Martin C. Barry

During Laval city council’s Sept. 5 public meeting, Nicolas Liounis, a Chomedey resident for the past quarter-century and local pharmacy owner, deposited a petition with almost 3,000 signatures requesting a residence for senior citizens and medical/daycentre for the Chomedey area.

Want seniors residence

“We are asking for a meeting with you, mister mayor, in order to work out our project, said Liounis who was accompanied by a few supporters. He said the City of Laval’s support would be essential for a request to be made to higher levels of government.

“Councillors De Cotis, Borne, Karidogiannis and Mme Dib have already informed of our project,” added Liounis. “We are counting on a positive answer from you and we thank you mister mayor as well as all the members of the municipal council.”

City supports them

Mayor Marc Demers responded that he had just received a letter with their request. “We are in favour of this residential project for senior citizens with special health care,” he said. However, Demers added, the site they chose is currently zoned industrial and might not be appropriate for the purpose since it is in an industrial area and near an autoroute where there might be excessive noise from passing traffic.

“These are the two issues I am raising with you,” said Demers, while adding that he was inviting the project leaders to meet with the City of Laval’s economic development officials who might be able to help find the most appropriate location for the project. “And, yes, this is the kind of project we support, depending of course on its conforming to zoning and other regulations of the city.”

Place Bell added costs

During the meeting’s question period for citizens, Samir Boulos of Chomedey questioned Mayor Demers about the cost of Place Bell becoming inflated to a figure approaching $200 million.

Demers explained that when the current administration inherited responsibility for the Place Bell project four years ago, the initial cost had been estimated at around $153 million.

However, as the previous administration had underestimated parking needs, additional parking had to be added, said Demers, while more funding was also needed to implement commercial zoning around the Place Bell site.

Demers explains costs

“What I can tell you is that the cost will be less than $200 million,” said Demers. “And right now we’re quite under it, but there’s still bills coming in, negotiations to conclude. And as soon as everything is done it will be made public.”

According to the mayor, Laval’s cost will actually be $122 million (factoring in subsidies from other levels of government), “and we own the place one hundred percent,” Demers continued.

“Basically we did a very good deal. But most of all, this place was needed by our children and our families, our sporting associations. That’s why we went along with it.”

Limousine parking problem

Also during question period, Abdul Sater Milad, a Laval-based limousine service operator, complained that he had been subjected lately to visits from a regional limousine inspector telling Milad he had no right to park the vehicle on his own property.

The reason for this, he was told, is that the maximum length of a limousine is 16 feet 6 inches, while a new SUV he recently purchased is 17 feet long. When he decided to get around this rule by parking on the street, he learned that a City of Laval regulation forbids the parking of taxis or limousines on public streets.

Very persistent inspector

There was laughter in the council chamber as Milad went on to explain that when he finally decided to park the vehicle in his garage, the inspector said: “We’ll check to see if you have the right to park inside.”

He continued, “It’s actually not funny. I have a wife and three children,” while adding that he also has a few hundred thousand dollars in debt owing on his house and a hundred thousand in debt owing for his fleet of limousines.

The mayor said that this type of problem usually comes up when someone living nearby files a complaint and that when there are municipal regulations in place there is often no choice but to enforce them. He said he would look further into the matter and follow up.

Laval à vélo

Laval, Quebec, Canada, 17 sept. 2017

maps from: waze.com

 

Av du Parc                                07:30-10:30

Av Bellevue                               08:30-10:15

Av Mondor                                08:30-10:15

Av Roger-Lortie                         08:30-10:15

Boul Lévesque Est                    08:30-10:15

Boul de la Concorde Est             08:30-10:15

Av des Perron                           08:30-12:30

Montée Rouville                        08:30-12:30

Montée Saint-François               08:30-12:30

Rang Saint-Elzéar Est               08:30-12:30

Rang du Haut-Saint-François      08:30-12:30

Rue de Vassan                         08:30-12:30

Sortie 31: Montée Saint-François   08:30-12:30

Boul Lévesque Est                    08:45-11:15

Boul des Mille-Îles                     08:45-11:15

Rue Béatrice                             08:45-11:15

Rue Chartrand                           08:45-11:15

Rue Lambert                             08:45-11:15

Rue Léa                                    08:45-11:15

Rue Monty                                08:45-11:15

Rue de la Rosée                       08:45-11:15

Boul Sainte-Marie                      09:00-12:00

Boul des Mille-Îles                     09:00-12:00

Rue Dessureaux                        09:00-12:00

Rue du Panorama                     09:00-12:00

Nom de rue inconnu                  09:00-13:00

Av Belleville                              09:00-13:00

Av Champagnat                         09:00-13:00

Av du Parc                                09:00-13:00

Boul Lesage                              09:00-13:00

Boul Saint-Martin Est                 09:00-13:00

Boul Vanier                               09:00-13:00

Pl Chénier                                 09:00-13:00

Pl J-Eudes-Blanchard                09:00-13:00

Rue de la Fabrique                    09:00-13:00

Sortie 11: Rte 148 / Boul Saint-Martin   09:00-13:00

Nom de rue inconnu                  10:16-13:00

Boul Lévesque Est                    10:16-13:00

The Bank of Canada moved ahead with another interest rate hike raising the benchmark rate to 1% in anticipation to the country’s surging economy. Further tightening may be curbed by a rising currency and sluggish price pressures.

Martin C. Barry

As the first municipal administration in the City of Laval since the lamentable end of the Vaillancourt era, Mayor Marc Demers and the Mouvement Lavallois are running for re-election on a record of reform achieved since they assumed the reins of power at Laval city hall almost four years ago.

Four incumbents

Demers and executive-committee member Virginie Dufour (who is city councillor for Sainte-Rose) formally announced the ML’s candidates for north and western Laval districts during a briefing for the media held on Aug. 24 at the Restaurant Sainte-Rose on Curé-Labelle Blvd.

Four of the six city council candidates are incumbents seeking a second term: Ste-Dorothée councillor Ray Khalil, Laval-les-Îles councillor Nicholas Borne, Marc-Auréle-Fortin councillor Gilbert Dumas and Dufour.

The two new candidates are Yannick Langlois, who hopes to win in the district of l’Orée-des-Bois where incumbent ML councillor Raynald Adams is stepping aside; and Ziaad Ghantous, who is running in the district of Fabreville, where Parti Laval mayoral candidate Michel Trottier is currently the city councillor.

‘Spectacular progress,’ says mayor

“Our new team took the reins of the city in 2013 when there was great confusion,” said Demers. “The progress has been spectacular. Our youthful elected officials have completely reformed Laval. Integrity and rigor have become the pillars of our municipal culture. Out on the territory, the citizens congratulate us for the road we’ve travelled and they are encouraging us to pursue the transformation that’s underway.”

Dufour added, “We are a young team and so we had to learn very quickly. The work that had to be done was immense and we managed to steer an immense ship in the right direction. Not everything is perfect yet, and that is why we are determined to pursue the changes if the citizens are once again willing to place their confidence in us.”

In Laval-les-Îles

Focusing on the ML administration’s achievements in north and western Laval, the mayor noted that in Laval-Les-Îles major refurbishments took place in the past four years at the Bigras community centre and at the Philippe-Panneton public library branch. As well, he pointed out that the construction of permanent new bridges to l’Île Verte and Île Bigras is underway, with temporary bridges in place for now.

In Sainte-Dorothée, according to Demers, the construction of a new community centre is set to start in 2018. The facility has long been awaited by the residents of the district. As well, the renovation of the Martin-St-Louis Arena is now completed. Another project which was completed was the resurfacing of Bord-de-l’Eau Road.

In Marc-Auréle-Fortin

In Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, Chomedey Blvd. was extended during the ML’s term in office at a cost of approximately $7.2 million. As well, the construction of an anti-noise wall against Autoroute 13 is currently under study. Another sound barrier along Autoroute 15 is on schedule to be refurbished beginning next spring.

In Fabreville, the city plans to spend $15 million on a variety of infrastructure projects, including $8.3 million for further development of St-Elzéar Blvd. For months now, residents living near Champfleury Park have been enjoying new volleyball courts and a dog run which has been completely renovated.

“Our administration did a lot in the district of Fabreville,” commented Demers. Although he didn’t single out by name the district’s current city councillor who leads the opposition Parti Laval, the mayor took an indirect shot: “I believe that the citizens of the district will send to city hall a councillor who will be there to represent their interests rather than defend his personal political agenda.”

In Sainte-Rose

Demers went on to note that in Sainte-Rose the ML administration proceeded in the past four years with the construction of the Éco-Nature pavilion at a cost of some $10.3 million. As well, there was the creation of a new park on Place Ste-Claire, the addition of new water games for children at Renaissance Park, and the improvement of green spaces on André-Chénier St. He also said work is set to begin this autumn on a major transformation of the Berge des Baigneurs in the heart of Vieux Sainte-Rose.

Finally, Demers outlined the accomplishments of the ML in the past four years in the district of l’Orée-des-Bois. They include the purchase by the city for $1.4 million of a piece of land along Arthur-Sauvé Blvd. near the Arthur-Sauvé bridge for the development of a new riverside park. As well, he noted the ongoing development of Cousteau Park which is also underway.

(TLN) An annual event that families from Laval never want to miss, the city’s Fête de la Famille will be taking place at the Centre de la Nature in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul on Sunday Sept. 3 from 10 am to 6 pm.

This will be the 18^th year for the Fête de la Famille where all the events are free. They include shows, inflatable games for kids, a cable-driven skyride, science experiments, face makeup, strolling clowns and actors and much more.

Shows by kids’ entertainers

Well-known children’s entertainers who will be performing throughout the day include the ever-popular Annie Brocoli who’ll be on the main stage at 11 am. At 12:30, Ari Cui Cui will be inviting the kids to take an imaginary journey by hot air balloon. At 2 pm, Crinoline, Hercule and Pixelle from Salmigondis will be making a stop in Laval to meet the children. And at 3:30, Théo and Frédo will presenting a show in the play village.

Among the activities for families being offered this year are: An “extreme” junior obstacle race that’s sure to challenge the endurance of all those who take part; a hunt-for-clues event taking place throughout the park, with four Cirque du Soleil tickets as grand prize; and four theme zones (Turbulence, Pirates, Science and Games) where each theme will be throughly developed for all the kids taking part in the events.

A day to relax in the park

For families looking for a place to relax during the Fête de la Famille, the Centre de la Nature is the ideal place to bring a picnic lunch for the whole family to enjoy in a secluded spot somewhere within the park’s huge green space. There’ll also be food stands. The Red Cross will be sponsoring a roast corn on the cob booth, with profits from it going to the Red Cross.

It should be noted that avenue du Parc will be closed to traffic between de la Concorde Blvd. and François-Foucault Ave. from 9 am to 7 pm. A free parking area will be available at the corner of Saint-Martin Blvd. and Autoroute 125 (Pie-IX). STL shuttle buses will make trips from the parking to the Centre de la Nature.

Special STL rate

It should also be pointed out that the STL will be offering a special rate. Each adult paying a full fare will be able to take along up to five children 11 years of age or younger at no additional cost. Any changes to the Fête de la Famille schedule will be noted on the event’s Facebook page, especially if there is rain.

The full program can be viewed on the event’s web site: www.fetedelafamille.laval.ca. Additional information is available for callers in Laval by dialing 3-1-1, or 450 978-8000 from outside the Laval area. The Centre de la nature is located at 901 avenue du Parc, Laval (Québec)  H7E 2T7.

Martin C. Barry

The leadership of a City of Laval commission – which is working to make sure conflicts of interest don’t come up involving subsidized community groups and elected officials – maintains they are getting the job done.

In an interview with the Laval News, the commission’s president, Laval city councillor Stéphane Boyer, noted that the Commission de la gouvernance (governance commission) first came into being two years ago with a mandate to encourage transparency in how the city disburses money to community groups.

Watching city’s money

“The commission has a mandate to ensure the proper administration of public funds, most notably with respect to certain non-profit organizations which are given subsidies or other kinds of support by the city in the form of loaned personnel or equipment,” said Lyne Burelle, a lawyer with the city who serves as a legal consultant for the commission.

In all, the Commission de la gouvernance oversees more than 500 community groups receiving some form of support from the city, with especially close oversight given to 15 groups receiving $100,000 or more in support from Laval.

Sprang from recommendation

The creation of the commission sprang from a recommendation made in a report produced by the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (IGOPP) on the City of Laval’s management practices. According to Burelle, other municipalities are looking at the example Laval is setting with this new kind of commission to see whether their own management can be improved with a similar policy.

“Since important sums are often handed over to these organizations, it is one of our duties as officials of the city for us to keep track of how these organizations are functioning while seeing that the money is well managed,” said Boyer.

The 15 major organizations receiving closer scrutiny include the municipal tourism promotion agency Tourisme Laval, the Orchestre symphonique de Laval, Éco-Nature which oversees the Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, and the Cosmodôme.

Scandal led to change

As Boyer acknowledged, an important incentive that ended up motivating the newly-elected administration of Mayor Marc Demers into tightening up the city’s oversight on subsidized groups was the Laval-en-Fleurs scandal, which saw funding from the city being misappropriated.

“There were also other organizations in the past which were receiving large sums but they weren’t keeping records,” he said. “From problems like these we decided it was time to start keeping closer track of organizations when there was a question of a lot of money.”

One of the key guidelines introduced with the advent of the Commission de la gouvernance was that elected officials from Laval city council should no longer be able to sit on the boards of community groups receiving subsidies from the city.

Rules to avoid conflicts

As Burelle explained, this was to resolve the problem of potential “loyalty conflicts” arising when a city councillor might be tempted to use his or her influence to secure more funding for a specific group. All the same, she admitted that in certain isolated cases, some city councillors continue to sit on the boards of some groups.

Among these are Tourisme Laval. Another is the Cité de la culture et du sport de Laval (which is currently overseeing completion of construction of the Place Bell arena).

“With the work being completed on Place Bell, we didn’t want to remove administrators from the board of directors at such a crucial time in the existence of this organization,” said Boyer.

A report on the Commission de la Gouvernance’s work – including a list of the more than 500 groups it oversees with detailed information on their management – will be tabled at Laval city council’s next public meeting on Tuesday Sept. 5.

Martin C. Barry

Hundreds of residents of Chomedey enjoyed a day of fun and games at Parc Pie-X in the heart of the district on Aug. 19 when they turned out for the ninth annual Fête de Quartier de Chomedey. Among the sponsors of the event was the Laval News.

This year’s Fête attracted a crowd that included many moms, dads, children and grandparents. They enjoyed a seemingly endless supply of corn on the cob, stage entertainment and organized events for the kids.

Fun for everybody

In keeping with custom, the Fête de Quartier promoted healthy living habits. Among the many things to see and do were inflatable games, workout sessions with physical education experts, circus acrobatics and booths sponsored by community organizations.

Among the elected officials spotted by the Laval News during the afternoon were Laval executive-committee member and city councillor for Sainte-Rose Virginie Dufour, Saint-Martin Councillor Aline Dib who is responsible for family dossiers, and l’Àbord-à-Plouffe councillor Vasilios Karidogiannis.

Great for the community

“A lot of the organizations that have set up booths here today serve people in l’Àbord-à-Plouffe,” Karidogiannis pointed out in an interview. “These are organizations that are right in the heart of the community and which help those who are most in need.

“There’s a chance here today for everyone to interact with each other and get to know one another better,” he added. “People are also having fun. This is a great way to bring the community together.”

Has grown annually

Initially held in 2009, the first Fête de Quartier de Chomedey was attended that year by around 400 people, and the number has grown each year since then. Major sponsors this year included IGA Extra Gagnon et Filles, BMO, the City of Laval, Sun Life Financial and Chomedey Liberal MNA Guy Ouellette.

Among the groups that ran booths were the Au Panier de Chomedey food coop. Next year the organizers of the Fête de Quartier de Chomedey will mark a milestone when they celebrate the event’s 10^th anniversary.