(TLN)

Laval residents who wished to adopt a dog or cat responsibly were able to do so from 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday Nov. 12 when the city sponsored an animal adoption day at the Bois-Papineau Pavilion at 3235 Saint-Martin Blvd. East in conjunction with several Laval-area animal shelters.

Adopt cats and dogs

During the day, all the animals available had already been vaccinated and sterilized. They were available at reasonable prices (from $80 to $400) depending on the pet, and only cash was accepted for payment.

Among the local animal shelters taking part were Mère Théréchat, Ronronne avec moi, Un toit pour chat and the Auberge Zen Refuge. Auberge Zen Refuge was offering dogs for adoption, as was the Refuge Magoo which took part for the first time.

Pet permits available

Those who already have pets had the opportunity during the day to obtain animal permits, which are mandatory under municipal regulations. Permits for cats are free in 2017, while the cost for dogs is $27. Animal owners were also be able to have their pets microchipped for $25.

The microchip, which is inserted under the pet’s hide, contains information to locate the owner if the pet becomes lost. Registration for this service must be done ahead of time online. Beginning in January 2019, all pets in Laval must be microchipped.

Martin C. Barry

The outcome of the City of Laval’s upcoming municipal election could provide an interesting lesson in the power of demographics once the ballots are finally all tallied on the evening of Nov. 5.

The multicultural path

While the two leading contenders – the incumbent Mouvement Lavallois and the official opposition Action Laval – have struck a virtually even balance in each of their slates between Québécois and multicultural candidates, the Avenir Laval party has deliberately chosen to run twice as many ethnic and multicultural candidates.

In the meantime, the small but feisty Parti Laval is going in the other direction – presenting a roster made up of slightly more than twice as many Québécois candidates (15), compared to multicultural ones (7).

A standout from the pack

Although the Alliance des Conseillers Autonomes managed to strike an even balance in its presentation of candidates, with mayoralty hopeful Alain Lecompte and his co-candidate Cynthia Leblanc making up half the slate announced on their website, the ACA managed to release the names of just four candidates in all by the Oct. 6 candidacy registration deadline.

Standing clearly out from the pack, Avenir Laval appears to be following a strategy that emphasizes the increasingly diverse population in the City of Laval. Of the party’s 22 candidates, as many as 16 have multicultural roots. Only about a half-dozen of Avenir Laval’s runners appear to be longtime-rooted Québécois.

Liberals support AL

Since forming her party for the 2017 election, it’s been no secret that Avenir Laval mayoralty candidate Sonia Baudelot (who has volunteered and worked for years as a federal Liberal organizer) was able to draw important support from some prominent local members of the Liberals to her party.

In an interview with the Laval News on Oct. 19 during one of Avenir Laval’s last major gatherings of supporters before election day, Baudelot acknowledged that diversity is indeed part of her party’s strategy.

“We are the only party that has this much diversity, because we represent what Laval is,” she said. “We are going with what we are in Laval. In Laval, you have all kinds of communities. And if you look around at all the people who are here tonight, you can see what we are talking about because this is what Laval is.”

Taxes and security

In terms of election questions, Baudelot said two of the main issues the residents of Laval seem to be most preoccupied with going towards election day are property taxes and public security. “The taxes went sky-high and eventually this has to stop,” she maintained, while adding that Avenir Laval plans to put a tax freeze into place if elected. However, virtually every challenger running in the election is making the same promise.

“A tax freeze is important,” Baudelot continued. “That’s how you make people go back out and spend money in the economy. When you have to pay your property taxes, you have to pay the school tax, these things are all issues for us. We want to give back to the citizens. We want to renew Laval. We want to rebuild Laval and give back to the citizens of Laval. It’s time to think about the future and not the past. Time to move forward.”

Martin C. Barry

The Société de transport de Laval (STL) will be launching its first all-electric bus service in 2019-2020, says Mayor Marc Demers.

Demers made the statement at the Association du Transport Urbain du Québec (ATUQ)’s 14^th annual general assembly which was held at the Palace congress centre in Laval on Oct. 18 and 19. The event drew representatives of public transit authorities and cities from all over the province – including some from Laval.

Demers was accompanied by Laval executive-committee vice-president David De Cotis who is president of the STL, city councillor Jocelyne Frédéric-Gauthier and STL board member Michel Reeves.

STL buying electric buses

“In the course of the project, we will be proceeding with the purchase of 10 electric buses,” said the mayor, adding that a call for tenders will be made before the end of this year and that the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) will be calling for bids to purchase 30 electric buses at the same time.

According to the mayor, the STL plans to purchase only electric buses beginning in 2023. He said that he and other officials at Laval city hall are hoping Quebec will create a new subsidy program to facilitate the acquisition of electric buses by the STL and other public transit authorities across the province.

Incentives needed, says Demers

“We also think that the government of Quebec should create financial incentives for transit authorities that would facilitate the transition to electrification,” he continued. He suggested that with a provincial election taking place next year, all the candidates should be invited to come forward and say where they stand on the issue.

“For us, mass transit is a way of meeting our challenges with traffic – but it’s a lot more than that. It’s also a way to safeguard the environment while combating pollution,” Demers added. “What we discovered as well is that it improves the quality of life of our residents in a number of ways.” Demers recounted how the city and the STL decided three years ago to offer bus service free of charge to all retired Laval residents.

Seniors ride STL for free

“This is the one thing for which we receive the most congratulations and thanks,” he said. “Why? Because it’s something that affects the quality of life. The same goes for access to leisure activities, to libraries, to cultural activities, for people who would otherwise not have access. Public transit is truly something than can help leverage improvements to the quality of life for all of our residents. And I believe it is the way of the future.”

Demers also pointed out that Laval is well-positioned to play a central role in the growing electrification of public transit, as Quebec has long been one of the world’s most important producers of electricity, which is renewable energy.

Behind in electrification

Despite that, the mayor noted that Laval is behind in the electrification of its public transit system, compared to cities in Europe and other regions of the globe where the transition has been well underway for a considerable amount of time.

“We have as a duty to catch up on this lateness and to become an example for cities throughout the world, while showing innovation and imagination,” he added. Demers pointed out that the STL acquired two electric buses in 2013 in order to conduct studies and tests on them to determine their effectiveness while in service on the streets of Laval.

Martin C. Barry

Presenting his party’s commitments for public security in the City of Laval if he is elected, Action Laval mayoral candidate Jean-Claude Gobé said last week that under his administration Laval “will become the safest city in Quebec.”

Says more patrols needed

“There are insufficient police forces on our streets and this is a hindrance to the efficiency of our services,” said Gobé, noting that currently there are only five patrol cars out at night in Laval. “I pledge to double that number in the first year of my mandate,” he added.

“Our police officers will be more present and accessible than ever. The traditional role of the police officer tends to change. It is not only to enforce the law anymore, but also to intervene at the social level. Under my administration, they will be more present in our community.”

More security improvements

Gobé said that increasing the number of patrol cars in the streets of Laval, especially at night, would also have a direct effect on shortening response time, as well as significantly improving prevention of crimes. He said improved security could also be achieved through the establishment of a new police station to better serve western Laval.

“This is a demand from citizens and our public safety stakeholders,” continued Gobé. “The establishment of this new neighborhood station in the west is becoming a necessity, especially with the new developments and the growth of the population.”

Improved emergency plan

Another key commitment made by Gobé is to review and strengthen the various emergency plans the city has on hand. “Our emergency services are already doing an exceptional job with the means they have. Except that it’s not enough, I’m going to strengthen our structures to protect you. The City of Laval is not immune to a disaster and I want us to be ready.”

Gobé referred to the events of Sept. 13, when a suspicious bag containing unidentified vials was transported by car from the Cartier Metro station in Laval to the Henri-Bourassa Metro in Montreal. He also mentioned the train derailment along Quebec-Gatineau Railway line into the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles.

Ready for emergencies

“In both cases, there were no hazardous materials,” he pointed out. “We were lucky, because there was no real emergency plan, both to evacuate people and to treat materials. I’m going to do more than prepare crisis communications plans, as Marc Demers did. I will make sure that our services are ready to act as soon as there is a report.”

Gobé said that under his administration a new command center would put all public services under the direction of the mayor and the chief of police. “This will be key to a vast coordination plan. In the event of a crisis, all services will be mobilized under the guidance of a single chief. This will avoid the various administrative faults and will make the city much more efficient in the event of a crisis.”

Working for First Responder

Gobé noted that for the past four years Action Laval has been lobbying for the establishment of a “first responder service” to be run in conjunction with the fire and police. “This commitment is important,” said Gobé. “I will work actively on it.”

Gobé said he would also work hard to obtain a strong commitment from the provincial government for the construction of a new hospital in western Laval. “One hospital for more than 400,000 residents is not enough,” Action Laval Chomedey candidate Aglaia Revelakis agreed, while adding that her party pledged to work towards the goal in the last election campaign.

Another hospital for Laval

“People in western Laval are having to go to Montreal now to get medical services, and it’s not right. And having one big hospital is something that doesn’t work. We have to be more local. This is why we are promoting the idea of a second hospital in Laval because the population is demanding it and there is a need for a second hospital.”

Action Laval candidate Nicolas Macrozonaris who is running in Sainte-Dorothée added, “I think we all know it’s no secret that the health care system has become overcrowded and not very efficient. So it’s logical for us to have this hospital as part of our plan.”

Gobé confirms security view

Last Sunday evening following a published news report about gunshots being fired in September during a soccer match held in Laval, Action Laval leader Gobé issued a statement reconfirming his party’s commitment to increasing security in the City of Laval.

“Our police force is insufficient, people have heard the bullets whistle and the police arrived 34 minutes after the first call,” he said. He continued, “This long wait is inconceivable. For 34 minutes, there would have been no one to stop the shooter.”

Gobé suggested that the Laval Police would not have been able to act in the event of a shooting, killing or terrorist act: “As I said before, we live in a globalized society and Laval is a metropolitan city, as the third largest city in Quebec, we must be ready to intervene in any situation.”

(TLN) The first Terry Fox Run to take place in Laval in more than a dozen years “was a success,” says Jeffrey Marshall, who led efforts to organize the event held at Parc des Prairies on Sept. 17.

Pleased with results

“With over 40 participants and over $5,000 raised for the Terry Fox Foundation, I am very happy with the results,” Marshall told the Laval News.

He said he wanted to thank the event’s sponsors, including Laval-des-Rapides MNA Saul Polo, Vimy MP Eva Nassif, and the City of Laval, as well as the many volunteers without whom the return of the Terry Fox Run to Laval would not have been possible.

Sponsors and volunteers

“I would also like to thank all the participants for helping to make Terry’s dream a reality,” said Marshall. “As I have committed to organizing the event next year, I am confident that it will be a huge success. I hope to see you there.”

People from Laval and from all over walked or ran at the family oriented non-competitive Laval Terry Fox Run to raise funds for cancer research. While many schools in Laval hold Terry Fox Runs for their students, this was the first regional Terry Fox Run to be held in Laval since 2004.

Preparing for next year

Participants raised money online at terryfoxrun.org, by gathering pledges from family and friends, or by submitting a donation on the day of the run. The efforts of Terry Fox Run participants yield incredible results. Since 1999, the Terry Fox Foundation has financed over $50 million dollars for cancer research projects in Quebec.

Those still wishing to contribute donations or who would like to help organize next year’s Laval Terry Fox Run can contact the Quebec organizers by email at qc@terryfoxrun.org, or by calling 1-888-836-9786. For more information, visit terryfox.org.