters in length, a hull diameter of 0.7 meters, weighs 2,100 kilograms and will operate in water depth conditions of 9 to 25 meters. The St. Lawrence River shipping channel provides passage to over 6,000 commercial vessels annually. Over 38 million tonnes of cargo, valued at $10 billion (CAD), was moved along the St. Lawrence Seaway in 2017.

(TLN)

Quebec Minister for Senior Citizens Francine Charbonneau joined Laval city councillor Christiane Yoakim who also deals with senior citizens issues for the unveiling on Sept. 13 of the program of activities for the 2018 Laval Senior Citizens Week, which is taking place Oct. 10 – 21.

Making life better

This will be the 29^th year that the city holds this event in conjunction with around 20 senior citizens’ groups around Laval. “The quality life of senior citizens is at the heart of our priorities,” said Charbonneau.

“We know that the seniors of Quebec would like to age at home while remaining active and autonomous, and while remaining part of society. Collectively we must pursue our efforts in order to encourage this willingness, while supporting the participation and social inclusion of senior citizens.”

Efforts for seniors

Yoakim said, “The annual rendez-vous which is Laval Senior Citizens Week allows the City of Laval to see all its efforts to help seniors come out in the form of concrete events that encourage active aging, while improving health and assuring the security and promoting the participation of seniors in all aspects of community, cultural and economic life.

“It’s with this view that Laval Senior Citizens Week offers services to seniors by proposing again this year a varied program of activities and that enriching and entertaining,” she added.

Calendar of activities

The calendar of this year’s Laval Senior Citizens Week has more than 50 activities, including shows (a major one features singer Bruno Pelletier), exhibitions, conferences, workshops on horticulture and art, as well as sports activities. Also, the Laval public library network is offering its own senior citizens week activities bringing together grandparents and children.

The program of activities is available at City of Laval offices, at the library branches, at the multiservice desk at 1333 Chomedey Blvd., in community centres or on the web at www.evenements.laval.ca. For even more information, go to lewww.aines.laval.ca.

(TLN)

Officials with the community organization “Les Habitation Le Repère” were pleased last week to announce details on the progress of their community seniors housing project.

This residential project for senior citizens with moderately diminished autonomy is being led by residents of Laval who were preoccupied by the precarious situation of seniors and their difficulty in finding housing that is affordable and adequate for their needs.

In all, 141 housing units will be provided in a 10-storey building through the project on a site at 3270 St-Elzéar, between boulevards St‑Elzéar, Chomedey, Daniel-Jonhson and Autoroute 440. The area is served by public transit and is a few minutes away from Laval’s main hospital: Cité de la santé.

Demographic changes

It should be remembered that Laval, like other communities, is exposed to the demographic shock from the aging of its population. In June 2016, the school of urban planning and architecture at the University of Montreal commented on the situation in Laval.

“The inventory of housing on the territory is relatively weak, while a third of households devote more than 30 per cent of their revenue to housing themselves,” they said. “Thus it should come as no surprise to learn that 526 persons have already expressed their interest for the project, as witnessed by the long waiting list.”

According to Mayor Marc Demers, the City of Laval “has supported this project of 141 housing units by basing its decision on recommendations of the CCU. We also supported it financially because not only is there a drastic need in the midst of our community, but we are also a MADA city (Municipalité amies des aînés).

More powers sought

“Already the numerous demands for this project demonstrate forcefully the necessity for Laval to obtain more powers in matters concerning housing,” Demers added. “It is urgent for the city to sign an agreement over several years with the next provincial government in order to have all the autonomy necessary to answer to the imposing needs expressed, as witnessed by the long waiting list for the new affordable housing units.”

A project like this would not be possible without solid partners. This is why the governing council, consisting of Danae Savides and Claire Lachance as well as Raymond Monette, Nicolas Liounis, Martin Côté, Savas Fortis and Daniel Proulx, wished to salute the commitment of the City of Laval, which supported the initiative as presented to the Société d’habitation du Québec, another essential partner.

Years in the making

“The unveiling of this project is the culmination of several years of efforts which led to cooperation and collaboration between the various organizations,” said board president Danae Savides. “A project like this is an important answer to the housing needs of elderly people with medium and low revenue in Laval.

“This is why we want to thank all those who supported this project,” she continued. “We want especially to thank the City of Laval, as well as the MNA for Ste-Dorothée Jean Habel who received the support of the minister responsible for Laval Francine Charbonneau and the minister for housing Lise Thériault.”

When completed, the project will have 129 3 ½ room apartments, but also nine 4 ½ room apartments and three studios. The architectural firm handling it is Campanella & Associés. The project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2020.

Martin C. Barry

Montreal-based movie theatre tycoon Vincenzo Guzzo – whose company, Cinémas Guzzo, operates the largest number of film screens and multiplex venues in Quebec and third largest in Canada – was given a grand welcome last week into the Dragons’ Den, one of the CBC’s top prime time TV hits across Canada.

Getting the star treatment

Cinémas Guzzo’s Méga-Plex Lacordaire in Saint-Léonard was the setting for a Hollywood-style evening – complete with “red carpet” treatment – for Guzzo and five of the Dragons.

In the lobby, they basked in the adulation of several hundred adoring fans, while gleefully signing autographs, before watching episode one of Dragons’ Den Season 13 on one of Cinémas Guzzo Lacordaire’s big screens. Vince Guzzo is one of two new Dragons recruited this season to replace former Dragons Joe Mimran and Michael Wekerle.

A Dragons’ Den welcome

Along with another new Dragon (Lane Merrifield), Guzzo joins a cast of entrepreneurs and investors that also includes Arlene Dickinson (who wasn’t present last week for the première), Manjit Minhas, Michele Romanow and longtime regular Jim Treliving this season.

The show, which airs Thursday evenings at 8 pm, is hosted by the CBC’s Dianne Buckner, who hosted another of the national network’s longtime hits, Marketplace, previously. This season’s 20 Dragons’ Den episodes were taped in Toronto over a three-week period.

An empire from one theatre

Vince Guzzo’s father, Angelo, who has almost always maintained a low profile in the company although he remains chairman of the board, was spotted at the launch, but he kept his presence discreet as usual. The senior Guzzo sowed the seeds for what would become Cinémas Guzzo during the early 1970s.

After arriving in Canada from Italy in 1967, and working for several years at an aircraft manufacturer as a machinist, Angelo Guzzo decided to buy a theatre in 1974. What followed some years after this has become part of the lore of the Canadian movie theatre ownership and management business – which up to the 1970s was dominated by corporate interests based largely in the U.S.

He took on ‘the big guys’

According to a biography of Vincenzo Guzzo posted on the CBC website, “Guzzo always believed he could turn his dad’s small theatre business (along with his own law and business degrees) into the mega-scaled empire it is today. He just needed to take on the big guys. In 1998, Vincenzo did just that, when he sued the biggest movie competition in Canada to gain equal opportunity for the little guy to show first-run releases – and won!”

In addition to Cinémas Guzzo’s 141 screens, nine IMAX cinemas and 10 locations (with three more set to open later this year), the 49-year-old Vincenzo Guzzo also has diversified the family’s investments into a construction subsidiary (Groupe Guzzo Construction Inc.), which is a successful general contractor that built all the Guzzo theatres.

Expanding the business

Most recently, Vincenzo has expanded the operations again and become a restaurateur, opening a chain of trendy Italian pork sandwich locations called ‘Porchetta,’ as well as two successful fine-dining establishments, with a third slated to open this past summer. Guzzo is also selling his porchetta (as well as Cinémas Guzzo movie passes) direct to consumers through Costco outlets.

Along the way, Vincenzo Guzzo and his wife, Maria, have become renowned philanthropists, giving generously to numerous hospitals, culminating in the establishment of the Guzzo Family Foundation in 2007. The foundation has aggressively invested in cancer research at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital and at McGill University.

The season opener of Dragons’ Den, as well as full episodes during the coming TV season and behind-the-scenes content, can be viewed online at cbc.ca/dragonsden.

Renata Isopo, Special to The Laval News

On Thursday, September 20, at the Metalium plant in Laval, Mayor Marc Demers in the presence of Pierre Drapeau – president of L’Association des Fournisseurs de Chantier Davie Canada, Frederik Boisvert – vice president, public relations, at Davie, Canada, and Simon Albert – vice-president of Metalium,  announced his support for the largest Quebec and Canadian maritime shipbuilding plant and for all the shipbuilder’s suppliers and employees residing in Laval.

Laval has partnered with Davie Canada since 2012, considering that suppliers and employees of the shipbuilder are situated on Laval territory.  More than $6 million in contracts and employment was earmarked to revitalize the suffering plant.

An important Laval plant, Metalium was a key partner in the delivery of the Asterix, the first support marine ship of service to the Canadian marines in more than 50 years, and the first ship to be delivered by a Canadian shipbuilder in more than 20 years.

In the framework of the international call to tender for the construction of the new cruise ship, the CTMA VACANCIER,  Laval suppliers are demanding Quebec content of 50% to secure 1600 direct and indirect jobs, and that the half billion dollars of the contract remain in Quebec to benefit the Quebec naval industry.

Mayor Demers stated that in the specific case of the construction of the new cruise ship financed by the Quebec government, “I give my full and wholehearted support to the Laval suppliers requesting the minimum of Quebec content of 50% instead of the projected 30%. This will entirely depend on the  government elected  October 1^”

During a post-conference interview with The Laval News, It was revealed by a reliable source that Davie Canada extended an invitation to all provincial parties to visit the plant in Levis, Quebec.  The PQ attended and offered full support.  It was a no show for the CAQ with no sign of interest.  The PLQ neither attended nor responded to the invitation. Quebec Solidaire, no news.  This is a concern for Davie and Metalium.

Building ships locally means paying attention to regional (Laval) and Quebec shareholders’ profits and respecting the welfare of the sector’s labour force. The shipbuilding industry generates hundreds of jobs-domestic costs that can be negotiated.  For Levis, a city of half million people and few employment opportunities, the impact can be devastating.  The decline is disastrous when the construction of ships is awarded to other countries.  Keeping shipbuilding in Quebec is a battle for shipyard workers that must be waged in this shipyard crisis.

“The CTMA VACANCIER contract  would employ 1900 naval workers,”  stated Pierre Drapeau, adding that not getting the contract would mean a tragic of loss of jobs for 1000 Quebecers.

The marine industry has always been susceptible to structural change and the sector has had to repeatedly adapt to changing circumstances.  For many sectors, the marine industry is one of the most important employers.  The challenges of the shipyard industry are reflected on everyone through subcontractors and suppliers. It’s important that the decision makers, the politicians, co-operate with Davie Canada and its Laval partner Metalium.

Co-operation between the provincial government and the shipping industry is imperative.  Davie and Metalium are eager to secure the much needed boost to the industry.  It will be up to the incoming government to be an engaged and supportive player throughout the entire process and in other important initiatives of the industry.  Significant investment in shipbuilding projects is a shot in the arm for this manufacturing sector and will promote growth for at least three years if Davie and Metalium win CTMA VACANCIER contract. The industry will also spill over to promote growth in other manufacturing subsectors such as fabricated metal products.

“During the unveiling of the marine strategy, the Couillard government had foreseen the creation of 1990 jobs in the naval construction sector,” stated Metalium vice-president Simon Albert.

With more than 1000 jobs lost only at the Davie shipyard,  Albert emphasized that they are far from making up for lost employment, but with the construction of the new cruise ship, it would offer the extraordinary opportunity to rectify the situation, and, rapidly.  For this reason suppliers of the Davie Canada plant, present in more than 13 administrative regions, are demanding that the minimal content granted by the Quebec government be raised from 30% to 50%.

Pierre Drapeau, on behalf of the workers and suppliers who come from all regions of Quebec, thanked Mayor Demers for his leadership in this dossier which is of the utmost importance for the future of the Quebec maritime industry.

Frederik Boisvert, vice president of public affairs at Davie Canada reported the following at the press conference:  “Davie Canada generated economic benefits of three billion dollars since its recovery in 2012.  Its supply chain includes 879 suppliers in Quebec.”

“Davie Canada was elected the North American Naval Plant in 2015—the only Canadian maritime plant to have ever received this distinction,” Boisvert concluded.

Mayor Demers pledged his support and will be active in this project to ensure its success.  Apparently,   the 22 elected members of Laval City Council would have also expressed their support, according to  David De Cotis, City Counsellor for Vimont/Auteuil . De Cotis, former chair of STL and Laval deputy mayor, told The Laval News  in a telephone interview that he would have been present at the press conference had he been informed.  He insisted that Claude LaRochelle, City Counsellor for Fabreville. should have been present since the Metalium plant is located in his jurisdiction.

“Awarding the contract to Davie Canada and Metalium would save jobs, create jobs and be a huge boost to the economy of Laval and Quebec,”  De Cotis concluded, pledging his own support for these two important players in Laval economic affairs.