(TLN)

The City of Laval and its firefighters held a province-wide Fire Prevention Week Oct. 7 – 13. This year’s theme, “It’s in the kitchen that it happens,” illustrates the fact that nearly a third of all the fires that break out in buildings in Quebec start in the kitchen area.

On the last day of the week-long campaign (Saturday Oct. 13) from 10 am to 4 pm, Laval’s nine firehalls held open door events where everyone was welcomed. Families were invited to come out to their neighbourhood firehall to take part in activities and to learn first-hand about firefighting operations from those for whom firefighting is a life calling and a job.

“I am especially pleased to invite all citizens of Laval to visit their local firehall where they can become familiar with all the different rules to follow for security,” says Laval city councillor for Concorde-Bois-de-Boulogne Sandra Desmeules who is responsible for public safety on the executive-committee.

Martin C. Barry

Who takes responsibility for stray cats in Chomedey? What’s being done about traffic and speeding on some of the district’s streets? And what changes are in store for the City of Laval’s alternate-side street parking regulations? These were some of the issues that came up during a district meeting held by city councillor Aglaia Revelakis at Centre de Sablon on Sept. 26.

‘Tempo’ shelter changes

Before dealing with the issues, Revelakis informed the 25 or so people attending that Laval city council made some changes to the “tempo” car shelter by-law recently and now residents are allowed to put up the protective winter-time structures beginning on Oct. 15 until April 30.

The previous rule prevented the shelters from being erected before November. The new regulations add 15 days at the beginning of the shelter period and 15 days in the spring before the period ends. While structure and tarpaulin can also now be erected simultaneously, a rule that remains obliges tempo owners to maintain a two-foot distance from the sidewalk so that snow ploughs don’t encounter obstructions during the winter.

Parking consultation

Revelakis said a consultation on the alternate parking issue will be taking place at 7 pm on Wednesday Oct. 24 at the Centre communautaire Saint-Joseph on Pie-X Blvd. near the corner of Souvenir Blvd. The meeting will be for residents of four districts: Chomedey, Abord-à-Plouffe, Saint-Martin and Souvenir-Labelle.

Under the current rules, cars are forbidden from parking on certain sides of streets so that street cleaning or snow removal operations can take place. Revelakis said any changes made to the alternate parking rules following the consultation will only take effect next year.

Street repair complications

Tom Mouhteros noted that street reconstruction projects on Clarendon Ave. that began this past summer are still underway, while the existing alternate parking rules were set to kick in Oct. 1. “The street is getting done, it’s not even done yet, and people from Clarendon are coming all the way down and parking,” he said, maintaining that he didn’t expect the street work to be completed on time.

Mouhteros also complained that Clarendon, which runs parallel at one point to Autoroute 13, has become a shortcut for drivers from outside the immediate area. “If anything goes wrong, everybody’s on Clarendon – and believe me it’s become a highway,” he said.

New dog and cat regulations

Revelakis pointed out that beginning in January 2019, it will be mandatory for all dogs and cats in Laval to be “microchipped” with a miniature implant that contains information identifying the owner. She also revealed that according to the City of Laval’s latest animal control regulations, anyone who feeds a stray cat or dog will be regarded as its owner. “The city could go after you and request that you go get a permit for these stray cats or dogs,” she said.

“If the city is expecting all this from us for stray cats, shouldn’t they also have responsibility if I call that there are lots of stray cats in my area and they should send somebody to deal with them? The city can’t have it both ways,” said Nick Furfaro. “Don’t feed them,” Revelakis responded.

Stray cats on Clarendon

“There are so many cats on Clarendon it’s unbelievable,” said Mouhteros, noting that when he recently found an injured cat he called Berger Blanc which is mandated to deal with stray animals by the city. While insisting that he loves animals, he said the overpopulation of cats in Chomedey “is getting ridiculous. I’m not putting in a garden next year. They’ve eaten half my garden – the cats, the squirrels.”

Anna Georgopoulos, who lives on a crescent along Notre Dame Blvd. near Elizabeth Blvd., asked Revelakis for a speed bump to be installed on her street. Revelakis said the city on the verge of a campaign to install a good number more speed bumps. “We are for the speed bumps,” said Georgopoulos. “Because first and foremost there’s a lot of children in that crescent.”

Martin C. Barry

A feeling of victory filled the air at the Notre Dame Blvd. campaign headquarters of incumbent Chomedey MNA Guy Ouellette on provincial election night last Oct. 1 – even though it also rang hollow.

Changing events

Although Ouellette himself easily won re-election as expected, the Quebec Liberal Party’s losses most everywhere else in Quebec were historic in their proportion. Since election night, events turned in such a way that Ouellette is no longer a Liberal and will be representing the people of Chomedey as an independent member of the National Assembly.

By 9:30 pm on the evening of the election, it still wasn’t clear how the PLQ did in Laval’s five other ridings, although they managed in the end to win four, with the exception being Fabre where incumbent Liberal Jean Habel was defeated by the Coalition Avenir Québec’s Christopher Skeete.

A fifth term as MNA

First elected in 2007, this was the fifth time Ouellette won a mandate to serve Chomedey. Only a few days before the election, the former Sûreté du Québec investigator was embroiled in a controversy when Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault maintained that Ouellette had previously leaked confidential information to the CAQ regarding contracts awarded by the Liberal government.

Ouellette was briefly placed under arrest in October last year by the Unité permanente anticorruption which was conducting an investigation of leaked documents and information from within UPAC. At the time, the National Assembly’s speaker issued a statement expressing solidarity with Ouellette and denouncing UPAC’s actions as a threat to the work done by all MNAs.

No longer a Liberal

Ouellette refused to talk about the alleged information leaks with journalists on election night, saying that the matter was the subject of litigation and he could not comment for that reason. In the days after the Oct. 1 election, Ouellette was expelled from the Liberal caucus by interim-PLQ leader Pierre Arcand.

“Being in politics isn’t always easy,” Ouellette said in an address to his supporters on election night. “You have to be willing to follow through on your convictions, you have to be up to the same level as your integrity. It’s not everyone who understands this and it’s not everyone who accepts it. But I have never made any compromises in terms of rigour and this integrity to defend the citizens of Chomedey while continuing to serve you.”

Determined to keep serving

Despite the dismal results for the Liberals across the province, Ouellette said “it won’t change my determination to serve and to serve each and every citizen of Chomedey.” He thanked the many volunteers who helped with the Liberal campaign in Chomedey, while congratulating all the MNAs across Quebec who were elected to the National Assembly regardless of political affiliation.

“We didn’t get the results across the province that might have been wished for tonight,” he added. “But for the citizens of Chomedey, starting tomorrow we’ll be in a position to continue the work we do and that was started by [former MNAs] Mr. Mulcair and Mrs. Bacon and the late Jean-Noël Lavoie.”

Longtime volunteer retires

The 2018 Chomedey provincial election campaign was the last that longtime local political organizer and volunteer Claudette Lessard was participating in. After helping the Ouellette team in a total of five elections, and helping organize Liberal campaigns in the federal riding of Laval-Les Îles before then, Lessard let it be known on election night that she felt it was about time she retired.

“I’m 78 years old now and I think I have given just about everything possible,” she said in an interview with the Laval News. Asked for her impressions of the election, she replied, “It was a very difficult one. There was a lot of mud-slinging from one side to the other. It’s just not like it used to be back in 2007 with Guy. It was a lot easier then.”

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.