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Chomedey councillor Aglaia Revelakis distances herself from Action Laval

Martin C. Barry
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Chomedey councillor Aglaia Revelakis distances herself from Action Laval

Veteran district rep blames decision on the party’s mayoralty candidate choice

For elected as well as unelected members of the Action Laval opposition at Laval city hall, longtime Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis’s announcement that she was abandoning the Action Laval caucus was as unexpected as it was astonishing.

Three terms in office

Revelakis was one of the first Action Laval city councillors to be elected in 2013 after former mayor Gilles Vaillancourt’s monopolistic grip on Laval city council had finally been broken.

Since then, she won clear majorities in three elections, while retaining a large and reliable base of support for Action Laval from within her territory.

Before entering Laval municipal politics, Aglaia Revelakis gained political experience as a key organizer for councillor Mary Deros’s many election campaigns in Montreal’s Parc Extension district.

Former Action Laval councilllor for Chomedey Aglaia Revelakis (seen in a 2018 file photo) says she decided to leave the party largely because of the way she claims they chose their mayoralty candidate for the November 2 elections. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

Kept Action Laval alive

When Action Laval’s political fortunes were reduced at one point almost to nil, Revelakis remained a reliable supplier of voter support. The Chomedey district could always be counted on to bolster Action Laval’s share, based largely on Aglaia Revelakis’s consistent popularity with voters.

At one point, when the party’s fortunes flagged, Revelakis was the lone Action Laval councillor left on city council, and she managed to hold the fort until Action Laval got back its strength.

During the February 4 council, Revelakis read out a few routine community announcements, before finally getting around to dropping the bombshell about leaving the party.

Announced in Council

“As of today, I will no longer sit as municipal councillor with Action Laval,” Revelakis said, adding that she was giving up her membership in the party at the same time.

“Moving forward, I will sit as an independent councillor to continue representing and serving my citizens of Chomedey who have supported me over the past eleven years,” she continued.

“It has been a privilege and honor to represent them at city hall and I think them for their confidence. The citizens of Chomedey are and will continue to be my priority. Chomedey will always be my priority.”

In a phone interview last week with The Laval News, Revelakis suggested that her decision was closely related to her disagreement with the party’s choice of Frédéric Mayer as mayoralty candidate for the November 2 elections.

Not the right one, she says

“That is my choice and my belief,” she said. “Everybody is allowed to believe whatever they want. I have to go with what I believe. And I don’t believe he was the right candidate.”

She said she was never consulted when a decision on a mayoralty candidate was being made. Although she is registered with Élections Québec as one of Action Laval’s two “dirigeants” (directors), she maintained she was never asked.

“As a dirigeant, I should have had some say in this, but I didn’t even have a say in whom they were going to choose,” she said. “This is who they wanted, this is what they wanted, so I said okay, thank you, no problem, I’ll just walk away, that’s all.”

Difficult choice for Revelakis

In the last three City of Laval elections, Revelakis consistently drew around 50 per cent voter support. She said she found her decision to leave Action Laval was difficult, but “I had to go with my beliefs.”

When asked whether she had considered affiliating herself and running with another municipal party (including the Mouvement lavallois), Revelakis said she’d been approached by the ML, as well as by the official opposition Parti Laval.

“Offers have come around from both parties,” she said. “But it’s too early to say. Right now, I want to concentrate on my district and I want to concentrate on my citizens.”

Action Laval’s response

The Laval News reached out to Action Laval’s leadership for their explanation of the procedures they followed when choosing the party’s mayoralty candidate.

According to AL spokesperson Geru Schneider, party president Achille Cifelli was not available earlier this week as he was away on business outside the country. Longtime Action Laval city councillor for Saint-Bruno David De Cotis provided the following e-mailed response.

“Our nomination process reflects our internal democratic tradition,” he said. “As in 2021, the selection of our candidate is based on an in-depth caucus discussion followed by a vote. This enables meaningful dialogue and a shared decision that reflects the values and objectives of our political party.

Mayer had support, said De Cotis

“I would like to point out that our candidate received overwhelming support for his nomination, demonstrating a strong bond within the party,” added De Cotis. “Representatives have also shown their unanimous support for this nomination, confirming the solidity of our choice.”

As for Revelakis’s recent comments, De Cotis said “we find it hard to understand the reaction of our former colleague, especially as she held a position on the party’s executive board.”

He said “her abrupt departure took the whole team by surprise, particularly given her involvement in our decision-making bodies. Nonetheless, we remain focused on our primary mission: to serve the interests of our citizens and work on our community’s priority issues.”

Call 8-1-1 before going to the hospital emergency, Santé Québec advises

Martin C. Barry
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Call 8-1-1 before going to the hospital emergency, Santé Québec advises

Public health agency warns of pending flu season peak across the province

Santé Québec, the agency that now oversees public health services all over the province, is advising patients and caregivers that with influenza rates up and the winter flu season almost peaking, turning up at a hospital’s emergency department isn’t necessarily the best course of action to take when there are other alternatives.

Dr. Luc Boileau, director of public health for the province, said last week that flu activity in Quebec is elevated and we could be seeing the worst flu season of the past decade.

Challenging situation

According to Santé Québec, close to half the visits made by patients to emergency departments between February 4 and 10 were by people whose needs were not in fact of an emergency nature.

“It is a challenge,” Robin Marie Coleman, Santé Québec’s assistant vice-president for access to health services, conceded regarding the misconceptions during a video conference call with journalists last Friday.

Long wait times

“This is definitely something we’re trying to work on,” she added, while agreeing with a journalist that wait times for some of the agency’s services, such as the 8-1-1 medical triage phone central for non-urgent health issues, can be long, although less so in comparison to hospital emergency department wait times.

“Sometimes the wait times are long,” she said. “But to put it in perspective, with the long wait times sometimes in the emergency rooms, it’s better and healthier for people to stay at home if they have non-urgent care, and wait in order to be re-directed to a clinic directly with an appointment, rather than expose themselves in an emergency room when it’s not an emergency situation.”

Healthier for people to stay at home if they have non-urgent medical issues, says Santé Québec

Sometimes the best option

According to Coleman, 70 per cent of those patients who turned up at emergency departments in early February had family doctors, while others may have had other options available to them. In cases like these, she continued, “the best option is to stay safely at home if it’s a non-emergency situation and be directly directed to the right service.”

Robin Marie Coleman, Santé Québec’s assistant vice-president for access to health services, says calling 8-1-1 is often the best course of action to take before heading to a hospital emergency department.

But at the same time, she acknowledged that the province’s hospital emergency departments remain inadequate to handle the burden with which they are currently tasked. “We need to improve the different services, and first-line services, and make things much easier for people,” she said.

Worst season in a decade

Late last week, the level of flu activity in Quebec was elevated, said Dr. Luc Boileau, director of public health for the province. He said Santé Québec was following the situation closely, since the province could in fact be facing one of its worst flu seasons in the last 10 years.

He said that in other Canadian provinces, like Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, the presence of influenza had been notably higher this year. “We expect the peak soon to be reached, or that it soon will be,” he continued.

According to Dr. Boileau, it’s never too late to be vaccinated against influenza, and that it is recommended especially for persons regarded as vulnerable, which includes those with compromised immunity and the elderly.

Frédéric Mayer to be Action Laval’s mayoralty candidate in November

Martin C. Barry
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Frédéric Mayer to be Action Laval’s mayoralty candidate in November

‘This administration’s third term is one too many,’ says party’s deputy chief of staff at city hall

Action Laval has chosen a university lecturer who is also a senior member of its staff to be Action Laval’s mayoralty candidate in the municipal elections set for Sunday November 2.

Val-des-Arbres councillor Achille Cifelli, the city hall opposition party’s president, made the announcement at a press conference last week that Frédéric Mayer will spearhead their efforts leading towards election day.

They were surrounded by three current Action Laval city councillors and a few candidates who will be on the Action Laval slate this fall.

Action Laval mayoralty candidate Frédéric Mayer (seen with party president Achille Cifelli) has an employment history that includes stints as a political attaché and most recently as Action Laval’s deputy chief of staff at city hall. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

A Vaillancourt opponent

According to biographical notes furnished by the party, Mayer is a native of Laval and has two teenage sons. He began his involvement in municipal politics in 2009 as a political organizer who was galvanized into action by his opposition to then-mayor Gilles Vaillancourt.

Mayer’s academic credentials are noteworthy. He holds a PhD in public administration from École Nationale d’Administration Publique (ÉNAP), where he is a part-time lecturer. Mayer also completed a Master’s degree in management and international relations.

As well, he completed a thesis on relations between Canadian provinces and China while working for Services Canada and Elections Canada. He was most recently deputy chief of staff for Action Laval’s opposition team at city hall.

From China to Laval

According to his biography, Mayer spent time in China, where he lived and worked for four years. On his return, he was employed as an attaché to former Bloc Québécois MP for Alfred-Pellan Robert Carrier, who was present last week for the announcement.

In 2009, Mayer began working with city councillor for Saint-Bruno David De Cotis to set up the Mouvement lavallois, where Mayer was responsible for the party’s organization and communications. From 2014 to 2016, he was director of the Mouvement lavallois’ office for its elected officials at city hall.

Following De Cotis’s rift and departure from the Mouvement lavallois which he had co-founded, he turned to Mayer to organize Action Laval’s 2021 election campaign.

Action Laval’s newly-announced mayoralty candidate Frédéric Mayer is seen here with three of the opposition party’s remaining city council members as well as four candidates who will be running in the November 2 elections. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

‘Time to focus,’ says party

Mayer said he intends to draw on his experience as an administrator in both the private and public sectors, as well as his doctoral training at the ÉNAP, in an effort to take control of the city’s finances.

“The city has been suffering from a lack of coherence and vision for too many years and this administration’s third term is one too many,” said Mayer. “It’s time to focus on the services for which citizens pay their city taxes.”

In a statement outlining what is likely to become a part of Action Laval’s election platform, the party said they intend to set up a commission on the city’s finances, as well as to review the relevance of the costs of some of the Boyer administration’s projects.

They also want to lower the city’s debt by carrying out projects paid for in cash up-front rather than through long-term loan by-laws, and to return to the city’s core mission, which they said “is to ensure the delivery of community services at the highest standard.”

Lower council presence

Action Laval has been reduced to three members of Laval city council after recently losing two councillors. Saint-Vincent-de-Paul councillor Paolo Galati left the party caucus after being investigated for spending irregularities by the Quebec Municipal Commission.

Although he was exonerated of wrongdoing, party president Achillle Cifelli said last week that Galati is not being taken back in. In the meantime, longtime Action Laval city councillor for Chomedey Aglaia Revelakis announced during the February 4 city council meeting that she decided to leave the party and will run as an independent in the November elections.

Mayor warns of impact from Trump tariffs on local economy and finances

Martin C. Barry
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Mayor warns of impact from Trump tariffs on local economy and finances

‘We will have to develop an economy that is diversified,’ he said, warning of consequences

During the February 4 meeting of Laval city council, Mayor Stéphane Boyer led off with an issue that’s been on the minds of many people these days – the impact that the policies of newly-inaugurated U.S. president Donald Trump are going to have, not only on countries and regions, but also on cities like Laval.

“It’s true our world is in the process of changing,” he said, while observing that Quebec Premier François Legault had made the same observation about the Trump effect in the National Assembly just a few days earlier.

Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer says the impact of U.S. president Donald Trump’s policies will be felt not just on a global scale, but also locally in cities like Laval. (File photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

Local impact of tariffs

While also noting that over the past four years the Covid pandemic caused a lot of disruptions – including inflation, pressure on the city’s revenues, as well as on those of governments in general and on Laval residents – Boyer said, “this is going to affect us here in Laval,” even if relations with the U.S. are a federal issue.

Mayor Boyer had spent the better part of a day a few days before speaking with the leaders of several major businesses located in Laval (including representatives of the food, aerospace and plastics transformation sectors), to be able to assess what’s been happening to them lately.

Looming unemployment

He acknowledged that the picture that emerged “isn’t rosy,” with potentially thousands of jobs which might have been created in Laval now hanging in the balance if Trump’s tariffs go through.

He suggested that a local rise in unemployment could result in a corresponding increase in residents’ needs, for which the city would have to find appropriate solutions. “If businesses close, this will also mean less revenue to pay for our public services,” said Boyer.

“And if tariffs are applied, this will also mean much higher costs for the municipality.” He pointed out that although the city tries as much as possible to make its purchases from local businesses, there are certain types of purchases which are available only from providers in the U.S., including police cars, firearms for police officers and firefighting equipment.

U.S. imports affected

As well, the City of Laval’s water filtration plants use specialized equipment available only in the U.S., “and this will mean much higher bills,” said Boyer. “So, this all means we will have to do more with less. And there could sometimes be choices that will be difficult in the months and years ahead.”

While noting that among the issues to be discussed during the council meeting would be grievances by Laval’s unionized police and blue-collar workers about the slowness of negotiations for new collective agreements, Mayor Boyer said that if this and other issues are to be addressed, “then we will have to be able to innovate, to make compromises – that we rise above partisanship.

More diversification

“We will have to develop an economy that is diversified. During the pandemic, Laval’s economy was fairly resilient, because we have this advantage and we must continue to use this even more so.”

He said local businesses will have to be encouraged as much as possible. “But mostly, we will have to remain attentive to all those who will be the most affected by these impacts, because, yes, unfortunately there will be negative impacts.”

‘Bring on the tariffs,’ says CEO of Laval-based Chemtec

Martin C. Barry
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‘Bring on the tariffs,’ says CEO of Laval-based Chemtec

Jason Bérubé unfazed by U.S. threats, while welcoming $6.2 million in productivity loans

Although fallout from Donald Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariffs on imported Canadian goods has yet to make a full impact here, as far as one Laval business owner is concerned, the U.S. president’s threat is a challenge to be accepted.

“Bring on the tariffs,” said Jason Bérubé, CEO of Chemtec Epoxy Coatings, a Laval-based manufacturer and distributor of industrial floor coatings.

Chemtec innovation manager Hamid Benadir leads Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis on a tour of the company’s facilities in Laval’s industrial park on February 7. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

The company’s products are used all over North America to extend the life of parking structures, stadiums, garages, basements and many other facilities.

Bérubé, who founded the company more than a decade ago, made the wise decision long before Trump’s announcement to acquire a coatings company in the U.S. That investment has become part of his formula to help shield Chemtec from the tariffs’ impact.

Robotic production

He was speaking during a press conference held jointly by federal and provincial officials to announce $6.2 million in government loans to improve productivity at Chemtec through the implementation of robotic technology.

According to a joint Canada/Quebec news release, Chemtec is acquiring cutting-edge equipment to automate part of its production. The aim of the $7.7 million project is to increase production and foster the growth and development of new Chemtec products.

Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis and Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete are seen here with Chemtec CEO Jason Bérubé (far left), along with City of Laval and economic development agency officials and Chemtec employees on February 7 during the announcement. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

“Since 2013, Chemtec Epoxy Coatings has been committed to providing products of exceptional quality, following the strictest standards, to accompany their clients in a highly competitive market,” said Bérubé.

In 2019, according to the CEO, Chemtec took a major step with the opening of its first plant in Laval, where thanks to the sustained efforts of their internal research and development laboratory, they are now manufacturing most of the products they market.

Meeting client needs

“Bring on the tariffs,” says Chemtec CEO Jason Bérubé. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

“Our new cutting-edge laboratory, equipped with the most advanced technology in the sector, will play a key role in formulating innovative products with stronger internal integration, responding to the most demanding needs of our clients,” Bérubé said.

Answering questions from The Laval News, he said the company’s decision to shift some of its focus to the U.S. will probably help Chemtec absorb whatever impact comes from Trump’s tariffs – even if they are as high as 25 per cent.

“Right now, we are selling directly to contractors there, instead of selling only to distributors,” he said, while adding that in the meantime Chemtec is hoping to expand into the European market.” Overall, Bérubé said Trump’s tariff threats had given Chemtec food for thought, but that he wasn’t losing sleep over them.

Loans from Canada and Quebec

Chemtec employs around 30 people. Quebec’s support consists of a loan of $3,080,000 granted under the ESSOR program administered by Investissement Québec as the government’s representative, as well as a loan of $2,200,000 from Investissement Québec’s capital funds.

For its part, Ottawa is assisting Chemtec with a loan of $950,000 under Economic Development Canada’s (CED) Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program. The loans are part of an overall initiative to assist Chemtec to upgrade to Industry 4.0 standards (rapid technological advancement in the 21st century).

“Excellent news for our region’s economy,” said Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

“This new equipment will make it possible to increase the business’s productivity considerably and make it more competitive,” said Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis, who is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister responsible for CED Quebec region. “This is excellent news for our region’s economy,” she added.

Resilience on another level

Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete, who isMinister for the Economy in the Legault cabinet, said Quebec’s decision to support Chemtec was based on its belief that “when you invest in automation, optimization and robotization, you bring your ability to be resilient to another level.

“You’re less dependent on a labour force,” he added. “You are equally strengthening your ability to keep costs low. The best vaccination against tariffs is to have low costs and optimal productivity. And this is exactly what he is doing.”

Skeete went on to say there was an industrial productivity issue in Quebec long before the tariffs issue materialized. “Productivity is what’s going to get us through this,” he said. “We don’t have any control over what happens in the U.S. But we do control how much we invest in our businesses here.”

Laval News Volume 33-04

Laval News Staff
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Laval News Volume 33-04

The current issue of the Laval News, volume 33-04, published on February 19th, 2025.
Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

Significant snowfall expected in Laval Thursday

Martin C. Barry
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Significant snowfall expected in Laval Thursday

Environment Canada has issued a weather statement saying that a significant amount of snow is expected to fall on the Laval and Montreal regions on Thursday.

According to the federal meteorology service, moderate winds could also generate local blowing snow conditions.

The situation is expected to begin overnight on Wednesday with sometimes heavy snow, continuing into Thursday, impacting southern central and eastern Quebec.

The downturn in the weather is the result of an intensifying low pressure system from Texas that is tracking towards Quebec.

The weather office says the expected high rate of precipitation could make a significant impact on rush-hour traffic in urban areas on Thursday morning.

Quickly accumulating snow is expected to make travel difficult.

As well, visibilities could be suddenly reduced in heavy and blowing snow.

Laval’s electronic snow-removal signage is a non-starter in Chomedey

Martin C. Barry
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Laval’s electronic snow-removal signage is a non-starter in Chomedey

Expected to be up and running this winter, city continues with old ‘No-Parking’ signs

It’s been around a year since the City of Laval announced, with a degree of fanfare, that it would be expanding its use of illuminated electronic signage along residential streets, to better keep motorists and residents informed of parking restrictions whenever snow removal ops are about to begin following snowfalls.

During the January city council meeting in 2024, the council members awarded a contract to Pierre Brossard (1981) ltée to install electronic parking regulation signage on a range of streets in districts such as Chomedey in west end Laval.

New system not started yet

The signs, which are programmable remotely, allow municipal employees to inform motorists and residents in “real time,” rather than with the age-old, manually-set up cardboard signs, which have been in usage for decades and must be placed by hand one-at-a-time in snow banks on street curbs.

As seen in the left foreground, the City of Laval is still using manually-placed no-parking signboards alongside Chenard St. in Chomedey when snow removal is scheduled, even though permanent electronic signage (upper right) has been installed but is not yet functional.

When functioning, the new illuminated panels light up when needed to display specific times when snow removal (or street cleaning operations during the summer) are taking place. The city decided to opt for the system following tests with several pilot projects over the past few years on its territory.

Cardboard signs for now

That said, however, now comes word from a homeowner on Chenard St. in Chomedey that the city is continuing to use cardboard signs on his street. This is in spite of the fact that some of the new electronic signs have been installed on Chenard, but appear to have been serving no useful purpose up to now.

Widespread implementation of the system began during the summer of 2024, and it was expected to become functional in Chomedey over the current winter period. This was to be followed by the installation and activation of a similar electronic signage system in Pont-Viau and Laval-des-Rapides over the coming summer months.

In an interview with The Laval News, Jason Hope of Chenard St. said he wasn’t particularly put off that the city was still be using the old cardboard sign system, even though the new electronic signage has been in place (although inactive) for some time.

Residents want to know

He said he and a few of his neighbours were “just curious” about the city’s intentions. It’s worth noting that the City of Laval decided to adopt the new automated sign system as part of a package of amendments to its wintertime snow-removal strategy, which previously included a narrow and unpopular no parking policy following snowfalls.

The City of Laval acknowledges that its electronic snow removal signs haven’t yet been activated in an area of the city’s west end bounded by autoroutes 13, 15, 440 and the Rivière des Prairies.

“I had some discussion with my neighbours who were wondering, you know, why they [the city] are still putting out those signboards,” he said, adding that they’d gone online to the City of Laval’s website to see if there was any information, only to see there was none.

“Nothing came up with regard to when they [the new signs] are actually going to be getting used,” he continued. “It would be nice just to get a little guidance from the city – maybe just a little bit of communication as to when. Even though we didn’t get much snow this year, it would just be nice to know when the city will be putting this into use.”

Not yet up and running

The Laval News reached out to the City of Laval for some clarification as to when the new system will be functional.

Carolanne L. Gagnon, a spokesperson for the city’s public affairs and marketing division, said the system is still being installed within an area of Laval’s west end bounded by autoroutes 13, 15, 440 and the Rivière des Prairies.

However, there was no word from her on a precise or even approximate date when the system might be functional. “Before it becomes operational, an official notice will be sent to residents in the sectors which are affected to let them know the official date,” she said.

Until then, she added, the city’s existing methods of informing residents, as well as the portable cardboard no parking signs, will remain in use.

Pink in the City presents $317,000 to MUHC Foundation for breast cancer care

Martin C. Barry
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Pink in the City presents $317,000 to MUHC Foundation for breast cancer care

Love, compassion and action at work, says Pink president Denise Vourtzoumis

A check for $317,000 was presented recently by officials with Pink in the City to the MUHC Foundation, representing funds raised by Pink last year for holistic care provided to breast cancer cancer patients at the Montreal-based teaching hospital.

Denise Vourtzoumis, president of Pink in the City, took to the podium with heartfelt emotion.

‘A shared purpose’

“This achievement is a testament to what happens when a community comes together with a shared purpose,” she said. “Pink in the City was founded on the belief that love, compassion and action can make a tangible difference in the lives of breast cancer patients. I salute every survivor in the room, you are the reason we are here.”

Dr. Sarkis Meterissian, founder of the Breast Clinic Wellness Program at the MUHC, expressed his gratitude for the vital support that Pink in the City provides.

“This program was created to address the emotional, physical, and psychological well-being of breast cancer patients,” he said. “Thanks to Pink in the City, the MUHC Foundation and their incredible donors, we can continue to offer holistic care that truly meets the needs of our patients.”

Unwavering commitment

“Together, we are creating a future where every woman facing breast cancer feels supported and cared for,” said Marie-Hélène Laramée, president and CEO of the MUHC Foundation. “Pink in the City’s unwavering commitment to this cause inspires us all to dream bigger and strive harder to ensure no more women face a future where breast cancer takes a life.”

Pink in the City has become synonymous with breast cancer care at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Since 2014, they have championed the MUHC’s Breast Clinic Wellness Program through the MUHC Foundation and events like Raise Craze and their annual gala.

$1.5 million raised to date

From breast cancer survivors to passionate high school students, Pink in the City never fails to unite their community in the fight against breast cancer. Pink in the City’s 2024 donation to the MUHC brought their total contributions to over $1.5 million.

The funds raised were the result of tireless efforts, which included an inspiring Pink in the Rink campaign last year led by the Concordia University Women’s Hockey Team.

“Pink in the Rink is so much more than a hockey game,” said Julie Chu, coach for the team. “For us, it’s about standing in solidarity with those affected by cancer and showing that even the smallest efforts can create ripples of change. We’re proud to contribute to such an important cause.”

SWLSB’s ‘Raise Craze’

One of the highlights of the year is always Raise Craze, a much-loved event where people shave or dye their hair pink in support of the cause. Students from the Sir Wilfred Laurier School Board raised an incredible $50,000, showing how young people are getting involved in philanthropy.

The Beat 92.5’s co-hosts Lee Haberkorn and Mark Bergman shaved their heads, while Claudia Marques and Kim Kieran dyed their hair pink during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, raising $98K for Raise Craze, which included a generous matching donation from La Vie en Rose.

Two Laval Liberal MPs throw their weight behind Mark Carney for party leader

Martin C. Barry
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Two Laval Liberal MPs throw their weight behind Mark Carney for party leader
Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis and Laval-les-Îles Liberal MP Fayçal El-Khoury. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

El-Khoury, Koutrakis praise former bank governor, downplaying bilingualism issue

After several weeks of deliberation over the future of the Liberal Party of Canada following the resignation of Justin Trudeau as leader, two Laval-area MPs have announced their decision to support Mark Carney’s bid to win the party’s leadership.

In interviews last week with The Laval News, Laval-Les Îles Liberal MP Fayçal El-Khoury and Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis confirmed their decision to support the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, whose chief rival for the leadership is former Liberal finance minister Chrystia Freeland.

‘Good economic vision’

“He is a great economist,” El-Khoury said, explaining why he decided to support Carney. “He is the right man. He has a good economic vision for the country, which is exactly what we need right now. If you look at his CV, he is the only man in the world who managed two major central banks. Which is unique.”

El-Khoury noted that during the 2008 global financial crisis, Carney provided key advice to Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper. “So, he is very well known. He has made his mark,” he said.

Although there is a longstanding if unspoken tradition within the Liberal Party of Canada that the leadership should alternate between French- and English-speaking chiefs, some also believe the person who heads the party should always be bilingual.

(Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

Carney’s bilingualism

El-Khoury said he was impressed with Carney’s fluency in both languages, while admitting that Carney (who was born in Canada’s Northwest Territories and raised in Alberta) isn’t perfectly adept in French. “Of course, he’s not Victor Hugo,” he said, alluding to the 19th century French author. “But he manages properly. I’ve heard him speak and it is very good.”

Regarding some of the other candidates, El-Khoury said he would have supported a leadership bid by former Pierrefonds-Dollard MP Frank Baylis, whom he described as a very close friend. “But as far as I know, after discussing with many colleagues, he has no chance,” said El-Khoury.

Regarding Chrystia Freeland, he said, “With all due respect, she is a good colleague. But my problem, based on my consultation with my constituents in Laval-Les-Îles and other places also, is that as minister of finance, she was related to all decisions taken by Trudeau and she cannot separate herself from that.”

Carney was praised by Harper

Koutrakis explained why she also decided to support Mark Carney. Like El-Khoury, she noted that Stephen Harper had praised Carney’s work at the Bank of Canada as having helped soften the impact on the country from the 2008-2009 recession. As well, she pointed out that Carney was the only non-British governor the Bank of England had since its founding in the late 17th century.

“Having met him [Carney] and having had extensive conversations with him, I think he is the right leader and the right prime minister for Canada as we go through this very turbulent time,” said Koutrakis.

Regarding Carney’s linguistic proficiency, Koutrakis said she agreed that since Canada is an officially bilingual country, “the prime minister of Canada, and any federal party leader for that matter, should be bilingual.” She said she had heard Carney speak in French.

Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

Koutrakis for Carney

“Although it may not be perfect, he is quite proficient in the French language, and I know that he is continuing in that regard,” said Koutrakis. “Obviously, he is an Anglophone. But I have every confidence that Mr. Carney will be able to master the language even better than he already speaks it.”

She said she had “full respect for all the candidates who put their names out there to be the leader.” However, with the economic threats the country is facing from its main trading partner (the U.S.), “I really believe that given Mr. Carney’s overall demeanor, experience, educational background and reputation globally, he is the right person to be able to sit across the table from President Trump and his team to renegotiate and make sure that Canada’s economy remains robust and healthy,” said Koutrakis.

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