Martin C. Barry

The first “open house” to be held by Vimy Liberal MP Eva Nassif since she and her staff moved into new offices on Le Corbusier Blvd. nearly a month ago drew an overflow crowd of constituents, friends and well-wishers on Feb. 20.

Dignitaries show support

Among the more than 100 people who came and went during the morning hour reception were Alfred-Pellan Liberal MP Angelo Iacono, Thérèse-De Blainville Liberal MP Ramez Ayoub, a representative of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Liberal MP Linda Lapointe, Laval city councillor for Saint-Martin Aline Dib and many members of the local Lebanese community.

Addressing the crowd, Nassif thanked constituents for voting so overwhelmingly for her in the Oct. 19 election which saw the Liberals win an impressive 46 per cent of the votes in Vimy – far outdistancing the second-runner up NDP. Nassif won the seat after running unsuccessfully for the Liberals in two previous federal elections in Laval.

Community leaders speak

Among those who got up to speak during the event was Aïda Karibian, a member of the Armenian Canadian Council. “I would like to thank Eva for being so perseverant over the years,” she said. “We will be behind Eva all the way. I admire her perseverance, I admire her energy. Her family is behind her: her husband, her children. So I wish her good luck.”

Viken Attarian, president of the Liberal Party of Canada Quebec region’s policy commission, said that Nassif, who he first came to know five years ago, managed to cheer up the members of the commission who normally are very serious, and that “she rolled up her sleeves” and helped with the translation of long and complex documents. (Nassif is a professional translator.)

Her work with the Liberals

As well, he said Nassif brought up important points on social justice while she was active with the policy commission. “And so you people of Laval who know her, you might also wish to let others know how fortunate you are to have someone who opens her heart so completely,” Attarian continued. “Eva is the embodiment of perseverance. She never gave up. She failed twice, but kept on going and showed incredible spirit. I think she sets an example by her own life and her own actions. A true leader.”

Sits on several commissions

In an interview with the Laval News, Nassif pointed out that she now sits as an associate member of the House of Commons’ Committee for Immigration and Citizenship. As well, she sits on three other Parliamentary standing committees: Status of Women, Pay Equity and Library of Parliament. In addition, she is a member of two Parliamentary Associations/Inter parliamentary Groups: the Canada-China Legislative Association and the Canada-France Legislative Association.

Martin C. Barry

Some of the tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure investment money promised by Justin Trudeau during last year’s election campaign could soon start flowing into Laval and other parts of the country, according to Marc-Aurèle-Fortin Liberal MP Yves Robillard.

Pleased with turnout

In preparation for the federal budget expected in March, Robillard held a consultation meeting on Feb. 10 at the Gabrielle Roy branch of the City of Laval library network on Dagenais Blvd. Robillard and his team issued a statement afterwards saying they were pleased with the turnout as well as the feedback they obtained from those who attended.

“Our government committed itself to listen to the citizens and our preparations for the 2016 federal budget reflect that,” Robillard said. “Together we talked about what means should be taken to stimulate our economy to improve things for the middle class and to make our community a place where it’s good to live.”

City councillors attended

Among those attending were several Laval city councillors, including independent councillor for Fabreville Michel Trottier and Mouvement Lavallois councillor for Auteuil Jocelyne Frédéric-Gauthier. Both expressed satisfaction with the openness of the proceedings, which they said represented a shift in attitude on the part of local MPs since the election of the Trudeau government last October.

According to a commitment made by Justin Trudeau during the campaign, the Liberals would make what they call “the largest new infrastructure investment in Canadian history” – nearly $125 billion over ten years, and nearly double what the Conservative government was spending. The program would include dedicated funding to provinces, territories and municipalities for public transit, social housing and environmental infrastructure needs.

Federal infrastructure money

Two weeks ago, the Trudeau government announced that Alberta will be immediately receiving a $700 million package of infrastructure funding from Ottawa to assist the oil-rich province during a time when its economy is suffering seriously from low petroleum prices. The funding had previously been promised by the former Conservative government but had apparently never been released.

In an interview with the Laval News, Robillard suggested that an even larger amount of funding will be heading in Quebec’s way during the current year. He said $1.5 billion remains to be distributed in the province from a federal government commitment dating to 2015 and which was part of the budget for that year.

“For us $1.5 billion is a big investment for Quebec,” said Robillard. “But, of course, the projects that qualify for some of this will have to be structured projects. There are some we are already hearing about which are sports-related projects. Others involve road infrastructure. But I think the important thing for us will be that this $1.5 billion is evenly distributed.”

Fabrose soccer stadium

Robillard was not as certain as to how much of the amount the Laval region will be receiving. However, he did speak of one project in particular in the Fabreville area whose supporters have been clamoring to receive financial support for some time: the proposed construction of a $6 million outdoor soccer complex to serve mainly the Club de Soccer Fabrose.

While remaining coy about the federal commitment to the project, Robillard did say that “it would also serve the needs of Vimont-Auteuil.” He said he is currently working on the project in conjunction with local provincial Liberal MNA Jean Habel in Sainte-Rose and Vimont Liberal MNA Jean Rousselle, as well as federal Liberal MP for Laval-Les Îles Fayçal El-Khoury.

“The project is coming along very well, but now we need to have a coordination meeting to present the budget to the minister,” he continued. “What I will be doing, along with the municipal, federal and provincial, is to present a structured project. All the studies are completed. It’s fairly simple now to present it to the minister for infrastructure projects.”

Still working on project

In an e-mail sent to the Laval News this week, Robillard’s political assistant, Geoffroy Desautels, clarified the funding issue. “To date, there is no known official investment for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin,” he said. “Following the consultation process and starting next week Mr. Robillard will be making representations to the Minister of Finance in order to maximize the infrastructure investments for Laval.

“It would be premature to say anything concerning numbers or to single out specific projects, even if from a personal perspective Mr. Robillard is aware of certain shortcomings in his riding, notably as concerns sports infrastructure,” he added. “In this sense, the outdoor soccer stadium being developed by Fabrose interests him in particular and he intends to make pressure in order to obtain the support of the federal government in this dossier.”

On February 10, 2016 a group of North Star Academy Laval students spent the day at the Jewish Rehabilitation Center in Laval. The day was filled with a tour of the facility, presentations from the various departments and a much anticipated introduction to case-studies. Our students benefited from the knowledge shared by the various professionals and enjoyed observing and interacting with the staff. We would like to thank AGAPE for organising such a great event! Pictured above Teacher Mme. Cassandre Patry, with students Jessica Tiramani, Safaa Seddougui, Salwa Seddougui, Mariz Saman and Bianca Garabedian

(TLN) The City of Laval in conjunction with the Caisses Desjardins de Laval is inviting non-profit groups recognized by the city to submit the names of worthy volunteers to be candidates for the 32^nd annual Hosia volunteer recognition awards evening taking place on May 3.

The deadline is March 4. The awards ceremony is taking place at the André-Mathieu concert and performance hall. The selection of winners is being made by a special jury. Caisse Desjardins de l’Ouest de Laval executive-director Jacinthe Godmer is this year’s jury chairwoman.

The judges will be evaluating candidates on the following criteria: diversity, impact, determination and innovation in volunteer efforts. Forms for submitting candidacies can be downloaded from this web site: www.evenements.laval.ca.

(TLN) In the name of citizens, municipal councillors and employees of the city, Laval Mayor Marc Demers offered his condolences earlier this week to the family of Claude Ulysse Lefebvre, Laval’s third mayor (1981 – 1989) who has died.

Consulted citizens

“Mr. Lefebvre passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones after a well-lived life during, a large part of which was dedicated to developing Laval,” Demers said in a statement after meeting with the former mayor’s family.

Claude Ulysse Lefebvre will be remembered for a number of advancements in Laval, including the creation of the Consultactions, which were forums during which Laval residents were invited to speak openly on the policies of the city and to express their wants and needs in the various districts.

Expanded libraries

Lefebvre also will be remembered for greatly expanding the Laval municipal library system following a public consultation, and for making the Maison des arts de Laval a reality. Known for his great love of culture and his ability to listen to people, Lefebvre’s record included the revitalization of several commercial arteries in the former towns and villages that make up Laval.

Martin C. Barry

Outrage. That’s the only word that comes close to describing one Laval business owner’s feelings of frustration after 17 years of fighting with the City of Laval over a chronic but as yet unresolved flooding and sewer backup problem on Notre Dame Boulevard in Chomedey.

Monster on the loose

“We’re fighting a monster called Ville de Laval,” Jane Moraitis, owner of the Oneiro II boutique, which specializes in formal attire and accessories for baptisms, first communions and confirmations, said in an interview with The Laval News.

“They deprived us of our dream being accomplished, our time with family and friends, suffering great losses, and suffering with health issues caused by immense fatigue and stress?” added Moraitis.

In Greek, the name of her boutique, Oneiro, translates literally as dream. But since buying their building in the late 1990s, the situation has been anything but. “We started out with big dreams of making something exclusive and big, which it is, but this is what we’ve ended up with,” she said.

A year after purchasing the building at 3812-18 Notre-Dame Blvd. in August 1998, they faced the first of a series of floods: it was a huge inundation that destroyed an estimated $27,000 worth of merchandise in the basement, not including lost patterns and plans or time spent cleaning up.

In Greek, Oneiro, means dream, but since buying her building in the late 1990s, Jane Moraitis’s situation has been anything but.

A nightmare grows worse

Her family’s dream of success came to a halt. While the insurance company paid the first $10,000, the city – citing a variety of reasons – refused to pay the balance of $17,000. She took precautions by closing the valves on the floor of the basement and by placing all the boxes of merchandise on bricks.

However, when the city decided to repair and enlarge the street in front of the business about eight years ago, the problem worsened and became a nightmare. Every time there was a heavy rainfall, the street became a river, since the sewers appeared inadequate to do their job properly.

On June 3, 2014, rainwater came in from the front doors of the business. That day, according to Moraitis, she and other members of her family removed 48 huge buckets of water from the basement floor and spent days afterwards cleaning and disinfecting. Then during another large downpour on June 14, water in the basement rose to about a foot, ruining everything that had been placed on the bricks.

The next day, they realized they had close to $14,000 in damages, and this time their insurance would not cover it. And since the problem was recurring, they were now at risk of not being covered anymore. Fed up and tired, they sought a solution by calling a building inspection company, which helped guide them to a foundation specialist.

Expert said sewers blocked

After being told it was not a foundation problem, they consulted a drain specialist. The report from the drain specialist shocked them. According to Moraitis, there was absolutely nothing wrong with their building, but the  specialist agreed with the insurance adjuster that since the building has a flat roof, the water from the roof had nowhere to go when the sewers were so badly blocked.

Moraitis maintains there’s pretty much nothing she and her family can do, as the only solution would be to force the city to fix inadequate sewers. She said that when the insurance adjuster visited the surrounding area, the other store owners told him that they also had sewer blockage problems and floods for years, which more recently had become a nightmare.

According to Moraitis, she was told by municipal officials in September 2014 that the city acknowledged the sewer problem and that it would be dealt with within a few years with the help of some government subsidies. But when nothing further was heard, she attended a city council meeting in December 2014 to bring up the issue again. Sparks flew in exchanges between Moraitis and the mayor and the council president.

Waiting for their day in court

Feeling they had no choice but to go to Small Claims Court, on Jan. 29 she and her family asked the court for a postponement of their case. In the meantime, she maintains, the city offered a settlement, $1,000, which she and her family declined.

Moraitis claims that she asked the city that if such huge problems with the sewers on Notre Dame Blvd. existed for so long, how come they gave permits in the area for businesses like a baby and children’s store, a restaurant, a depanneur and an old age home?

In a final ironic twist, Moraitis said that during the first week of June 2015, a sink hole appeared on the surface of Notre Dame Blvd. outside their business. They could see the asphalt rising into the air, under which was a black hole, meters wide and deep, as far as the eye could see. Although the city poured gravel in and patched it up, she wonders: if the street collapses one day, will the city be blamed if somebody gets hurt?

Martin C. Barry

President’s Choice Children’s Charity announced during an event on Jan. 22 at École primaire du Bois Joli in eastern Laval that it is making a donation of $1 million to the non-profit ‘Breakfast for Learning’ organization in order to support 29,371 children in Quebec.

According to President’s Choice, the money will be invested in developing, implementing and supporting healthy eating programs in schools by offering 4,956,263 breakfasts, lunches and snacks to kids across the province who are in need.

Hunger a problem

Despite greater awareness in recent years of the impact hunger makes on school children and their ability to learn, it remains a very real problem across Quebec and its regions. The most recent HungerCount, published by in Fall 2015 by Food Banks Canada, says that close to 400,000 people, including 150,000 children, go hungry every month in Quebec.

“The health and well-being of children is a priority for Loblaw,” said Johanne Héroux, director of the Quebec branch of President’s Choice Children’s Charity. “We are pleased to help children to maximize their academic potential and to promote awareness of the importance of healthy eating, thanks to our partnership with Breakfast for Learning.”

Helping future leaders

Laval mayor Marc Demers, who was one of several dignitaries on hand for the announcement, said he was particularly pleased to see such a large gift being made for the well-being of children who are the future. “This is the best thing that any community can do,” he said. “I am certain that there people here in this room who one day will become mayors or elected officials.

“Today it’s our turn to extend to you a hand and to help you,” Demers continued. “But later it will maybe be you who will make decisions to take care of the elderly which is important. This is an important gift for the whole community. It’s not everyday that a foundation or an enterprise offers $1 million in assistance for a cause as good as this.”

Encouraging school success

Quebec Family Minister and Liberal MNA for Mille-Îles Francine Charbonneau was equally pleased with the gift, as were Liberal MP for Alfred-Pellan Angelo Iacono and Commission scolaire de Laval president Louise Lortie.

Experts say that nutrition programs aren’t just beneficial to children’s nourishment, they also have a direct positive effect on their behaviour and success in school. Studies have shown that a nutritious and healthy diet helps children concentrate and solve problems in class while also stimulating creativity and performance in their studies.

Better eating habits

“Our programs’ success is very tangible,” said Marie-José Mastromonaco, Breakfast for Learning’s regional manager. “During the school year of 2014-2015, 90 per cent of participating schools in Quebec observed an improvement in class behaviour and 80 per cent said they witnessed an improvement in their students’ success. Moreover, 97 per cent reported that their nutrition programs contributed to instilling better healthy eating habits in their students.”

Charbonneau spoke to the guests about the fundamental importance to our society of initiating children to healthy eating habits. Johanne Héroux, Director of the President’s Choice Children’s Charity in Quebec and Guy St-Pierre, Vice-President, Maxi and Maxi & Cie, presented the donation to Marie-José Mastromonaco, Breakfast for Learning’s regional manager.

 (TLN) As a result of recent interest stirred up by media reports regarding the City of Laval’s plans to set up a centralized animal protection office, officials with the city have decided to set the record straight.

The city says its main goal is to equip itself with a comprehensive animal services centre by 2018. For that purpose $15.3 million has been set aside in the 2016-2018 triennial capital works budget. In the meantime, preparatory work is underway for the construction of the facility and a city-owned site has been reserved.

‘We hope to offer quality and ethical animal services which respond to the needs of Laval residents,’ says Mayor Marc Demers

Quality animal protection

“We hope to offer quality and ethical animal services which respond to the needs of Laval residents,” says Marc Demers. “To do this we need to be proactive while prioritizing practices and actions adapted to the well-being of animals on our territory. In this effort, the city will be accompanied by a consultative committee made up of experts from the sectors of animal health, management of large projects, community action and legal affairs.”

In the meantime before the opening of the new centre, the mayor said an animal control contract is being awarded to Berger Blanc. He said the city will also be relying on independent inspectors who will be making sure that good practices prevail in regards to animal welfare and health in Laval.

Berger Blanc contract

According to Laval executive-committee member Sandra Desmeules, the three-year contract to Berger Blanc costing $1,836,000 includes an option to renew for a year. “What is certain is that our new supplier will have to conform to all legal requirements and regulations,” she said. “In addition, Berger Blanc commits itself to working closely with organizations in the community.”

Berger Blanc’s contract, which begins on Feb. 27, stipulates that it is responsible for examining, vaccinating, deworming, sterilizing and placing microchips in animals before their adoption. The company will also be required to refuse to euthanize healthy animals simply because someone requests it.

Contractors’ obligations

Berger Blanc is also required to take part in two microchip days per year, with on-site adoption and sterilization information, in conjunction with community organizations. And the company must work proactively with animal shelters in order to facilitate interactions leading to adoptions.

“The city has the well-being of animals at heart and believes in the importance of a partnership with the various players involved,” added Demers. “We are committed to letting be known what our thinking is regarding the well-being of animals with the development of the animal services centre.”