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.

Martin C. Barry

If laughter is the “best medicine,” as an old bit of folk wisdom maintains, then a group of volunteers from health and social services establishments in Laval got a good dose of it on Sept. 20 when the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de Laval held an event where the volunteers had a chance to upgrade the knowledge and learning for their tasks.

Laughter as medicine

During one of the morning sessions given at the Centre for the protection of children and youth on Cartier Blvd. West, Isabella Bitetto, who is responsible for volunteers and leisure activities at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital and who is also certified in laughter specialist, led a presentation in the importance of laughing.

Bitetto gave the session participants a taste of the training she received from the World Laughter Tour, an organization with local chapters which, according to their website, are part of a “worldwide movement for health, happiness and peace by encouraging everyone to tap into the positive benefits of laughter and humor.” Bitetto took part in a laughter workshop in Montreal in 2009.

Some serious laughter

“The importance of laughing is very serious,” she said without any intentional irony. “Children don’t question and they do it with all their hearts. We the adults we control ourselves because it isn’t always appropriate. But laughing from the heart is a universal language which is understood the world over for the message it expresses: joy, peace and enjoyment.”

Bitetto led the group through a number of physical laughter exercises. While some may have found them a little silly at first, before long it was obvious the mood in the room had grown lighter and that everyone – including yours truly – was more relaxed.

Bitetto’s session prepared the group for the workshop that immediately followed hers, which was on a far more serious topic: how to deal with patients or health and social service clients who are agitated or who are being aggressive.

Dealing with aggression

Josée Meunier, a clinical councillor at the CISSS’s multidisciplinary services department, provided some very valuable tips on recognizing when people are very upset and how to deal with such incidents in the most appropriate manner.

Meunier is a certified Omega trainer, specialized in maximizing the security of employees working in health and social service establishments against any type of aggression they might be exposed to. She summed up four days of information provided during the training in on hour.

“I feel certain that many among you since you have been volunteers have had to face situations involving aggressive behaviour,” she told her audience. And indeed a show of hands revealed that the majority of the volunteers knew exactly what she was talking about.

‘Understanding’ is key

A key message in her talk was that health and social service workers and volunteers should make efforts to try to understand exactly why clients or service users are angry. Among other things, she said body language can also be very important when dealing with tense situations and that workers or volunteers should learn to position themselves in potentially non-threatening ways when facing the unknown.

As well, she said that keeping a measured distance physically from clientele can also be useful as this is less likely to heighten the level of tension when such is the case. As such, she suggested not standing too close to patients or clients so that they don’t feel overwhelmed or don’t end up making the worker or volunteer feel physically overwhelmed.

Meunier noted that some volunteers have been known to resign after being involved in verbal or even physical confrontations with patients or clients because they were so upset afterwards. She suggested that even volunteers need to be prepared for this sort of thing as aggressiveness by some patients and clients has unfortunately become part of life in health and social service establishments.