Click here to read the Laval News Volume 24-21 online
This is a archived copy in PDF format of the Laval News Volume 24-21 that was published and distributed October 26, 2016.
This issue covers local events such us politics, sports and human interest stories. It features editorials and other columns
Health Canada is advising consumers to check all Spirit Halloween products on the list below due to ongoing health and safety concerns.
On several occasions, Spirit Halloween has agreed to voluntarily stop sale or recall products that do not meet Canadian health and safety regulatory requirements. However, Health Canada recently visited 45 stores across Canada and found that 23 stores continued to sell products that Spirit Halloween had previously agreed to stop selling or recall.
Health Canada is concerned with the continued sale of the following products sold by Spirit Halloween, some of which have been recalled or should no longer be available to consumers following a voluntary stop sale. Health Canada will update this list if additional affected products are identified.
Consumers should not purchase the affected products listed above from Spirit Halloween and should check the Recalls and Safety Alerts Database for any products that were previously purchased. If you have a product that has been recalled, you should follow the actions described in the recall notice.
Health Canada has requested an action plan from Spirit Halloween to outline how they will address these compliance issues. The Department is also following up on additional products to assess compliance and may take further actions, if required. Health Canada also continues to inspect stores and may seize non-compliant products, if identified.
(SOURCE: Health Canada)
The Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) informs all patients who underwent an open heart surgery at the Institute of a low infection risk associated with certain devices (heater-cooler systems) used during cardiac surgeries under cardiopulmonary bypass. Patients operated since 2012 at the MHI are being advised of this risk by phone and/or mail.
“Although the potential for infection is low (0.1% to 1% according to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)), our main priority is the well-being and safety of our patients. Therefore, as a pre-emptive measure, we wish to get in touch with our patients in order to monitor their medical condition as adequately as possible,” said Dr. Denis Roy, Chief Executive Officer at the MHI. All patients operated since 2012 will be notified. An operation to get in touch with the concerned patients is currently underway.
The Centre d’expertise en retraitement des dispositifs médicaux (CERDM – the Centre of Expertise for Medical Devices Reprocessing) of the Institut national de santé publique (the National Institute of Public Health) and the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (Ministry of Health) have been notified of the issue.
The heater-cooler systems in question are used in several North American and European hospitals and may have been contaminated by the Mycobacterium chimaera bacterium during their manufacturing in Germany. This type of bacterium is commonly found in nature and is rarely the cause of adverse events in people who contract it. However, patients exposed during cardiac surgery may develop symptoms much later (i.e. months or years after surgery).
“This bacterium is not contagious but could potentially lead to serious infection and should be diagnosed by laboratory testing (microbiology) when symptoms occur,” according to Dr. Louis P. Perrault, cardiac surgeon and head of the Department of Surgery at the Montreal Heart Institute.
All the devices used at the MHI have been replaced and the audit and decontamination protocols are continuously optimized with the acquisition of new knowledge regarding this issue.
“We are aware that the announcement of this potential risk of infection, albeit a low one, can be a source of concern for patients involved and we sincerely regret any inconvenience this can cause,” declared Dr. Denis Roy. “Our main focus today is to provide our patients with all the information, support and care they may need in order to cope with this situation. To date, two patients of the Institute, out of the 8458 patients who have undergone surgery since 2012, have been diagnosed with such an infection. They are being taken care of and their treatment is underway.”
To contact the dedicated call centre at the MHI please dial: 514 593-2505 and 1 844 593-2505.
A MHI professional is available Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
(SOURCE: Montreal Heart Institute Foundation)
Halloween night and the weeks of preparation leading up to it, can be very exciting for children of all ages. It’s a special celebration shared with their family, friends and community that gives them the rare chance to walk around their neighborhood at night. The trick to making Halloween a real treat is by following these “sweet” safety tips:
Before Halloween:
On Halloween Night:
(SOURCE: Missing Children’s Network)
Martin C. Barry
With autism diagnoses rising to unprecedented levels, on Sept. 25 one of the Montreal Hellenic community’s largest associations, the Laconian Brotherhood, held an information session and panel discussion on autism spectrum disorders at The Palace convention centre in Laval.
The afternoon’s keynote speaker, Dr. Lila Amirali, is the chief of psychiatry at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at McGill University.
Three other featured panellists were Hollie-Michelle D’Aoust, a family support coordinator at the See Things My Way Assessment Center, Dr. Nadia Abouzeid, director and lead psychologist at the center, and Nicholas Katalifos, chairman of the Giant Steps School for autistic children who is the parent of a child with autism.
As the Laconian Brotherhood is currently celebrating its 80th year in Montreal, they decided to mark it by coming up with a schedule of events, including this one to better inform people in the community whose lives might be affected by autism, said Pat Kyriacou, president of the Laconian Brotherhood. Other topics that could be focused on at upcoming brotherhood events could be Alzheimer’s disease, she added.
In an interview with Newsfirst Multimedia, Dr. Amirali said the MCH currently has a major project underway called Navigator whose goal is to make sure that every family with an autistic child is assigned a special coordinator to guide them as they seek out services.
“As children and then as adults, those with autism have what we call episodes in their lives when they need specific services,” she said. “They vary according to the severity of the disorders, according to intellectual abilities, according to the accessibility of private or public resources. It can be quite complex. Today we are trying to shed a little light.”
During her presentation, Dr. Amirali described autism as “something that affects the very fibre of who we are, and it starts at the beginning of life and it continues across a lifespan. But the manifestations change across the lifespan. And they change and they differ because they are subject to development, to changes that are natural with growth.”
According to Dr. Amirali, the characteristics of autism can be identified early on. But, she emphasized, they have to cause significant clinical impairment in order for someone who potentially has autism to be confirmed with that diagnosis. “This is why sometimes it is not very simple to get a diagnosis, and not very simple to give a diagnosis,” she said.
Based on ne
w developments in diagnosis processes, she said it is now estimated that one to two per cent of the population may have characteristics corresponding to autism spectrum disorders. “The numbers seem to be going up, and they seem to be going up not just because we are better at diagnosis, and not just because we seem to recognize it better,” she said, adding that about one out of every 70 people have autism.
“This is a huge proportion of the population, and you can understand why this is extremely significant for us to be aware. I don’t think there is one single person who has not had or has not come in contact with another individual who has this problem, who has this difficulty or this challenge to deal with.”
Dr. Amirali also touched on the issue of complementary and new therapies for treating autism. While maintaining that she sometimes feels helpless because of the limitations of conventional medicine for treating a problem for which there are treatments but still no cure, she cautioned against concerned parents of autistic children becoming involved with non-medically approved methods for treating autism such as chelation and hyperbaric oxygen therapies.
“We have children that have died,” she said. “But families can get desperate and I understand this degree of desperation. I mean, they’ll do anything. Sometimes we hear about all sorts of things, like diets, but for all these things there is nothing proven yet today.” Although she was less concerned about a few alternative methods which are unproven but are known to not cause harm, she insisted that parents should always discuss with their physician or paediatrician any kind of treatment.
According to Hollie-Michelle D’Aoust and Dr. Nadia Abouzeid of the See Things My Way Assessment Center which is affiliated with the Miriam Center, there are currently five major hospitals on the island of Montreal where autism evaluations are done. Evaluations can also be referred to See Things My Way, but they don’t accept referrals coming from outside the hospital network.
“We had a clear mandate when we first opened our doors and it is to help eliminate the wait list across the island of Montreal for the diagnosis of autism,” said D’Aoust, adding that there is currently an estimated two-year wait time for children with autism to get a diagnostic evaluation.
Katalifos spoke about the experience he and his wife had raising a child with autism. “It was kind of a shock to see that he wasn’t developing in exactly the same way as our daughter had,” he said. After obtaining an early diagnosis, they became aware of the problems that face families, such as treatment waiting lists.
While he lamented the shortage of treatment services for autism in English in Quebec, Katalifos praised the CRDI de Laval “because they really went out of their way to find someone that could speak in English” and work with their now 14-year-old son.
Martin C. Barry
The Nova Scotia-born founder of a new Montreal-based group for Anglophones who support the idea of Quebec becoming a sovereign nation maintains that the current rights of English-speaking citizens would be guaranteed in an independent Quebec based on a statement former PQ Premier Jacques Parizeau was going to make on the night in 1995 when sovereignists lost the last independence referendum.
“In a separate Quebec I see all those rights being protected,” said Jennifer Drouin, a Montreal-based professor of English who started the group Anglophones for Quebec Independence which now claims to have up to 50 members.
“I see it really as a non-issue that Anglophones shouldn’t be worried about,” she said. “I understand that they are, but they shouldn’t because those rights have always been there and they will always be there. And sovereignist governments are constantly restating that and reaffirming that they will protect Anglophone linguistic rights.”
Drouin maintained that in 1995, when then PQ Premier Parizeau pre-recorded a victory speech for the Yes side in the referendum had they won, he explicitly stated that he was committed to protecting the historical rights of the English community in a sovereign Quebec.
More notoriously, though, it was on that same evening, when the Yes side failed to muster enough support and narrowly lost the referendum, that Parizeau made his infamous comments about “money and ethnic votes” having cheated the Yes side out of a win.
“That was unfortunate,” said Drouin, dismissing the incident. “I think we all know that was a speech made in the heat of the moment, and none of his councillors at the time agreed and we’ve been compensating for that one moment of emotion ever since.” Still she maintained that when Parizeau recorded his alternate statement for a victory, “there was a very strong commitment to historical Anglophone linguistic rights.”
To further bolster her case, Drouin noted that in 2007, when former PQ MNA Daniel Turp tabled a proposed constitution in the National Assembly for an independent Quebec, “he very explicitly referenced in the opening preamble the historical rights of the English community,” she said. “And we also have to remember that after a Yes vote, sovereignty doesn’t just happen like that: there’s a negotiation that will happen between Quebec and Ottawa.”
Since 1976 when they first started being elected, PQ governments have enacted the strictest legislation Quebec has ever known to protect the French language and culture. This has included Bill 101, which restricted the use of languages other than French in public advertising and led to the creation of an outspoken lobby of anglo rights activists. Drouin said she doesn’t understand what all the fuss was about in this last respect.
“We [AQI] don’t feel that measures to protect the French language are anti-English,” she said. “Because, I mean, if you look around, living in Quebec as an anglophone, it’s so easy I find. I honestly have trouble understanding the argument of oppression because I’ve had nothing but fantastic treatment as an Anglophone living here for 15 years.”
She maintained that the services for anglophones in Quebec, which include many longstanding institutions such as McGill University, Bishop’s University, as well as hospitals like the MUHC, are exemplary compared to what’s available for French-speaking minorities in other parts of Canada, such as the Acadians in Nova Scotia where the availability of services for them is lamentable.
Drouin said the purpose of Anglophones for Quebec Independence “is to give anglophone sovereignists space to come together to have a collective voice so that people know that we exist and to build bridges between the two solitudes – to have the anglophone and francophone communities in dialogue.”
Drouin, who was born into an English-speaking family and adopted her francophone name after marrying a French-Canadian, said she became acutely aware of the endangered state of the French language in most of Canada outside Quebec after attending university in the Acadian region of Atlantic Canada where she said French is constantly under threat.
“One of the things you notice very frequently is the difficulty of trying to get services in French,” she said. “Trying to get health care services in French in Nova Scotia is extremely difficult.” She said that while in Nova Scotia she found herself cast in the role of “constantly playing translator” for her French-speaking spouse who was originally from Trois-Rivières in Quebec.
Martin C. Barry
According to a 2015 province-wide CROP survey of community vitality among Quebec’s English-speaking population, the anglophone community in Laval underwent the greatest amount of growth, increasing from 31,357 English-speakers in 1996 to 82,000 in 2011.
When Quebec’s English-speaking communities were compared in the survey, Laval – where the total population now exceeds 400,000 – saw the greatest jump, said Joanne Pocock, a consulting researcher for the Quebec City-headquartered Community Health and Social Services Network.
Presentation of the findings from the CHSSN survey, which was funded by a grant from the federal government, were the main subject of a special meeting of Agape NPI Partners held at Cité de la Santé on Sept. 29.
“Laval is always remarkable to us at CHSSN for being such a growing English-speaking community,” Pocock continued. She said she presumed that the surge in Laval over the 15-year period probably represents “a lot of young families and children that probably are fitting in there.”
With the aid of a graph, Pocock pointed out, without overstating, that around 16,000 of the anglophones in Laval are 55 years old and over. “That’s a fair number,” she said. “They represent over 19 per cent of the English-speaking population. Substantial.”
Kevin McLeod, executive-director of the Youth and Parents Agape Association Inc. which anchors NPI Partners, interjected that Agape is currently in the process of beginning groundwork for the establishment of an English-speaking senior citizens’ wellness centre.
“Laval needs to have a wellness centre for English-speaking seniors,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is we’re trying to get some funds together because of the importance, having Place des Aînés, we have a lot of community groups, we have a lot of seniors clubs. We have all this working out, but we need a wellness for seniors. That’s one of our projects we’re working on right now.”
When Agape social worker Ian Williams pointed out that a significant amount of Laval’s English-speaking population sees itself forced to go to the island of Montreal to seek out health and social services in their own language because they are usually not available here, CHSSN’s Pocock said the question did come up in the CROP survey as to whether individuals are using services outside their region.
“There’s a fair proportion that comes up for Laval,” she said. “We also asked them what was your main reason? There were lots of reasons cited, but certainly what came out on top in Laval was that they didn’t have access to English services in their region. That’s why they found themselves going elsewhere. That’s their main barrier.”
Examining some income statistics, Pocock said “it’s certainly remarkable in Laval to see that 50 per cent of the 65 and over are living on a low income” which is often less than $20,000 per year.
“We know from research that lower income individuals tend to be less healthy, so they have a demand for services, and they’re less likely to be able to afford private services. So you are going to see that clientele at your hospital or at your CLSC. They need those public services.”
Two-hundred-and-seventy respondents from Laval in the survey were asked how satisfied they were with access to health and social services in English. More than 50 per cent replied that they were not satisfied.
“If you look across the regions, you’ll see that’s among the highest reporting no satisfaction,” Pocock added. Just 22 per cent responded being affirmatively satisfied with the level of service, she said. While the sampling may seem small, she confirmed to Williams that “it’s a statistically substantial group” for a population of 82,000. She elaborated on the implications for Laval’s English-speaking population.
“It’s been shown when you’re in a situation of poor health, when you’re older, age also affects this. There are a number of elements actually that come into play at the point of communication, at the point of access. Which means you don’t use your second language as easily as you might in other situations. So when you have a health issue, when you’re anxious, stressed, age also affects your capacity to use your second language.”
Laval City Hall Watch - October 12 2016
The members of the executive committee have approved Laval’s written brief concerning the development of an electric light rail transportation system for the Greater Montreal region (Reseau electrique metropolitain -REM). Due to the magnitude of the project its developer the Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec (CDPQ) was mandated by Quebec’s Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change to partner with the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment (BAPE) to organize open hearings.
The first part of the consultation process began on 29th of August. Conferences were scheduled to present the project, provide information and details of the proposed transit system to the public and other interested parties. The second part of the process which began September 26th involves receiving commentary and written briefs from interested and affected parties. It is hoped that the process will address and illuminate important matters concerning the service and impact of the electric light rail system on the population and environment.
The project is a new integrated transportation network linking downtown Montreal, South Shore, West Island, North Shore and the airport. As a single, integrated transportation network, the REM will offer a number of efficient travel options in the Greater Montréal area. Connections between the new network and existing bus, metro and train systems have also been designed to simplify itineraries. According to its developers the frequent service running from 5:00 am to 1:00 am, twenty hours a day represents a new paradigm and significant time savings for commuters in the metropolitan region. The use of dedicated tracks will allow for quick and uninterrupted travel, and passengers will have Wi-Fi connectivity and access to live status updates.
The proposed REM project is an electric fully automated light rail transit network including twenty four stations running on sixty seven kilometers of electrically powered double tracks making it an environmentally friendly infrastructure. New stations will be integrated into their urban environment and designed to allow easy access for pedestrians, bicycles, cars and buses. All stations will be covered, climate-controlled, equipped with elevators, and will meet the principles of universal access.
The new network represents an investment of approximately $5.5 billion. The promoter CDPQ is willing to commit $3 billion from the Quebec pension plan to the project. The proposed financial structure also requires investments by the governments of Québec and Canada. This network could potentially add more than $3 billion to the Québec GDP over four years. Close to $5 billion in private real estate developments along the chosen route are also expected. The new network will generate approximately 7,500 direct and indirect jobs annually during the 4-year construction phase, and more than 1,000 permanent jobs once in operation. Finally, by choosing the Highway 40 route to the West Island, the project allows for the creation of a dedicated corridor for public transportation, without the need to share tracks with freight trains.
As the proposed network extension north originates in the Deux-Montagnes region and crosses Laval west with plans to integrate with the existing commuter train service, the City of Laval has served notice that it will participate in the public consultations held by the BAPE with the presentation of the written brief the executive committee has approved.
The City of Laval in collaboration with Berger Blanc has organized a pet adoption day on Sunday October 16th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. The event will be held at the community centre Pavillon du Bois-Papineau (Duvernay) on 3235, boulevard Saint-Martin East, Laval. Various shelters will showcase abandoned animals that are ready for immediate adoption. All animals up for adoption are already sterilized and vaccinated. They are offered at very reasonable prices that vary according to the selected animal (between $ 80 and $ 400). Residents are reminded that if a companion that would best suit their lifestyle is not present on the day of the event the adoption process can still be initiated with some of the shelters present.
The occasion will also integrate a subsidized pet microchip clinic for animal lovers wishing to protect their companions. This service is available to Laval residents only and requires an appointment (call 311 or Berger Blanc for more information). The microchips will be implanted under the supervision of Dr. Valérie Sauvé at a cost of $ 25. Proof of residency is mandatory. It is generally good for the life of the animal. The microchip allows for the quick recovery of lost pets and can help settle disputes concerning the ownership of an animal. To profit from this service a dog must have its municipal license dog tag. It can be obtained on site before the appointment.
Animal shelters that have agreed to be present include; Aristopattes, Auberge Zen, Mère Thérechat, Ronronne avec moi, Un toit pour chat and L’école de dressage Astuces canines.
Residents of Laval have been giving the opportunity to prolong their Halloween fun throughout the month of October at the city’s Nature Park (Centre de la Nature). Organizers have created four areas of entertainment for different ages, fear levels and ghoulish tastes.
The biggest chills will be offered at the North Chalet starting from Monday Thanksgiving Day every weekend till October 30th. Brave souls of at least ten years and older can venture into the haunted house whose theme for this year is an abandoned hospital. The Haunted house features a dark, smoky, zombie infested experience that is guaranteed to thrill. There is a fee for entry for anyone wishing to challenge their fears. This activity is not recommended for children under 10 years old, pregnant women and people with heart or respiratory problems and is wheelchair accessible.
There is a small fear zone planned in the Village of the Arts which is decorated in fall and Halloween motifs and colors during the weekend of October 29th and 30th. Each small chalet has a unique theme and activity that includes a house of sorcery featuring window decorations, a house of bats animated by staff of the Éco-Nature team who will demystify these creatures of the night as well as funny animals and insects tasting workshops led by the Circle of young naturalists.
Diverse activities showcase Halloween tales read by the Laval libraries staff, Alice in a strange land a child’s first haunted house visit and feed your sweet tooth at the lair of Dracula where the famous vampire will distribute sweets. The green house will host an exhibition of carnivorous plants and other oddities. This exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Horticultural Training Centre in Laval.
Many local associations and community centres have planned activities throughout Laval. Information concerning the various offerings can be had at the local municipal recreational offices.
While winter has not yet made its presence felt it is not far off and many residents are taking the opportunity afforded by the good weather to install their temporary winter car shelters (Tempos). It is important to note that city bylaws allow for the framing structure of a Tempo to be erected as of October 15th however, the covering may be installed only as of November 1st. All temporary car shelters must be removed by April 15th. Failure to comply can result in fines.
Only car shelters made from fibreglass, canvas, painted plywood are allowed. The shelter must be installed on the main access to your driveway or your residence at a minimum distance from the curb or sidewalk. It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure the installation is in keeping with the standards stipulated in zoning Bylaw L-2000. A temporary car shelter must not be attached or fastened to any public utility or equipment, must be located at least 1.50 metres (5 feet) from a fire hydrant so that it doesn’t interfere with the use and maintenance thereof and doesn’t obstruct a road sign or its pole.
Although there are no municipal regulations specifying the minimum distance between a Tempo and the boundaries of a property the Civil Code of Québec stipulates a car shelter must be located in such a manner to ensure that the snow and ice that accumulate on its surface do not fall on a neighbouring property. In case of a dispute, Ville de Laval will not be able to intervene as such matters come under the jurisdiction of civil law.
Click here to read the Laval News Volume 24-20 online
This is a archived copy in PDF format of the Laval News Volume 24-20 that was published and distributed October 12, 2016.
This issue covers local events such us politics, sports and human interest stories. It features editorials and other columns
As far as your pets are concerned, Halloween is just another day. They won’t understand the reason for extra visitors coming to the door; nor the concept of costumes and masks.
Like most holidays, Halloween comes with its own set of concerns for our cats and dogs. Let’s break those concerns down into three main categories: candy, costumes and trick-or-treaters at the door.
Candy
The last thing you want is to spend October 31st in the emergency room at your local veterinary hospital because your dog got into your candy bowl.
Chocolate is the biggest culprit. Chocolate poisoning in cats or dogs can be dangerous, even deadly. Xylitol, an artificial sweetener found in some candies, can also be poisonous to dogs.
While you may know that chocolate (and xylitol) are no-nos for pets, others may not. When your kids come home with their loot for the night, remind them that candy is for people only!
Costumes
It may look cute when dogs and cats are dressed up as superheroes or other animals, but if you plan on dressing up your pet for Halloween it’s important to ensure the costume was actually intended to be worn by animals. The costume shouldn’t be too restrictive; your pet should still be able to move and breathe.
Festive bandannas can be a safe choice for dogs that just aren’t comfortable wearing a costume.
Trick-or-Treaters
Let’s face it: dogs get excited (and sometimes territorial) when strangers show up ringing the doorbell. Consider keeping your front door open or sitting outside on your porch so that your doorbell isn’t ringing over and over again.
You may want to keep your pet in their crate in a closed room during trick-or-treating hours to avoid them sneaking out the door during all the commotion. You should also make sure your pet has their collar on that night with correct identification tags, just in case it runs out the door.
The most important thing is to know what you are going to do with your pets on Halloween night before the big day arrives. Talk to your veterinary healthcare team ahead of time for more information on how to keep your pets safe during all of the Halloween festivities.
(SOURCE: Canadian Animal Health Institute)
