Martin C. Barry

A Chomedey man who has become a self-appointed “watchdog” over the official opposition at Laval city hall had questions about their annual expenses last week at city council’s first meeting of the year, after first raising the issue last fall.

Not satisfied with answer

During one of the monthly city council meetings last October, Natale Polito had asked whether the Action Laval opposition party could provide specific information on its spending and budget allocations.

Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis, who is currently Action Laval’s sole elected representative, said at the time that the information would become available in the city’s annual budget which was tabled in December.

Responding during the Jan. 12 council meeting to Polito’s complaint that he still didn’t have an answer, Revelakis read out a prepared statement in which she said all the opposition’s expenses are supervised and accounted for by the city’s financial services department. She also noted that the expenses are completely in line with the Quebec municipal affairs ministry’s legal requirements.

Freedom of Information

Polito, who was active as a volunteer with Action Laval during the 2013 election but has since grown disillusioned with the party, made a freedom of information request to the municipal clerk’s office for details on the opposition office’s expenses over the past two years.

Although the opposition has only briefly had more than two elected members on city council, that number was reduced when Councillor Paolo Galati jumped in August 2014 from Action Laval to the governing Mouvement Lavallois. Councillor Michel Trottier decided in July that same year to join the official opposition, but remained only until last fall when he decided to sit again as an independent.

Staff salaries top expenses

According to the document released by the city clerk, the opposition office received a more than 3 per cent allotment increase in 2015, raising its overall budget to $677,600. By far the most outstanding expense was for support personnel salaries: they amounted to more than $420,000 in 2014, and thousands more for social benefits.

Although the opposition councillors each earned a base salary of around $30,000 a year, the report reveals that former chief of staff Jean Desautels’ pay was almost three times greater ($88,000) during the opposition office’s first year. Former Action Laval political attaché Emilio Migliozzi’s salary was $65,000 before he departed.

Gobé was paid $42,700

The four other opposition office staffers’ 2014 salaries ranged from $65,000 to just below $43,000, with Action Laval leader and mayoral candidate Jean-Claude Gobé receiving $42,700 as a “special advisor.” Although some staffers left by the following year, the record shows that those who remained in 2015 saw their remuneration increase slightly or more steeply if they were promoted. While there were seven staff at the opposition office in 2014, there were only six in 2015.

In an interview with the Laval News, Polito said that even though he was ultimately able to get the information, he had hoped to hear it first from Action Laval. “Why are there so many people on the payroll for a one-person show?” he said. “Where is the money going? They’re paying salaries, but what are we getting in return? Where are the benefits for the citizens of Laval? Or are they just paying salaries for something that’s not benefiting the citizens?”

Coupal axed from commissions

In other developments during the Jan. 12 city council meeting, Mayor Marc Demers was forced during the residents’ question period to justify his decision to remove former Mouvement Lavallois councillor Jean Coupal from his position as a member of two council commissions. Coupal recently decided to leave the ML and sit as an independent.

“[Coupal] left because he wanted to be able to speak freely,” said the mayor, while adding that Coupal’s commitment to the two commissions he previously sat on included an oath of secrecy. Demers also suggested that his duties as mayor include making sure that “the right person for the job” was appointed to work on commissions.

Airport shuttle resolution

Councillor Aglaia Revelakis tabled a resolution on behalf of her party calling for the Société de Transport de Laval (STL) to study the possibility of implementing a special shuttle bus between Laval and Montreal International Airport.

Noting that it is currently impossible for Laval residents to get to the airport by any means other than a personal car or by taxi, that the cost of a taxi to the airport is very costly and that the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) currently offers an airport shuttle service, the motion asks the STL to take a serious look at the issue.

Regarding a proposed zoning change for the preservation of Laval’s Bois-de-l’Équerre urban forest, Sainte-Rose councillor and executive-committee member Virginie Dufour said a by-law for that purpose will only be ready for the next council meeting on Feb. 2. The city will be setting aside 216 hectares of the territory as a protected green space, while another portion would be designated for development.

Martin C. Barry

When officials in Ottawa were looking for help in welcoming the thousands of Syrian refugees being accepted into Canada, they had no problem finding Agape.

As proof, the Chomedey-based group’s name appears on a three-page list of Laval social service agencies compiled by Immigration Canada and distributed to Syrian refugees arriving here recently.

Seeks government support

But what Agape’s Betty McCleod would like to know, though, is whether the government has plans to provide financial support for the monumental efforts that Agape and other agencies are making and which are depleting their never very plentiful resources.

“Has anyone called and asked ‘How are you doing?’” she said regarding the government’s stance. “I haven’t heard from a soul. Somebody has to do something to support this organization. We’ve always been on our last dollar and this has just made things worse. There’s got to be some kind of government support.”

As most people are probably aware by now, Canada’s new federal government has taken up a leading role in welcoming refugees from Syria into the country.

Resources nearly depleted

“In Laval, a good number of refugees have arrived, and not just in January, but since September,” McLeod, a co-founder of Laval’s largest English-language social services provider, said last week in an interview with the Laval News.

“Over the past week we’ve received I would say pretty close to 35 families. And you know what that means: they have children, some have come in with their parents, brothers, sisters, sometimes even two families as one.”

Agape’s usually-well stocked basement storage area has almost been depleted by the sudden surge in demand, although so far the government has given no indication it will be issuing any kind of compensation. Agape’s list of needs includes decent-quality furniture and household furnishings, men’s and boys’ boots and heavy-duty sweaters.

No furniture left

“Our first 18 or 19 families we provided for no sweat,” added McLeod. “But if you’ve seen our basement we don’t have a piece of furniture left over. We don’t have any mattresses, beds, stoves. Nothing is left. I am honored to serve these people, but even with the greatest good will in the world we cannot serve them properly.”

The people arriving have absolutely no furniture, said McLeod, noting the refugees generally come with just enough money to pay for a roof of their heads for a year. After they rent an apartment, they are forced “to sleep on the floor,” and “this should not happen in this country: there should be enough to go around. We as a population, not only Agape, should make sure that if we are going to accept these people, we are going to supply for their needs.”

Food running out

According to McLeod, Agape was fortunate at the end of 2015 to have an abundance of food for families and toys for kids around Christmas. “But we’re burning it all out right now,” she said regarding the crisis they’re now facing.

“We’re giving everything we have and we’re going to run out of food. It’s just a matter of time. We’re probably going to run out of food within a month.” For those interested in helping Agape at this particular time of crisis, donations can be brought to the organization’s offices at 3950 Notre Dame Blvd. in Chomedey.

Martin C. Barry

Laval city councillor for Souvenir-Labelle Jean Coupal, who was elected with the victorious Mouvement Lavallois in the 2013 municipal election, has decided to leave the governing party.

Coupal joins the ranks of a growing number of disaffected city councillors who prefer sitting as independents rather than with the council majority or the official opposition, which is perceived by some former members and critics as ineffective.

Mayor Demers reacts

“Mr. Coupal had views which were very much his own on a number of subjects,” Mayor Marc Demers said in a statement to the Laval News reacting to Coupal’s decision. “He had difficulty staying with the majority, which ended up isolating him within the team. I believe he will be more at ease as an independent and I wish him good luck. However, it’s still a fact that the citizens of his district voted for a candidate from the Mouvement Lavallois, which they no longer have.”

Was critical of ML

In a statement Coupal issued last Monday, he said he has been sitting as an independent since December. Coupal said he did this “in order to better represent the interests of the residents” of his district, as well as the interests of all Laval residents, and “not just from behind the closed doors of the Mouvement Lavallois caucus.”

Coupal said what ultimately made him decide to leave the ML was Laval city council’s recent awarding of a sole bidder computer services contract to an IT consultant who will be receiving nearly $3,000 a day for a total of more than $400,000 for 1,000 hours of work.

History repeating?

“In the beginning, the Mouvement Lavallois was created to oust Mayor Vaillancourt’s PRO des Lavallois,” Coupal said, referring to the former mayor’s defunct municipal party. “This was carried off with brilliance in November 2013.

“Since then, unfortunately, the Mouvement Lavallois has been determined to repeat the era of one-party rule in council,” he added, “by means of money which allows it to eliminate all opposition and to manage public funds without having to worry about the capacity of taxpayers to pay and the equity between them and public servants.”

Keeping count

Immediately following the 2013 election, the Mouvement Lavallois held 17 of the 21 council seats. Action Laval won two (Aglaia Revelakis in Chomedey and Paolo Galati in St-Vincent-de-Paul) and formed the official opposition, while Jacques St-Jean (Saint-François) and Michel Trottier (Fabreville) sat as independents.

In August 2014, Galati decided he was no longer interested in Action Laval and formally joined the Mouvement Lavallois. Since then, he’s been prominent at a good number of public functions where he’s visibly become close to the second most powerful elected official in Laval: executive-committee vice-president David De Cotis.

Trottier forms new party

While Jacques St-Jean remained steadily independent during this time, Michel Trottier – who was one of the most outspoken, demonstrative and vocal council members from the beginning – decided to forego his autonomy in July 2014 and join Action Laval which was and continues to be led by 2013 mayoral candidate Jean-Claude Gobé, who has said he intends to run for mayor again in 2017.

For the opposition party, this made up for the loss of Galati. Then in September 2015, Trottier decided he’d had enough with Action Laval and announced he would be sitting again as an independent, leaving Aglaia Revelakis as the only Action Laval member sitting on city council. By last month, Trottier was announcing the creation of a new political party, the Parti Laval, in preparation for the November 2017 municipal elections. For the time being, he is the interim leader of the party.

ML loses three more

In the meantime, the Mouvement Lavallois has lost the support of three other councillors who were originally elected under the party’s banner. In September 2014, Laval-des-Rapides city councillor Pierre Anthian decided to leave the ML to sit as an independent. But he was present alongside Michel Trottier in December when the latter announced the formation of his new party.

In November 2014, Councillor Alain Lecompte (l’Orée-des-Bois) also decided to quit the ML, citing a climate of distrust within the ruling party, to sit as an independent. Councillor Jean Coupal is the latest member of Laval city council to go down the same route.

For over three decades, Stephanie Seneff, PhD, has researched biology and technology, over the years publishing over 170 scholarly peer-reviewed articles. In recent years she has concentrated on the relationship between nutrition and health, tackling such topics as Alzheimer’s, autism, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as the impact of nutritional deficiencies and environmental toxins on human health.

At a conference last Thursday, in a special panel discussion about GMOs, she took the audience by surprise when she declared, “At today’s rate, by 2025, one in two children will be autistic.” She noted that the side effects of autism closely mimic those of glyphosate toxicity, and presented data showing a remarkably consistent correlation between the use of Roundup on crops (and the creation of Roundup-ready GMO crop seeds) with rising rates of autism. Children with autism have biomarkers indicative of excessive glyphosate, including zinc and iron deficiency, low serum sulfate, seizures, and mitochondrial disorder.

A fellow panelist reported that after Dr. Seneff’s presentation, “All of the 70 or so people in attendance were squirming, likely because they now had serious misgivings about serving their kids, or themselves, anything with corn or soy, which are nearly all genetically modified and thus tainted with Roundup and its glyphosate.”

Dr. Seneff noted the ubiquity of glyphosate’s use. Because it is used on corn and soy, all soft drinks and candies sweetened with corn syrup and all chips and cereals that contain soy fillers have small amounts of glyphosate in them, as do our beef and poultry since cattle and chicken are fed GMO corn or soy. Wheat is often sprayed with Roundup just prior to being harvested, which means that all non-organic bread and wheat products would also be sources of glyphosate toxicity. The amount of glyphosate in each product may not be large, but the cumulative effect (especially with as much processed food as Americans eat) could be devastating. A recent study shows that pregnant women living near farms where pesticides are applied have a 60% increased risk of children having an autism spectrum disorder.

Other toxic substances may also be autism-inducing. You may recall our story on the CDC whistleblower who revealed the government’s deliberate concealment of the link between the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps, and rubella) and a sharply increased risk of autism, particularly in African American boys. Other studies now show a link between children’s exposure to pesticides and autism. Children who live in homes with vinyl floors, which can emit phthalate chemicals, are more likely to have autism. Children whose mothers smoked were also twice as likely to have autism. Research now acknowledges that environmental contaminants such as PCBs, PBDEs, and mercury can alter brain neuron functioning even before a child is born.

This month, the USDA released a study finding that although there were detectable levels of pesticide residue in more than half of food tested by the agency, 99% of samples taken were found to be within levels the government deems safe, and 40% were found to have no detectable trace of pesticides at all. The USDA added, however, that due to “cost concerns,” it did not test for residues of glyphosate. Let’s repeat that: they never tested for the active ingredient in the most widely used herbicide in the world. “Cost concerns”? How absurd—unless they mean it will cost them too much in terms of the special relationship between the USDA and Monsanto. You may recall the revolving door between Monsanto and the federal government, with agency officials becoming high-paying executives—and vice versa! Money, power, prestige: it’s all there. Monsanto and the USDA love to scratch each others’ backs. Clearly this omission was purposeful.

In addition, as we have previously reported, the number of adverse reactions from vaccines can be correlated as well with autism, though Seneff says it doesn’t correlate quite as closely as with Roundup. The same correlations between applications of glyphosate and autism show up in deaths from senility.

Of course, autism is a complex problem with many potential causes. Dr. Seneff’s data, however, is particularly important considering how close the correlation is—and because it is coming from a scientist with impeccable credentials. Earlier this year, she spoke at the Autism One conference and presented many of the same facts; that presentation is available on YouTube.

Monsanto claims that Roundup is harmless to humans. Bacteria, fungi, algae, parasites, and plants use a seven-step metabolic route known as the shikimate pathway for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids; glyphosate inhibits this pathway, causing the plant to die, which is why it’s so effective as an herbicide. Monsanto says humans don’t have this shikimate pathway, so it’s perfectly safe.

Dr. Seneff points out, however, that our gut bacteria do have this pathway, and that’s crucial because these bacteria supply our body with crucial amino acids. Roundup thus kills beneficial gut bacteria, allowing pathogens to grow; interferes with the synthesis of amino acids including methionine, which leads to shortages in critical neurotransmitters and folate; chelates (removes) important minerals like iron, cobalt and manganese; and much more.

Even worse, she notes, additional chemicals in Roundup are untested because they’re classified as“inert,” yet according to a 2014 study in BioMed Research International, these chemicals are capable of amplifying the toxic effects of Roundup hundreds of times over.

Glyphosate is present in unusually high quantities in the breast milk of American mothers, at anywhere from 760 to 1,600 times the allowable limits in European drinking water. Urine testing shows Americans have ten times the glyphosate accumulation as Europeans.

“In my view, the situation is almost beyond repair,” Dr. Seneff said after her presentation. “We need to do something drastic.”

The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced the coming into force of a previously announced increase in the duration of the Employment Insurance (EI) compassionate care benefit, which will provide additional financial security to Canadian workers and their families in times of need.

The Minister also said that the Government will work towards providing more generous leave for caregivers in the future. The Government has committed to making the compassionate care benefit more flexible, easier to access and more inclusive, she said.

Compassionate care benefits provide temporary income support to eligible individuals who must be away from work to provide care for a gravely ill family member at risk of death.

Effective January 3, 2016, the enhanced benefit, announced in 2015, allows claimants to collect up to 26 weeks of benefits, up from the current 6 weeks. Further, the period during which benefits can be taken is expanded to 52 weeks (up from 26 weeks). Benefits can be shared between family members.

Eligibility for compassionate care benefits remains the same, including the requirement for a medical certificate signed by a doctor attesting to the family member’s condition.

Corresponding changes to the Canada Labour Code will come into force at the same time to ensure that the jobs of employees in federally regulated enterprises remain protected while they avail themselves of compassionate care benefits under the EI program.

Quick Facts  

• It is estimated that up to 6,900 claimants per year could benefit from the enhanced measure that will take effect in January 2016.
• In 2013–14, program costs for the current compassionate care benefit amounted to $12 million. An additional $37 million is being added annually to extend the duration of the compassionate care benefit over and above the current program costs.
• The measure will have a negligible impact on the EI premium rate.

Laval, December 11, 2015 – The Société de transport de Laval’s Board of Directors has adopted a new fare policy as a part of its 2016 budget. Our new budget is set at 136.6 million dollars which is a 4.2% increase over the 2015 budget. Despite these changes, the development of public transit and customer satisfaction remain our core priorities.

“Our Laval-based administration truly understands the importance of being dedicated to the promotion of public transit and 2016 will be no exception” said David De Cotis, President of the STL’s Board of Directors. “Municipal contributions to the STL will be increased by 7% while local rate increases are limited to 1.6% on average. This is our way of thanking the people of Laval for their ever-increasing loyalty to public transit.”

The results of the most recent Origin Destination (OD) Survey bear witness to the revitalizing effect of public transit in Laval. Between 2008 and 2013, Laval has seen a 28% increase in the use of public transit. In comparison, the entire metropolitan area only had a 10% growth rate. Over this same period, Laval has seen a marked population growth that expanded faster our fleet of buses. This is a unique situation for the entire Montreal region. The share of market played by public transit has increased by two points. From 18% in 2008, to the current 20%, this means that one out of every five Lavallers takes the bus every morning during rush hour.

We are predicting a 1% increase in ridership for 2016. Our service offer will be increased by 2% including the addition of a fifth accessible bus line for people with reduced mobility and people in wheelchairs.

The largest project yet

2016 will see the beginning of largest project the STL has ever taken on. “We will be implementing a series of preferential measures for buses (PMB) which will mean faster travel times for our clients” says Guy Picard, Director General of the STL. “In total, 227 intersections will be upgraded to smart traffic lights that will prioritize our vehicles when they are running behind schedule. Compared to driving, these measures will make the STL even more fluid, efficient and competitive.”

Guy Picard adds “This will send a clear message about the quality of our service and that the STL is re-affirming its vow to quality. This formal commitment will mean punctual service, cleanliness, the provision of meaningful information, the right to express opinions and be heard and most importantly, comfort. To pursue these goals, we will be continuing the acquisition and replacement of bus shelters which contributes to the sustainability of public furniture at bus stops and ensures the comfort of our clients. The STL will also be acquiring 28 new air-conditioned hybrid buses to make travelling more comfortable.”

2016 will also see the completion of our 20-million-dollar garage expansion project with will allow us to house an additional 60 buses. This three-year capital expenditure program will come to $165.5 million in total.

Sustaining the Horizon 65+ fare

The fare initiatives introduced in 2014 will remain in effect for 2016. The Horizon 65+ fare which has been a rousing success with 19,000 Lavallers to date is being maintained. The STL is the only transportation company in Canada to provide residents 65 years of age and older to travel for free using the Horizon 65+ fare which is valid throughout its service area with no restrictions.

The STL will also be expanding its family fare policy by allowing families to travel without having to pay a fare for children on weeks when school is out to help improve social inclusion.

The STL will also be reducing its fares by 40% in July and August for youths between the ages of 12 and 16 and it will be maintaining the $1 smog day fare. Not other transportation company has gone so far to encourage its riders to use public transit.

Metropolitan governance

2016 will be a landmark year for public transit as the foundation of a new Metropolitan Governance is being established that will see the adoption of Bill 76 which is designed to improve the efficiency of public transit. The STL wholeheartedly believes in the guiding principles of this project and it intends to collaborate fully with the Transition Committee to improve this ambitious reform.

The STL will however continue to ensure that this new governance plan does not limit its ability to innovate through technological of fare policies. It will therefore remain attentive and ensure that seniors can continue to ride for free throughout Laval.

Rigour and continuous improvement

The STL has undertaken several actions over the past few years to improve its management practices and ensure Lavallers that the funds it has been allotted are managed with rigour and efficiency.

This care is equally true of its planning methods, heritage management projects and in the management of its preventative and curative maintenance programs. All sectors of the company are subject to continuous improvement activities.

These efforts were lauded by the 2015 Grands Prix québécois de la qualité where we were awarded the Grande Mention. This recognition is the highest distinction awarded annually by the Government of Quebec to private businesses and public organizations selected according to the quality of their management and their overall performance.

“We are particularly proud of this prize which recognizes the work done by all of our employees at the STL as it reflects more than fifteen years of hard work to continuously improve and innovate” says David De Cotis. “Our budget includes several measures dedicated to the improvement of our services but the people of Laval deserve more. They also rightly expect us to manage the funds we receive with irreproachable rigour and we can assure them that this is exactly what we are doing.”

(TLN) Laval-des-Rapides Liberal MNA Saul Polo was at the Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Laval recently to announce a $1,500 subsidy from the Liberal government to the organization.

“After making several visits to the Centre de pédiatrie sociale de Laval, I could see the efficiency of the services provided by its members, but also the different needs being met by these services,” said Polo who is also parliamentary assistant to the Minister for Economy, Innovation and Exports.

“That’s why I decided to offer the financial support of $1,500 so that the clients of the centre could continue to benefit from quality services,” he continued. “During this holiday season, the needs of our residents are at the heart of my priorities.”

The subsidy was made available through the Quebec government’s Soutien à l’action bénévole program. It was welcome news for Centre de pédiatrie sociale executive-director Mylène Du Bois. Polo also noted the financial support provided to the centre by Dynacare, a company specializing in health care solutions.

Martin C. Barry

Laval’s four Liberal Members of Parliament gathered together recently to announce a federal program that will allow small businesses in Laval to obtain subsidies for the hiring of students 15 to 30 years of age this summer.

Jobs doubled

“We are currently working together to place the largest number of students in our four ridings,” Yves Robillard, the MP for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, said during a press conference held by the four to announce the program.

“This isn’t just a question of repeating something that’s already been done in the past,” added Alfred-Pellan Liberal MP Angelo Iacono. “Our government, our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has decided to double the number of jobs and to show an even greater sense of openness towards young people who are our future.

Groups and businesses

“During the summer of 2016, more students and more organizations will be able to benefit,” he continued. “What is also great is that we will be helping businesses with fewer than 50 employees to get started at the same time. This is an initiative that will be helping a lot of people, many of whom are in Laval. That’s why our hat is off to our government.”

Iacono said the new Liberal government decided to double funding for the program taking into account the high level of unemployment among young people today. “If you look at the amount of unemployment among those 15 to 24 years today, which for 2015 is more than 13 per cent, it is more than double the rate for those 25 years of age and older,” he noted.

Gaining experience

According to Vimy Liberal MP Eva Nassif, those applying for the grants will have to meet criteria established by the federal agency handling the program: Service Canada. “These opportunities will give a chance to students to enter the workforce while gaining confidence in themselves and learning about work environments,” she said.

“By investing in our cultural industries and the creative sector in order to create employment while reinforcing our rich Canadian identity, we can also build the strength of the summer employment program in these key sectors which are becoming increasingly important in the economy for young people,” said Nassif, while adding that the program will also be taking into account the 150^th anniversary of Canadian confederation in 2017.

Money for studies

As part of the program, the federal government will be paying up to 100 per cent of the salaries of students employed by non-profit organizations and 50 per cent for those employed by businesses, said Laval-Les Îles Liberal MP Fayçal El-Khoury. “Youths sometimes have trouble saving money for their studies,” he said.

“This program should help them. We have two goals: helping more students to acquire work experience in their chosen field, while providing support to non-profit businesses and small businesses which need workers for the summer. We believe that this is one of the most beneficial programs around.”

How to apply

Applications for the program are being accepted from Jan. 4 to Feb. 26, with decisions from Service Canada expected to be announced by early May. Additional subsidies will also be paid to non-profit groups and businesses that hire students who are handicapped. Additional information and application forms can be viewed and downloaded from the Service Canada web site: https://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eec.