As residents of Laval grow accustomed to seeing electric scooters on the city’s many boulevards, avenues and streets, the Laval Police have been handing out traffic tickets to scooter drivers who burn red lights, drive on the sidewalk or don’t wear a helmet.
According to figures cited by the TVA news network, the LPD handed out 37 traffic tickets to electric scooter operators this year between the beginning of January and July 2.
Last year, the provincial transportation ministry (Transports Québec) launched a three-year research undertaking to determine how to safely integrate Motorized Personal Transport Devices (MPTD) – which includes a range of new vehicles – with other existing types of transportation to see if the highway code should be amended.
According to rules applying during a trial period before any highway code changes are formally made, drivers of MPTDs must be at least 14 years of age and wearing a helmet.
They are allowed to drive an MPTD on any road where the maximum posted speed is 50 km/h, as long as the vehicle they are driving is equipped with brakes.
However, the speed of vehicles cannot exceed 25 km/h, and they must be equipped with red reflectors at the rear and a white reflector in the front.
As well, the vehicles must have a white headlight in front for night-time use and an illuminated red light at the rear.
The drivers are also not allowed to carry passengers.
And vehicles cannot weigh more than 36 kilograms (including the battery).
The fine for breaking any of these rules is $200.
It should be noted that under the proposed rules, most skateboards (motorized or not) would not meet highway code standards because they are not equipped with brakes.
The City of Laval, in the meantime, in conjunction with the transport ministry, has been encouraging the use of electric scooters by facilitating the short-term rental of self-serve scooters (Lime and Bird) as part of a larger effort to combat climate change.
LFD firefighters found flames and dense smoke upon their arrival. (Photo: Courtesy Association des Pompiers de Laval)
A major fire last Tuesday afternoon in a row house on Place Samson in Chomedey caused an estimated $250,000 in damage and rendered two people homeless.
Extensive damage to the Place Samson row house was evident after the smoke cleared. (Photo: Courtesy Association des Pompiers de Laval)
Officials with the Laval Fire Dept. traced the probable origins of the blaze in the dwelling a short distance from Berthiaume-du-Tremblay Park to an electrical short circuit.
One of the occupants called 9-1-1 just after 2 pm, bringing firefighters to the scene within seven minutes.
By that time, flames and thick smoke had become apparent from outside.
The fact it was a fire in densely-constructed row housing led the firefighters to evacuate adjacent units, although they didn’t suffer damage comparable to the one which caught fire.
One person was treated on the scene for smoke inhalation.
Fire damage to the unit was estimated at $200,000, while damage to property inside was assessed at $50,000.
The Laval Police revealed on Thursday that a raid conducted a week earlier led to the seizure of 500 grams of cocaine, 200 grams of crack, an unspecified amount of hashish, and the arrest of three suspects believed to have been involved in trafficking the substances.
In a statement, the LPD said an investigation that began in February led to the identification of the three suspects.
The suspects were identified by the LPD as Joseph Abou Rjeily, age 24, Elie Alam and Rehman Ateeq Ur, both 19 years of age.
According to the LPD, warrants were issued to enter three residences in Laval on July 10.
Police found the drugs there, as well as other materials possibly used for trafficking.
The value of the substances and materials seized was assessed at $250,000.
The police also seized a bulletproof vest, ammunition for a 9mm firearm, four vehicles and more than $91,000 in cash.
Two of the suspects remained in custody on Thursday, while a third was released with conditions to follow up to his court date on Sept. 23.
The new flyover ramp under construction to connect autoroutes 440 and 15. (Photo: Courtesy EXP Engineering)
The Quebec highways ministry announced this week that it may be installing a mobile photo radar unit on the work site at the intersection of autoroutes 440 and 15 in Laval where a flyover ramp is currently being built between the two.
Without stating whether speeding in that spot has been problematic recently, the ministry noted that the posted speed limit within autoroute construction zones is 80 km/h and 50 km/h on the service roads.
Photo radar ahead.
The provincial government decided to give the go-ahead to build the ramp following a deadly pile-up in early August 2019 that took the lives of four people.
For years, drivers travelling westbound at high speed along the A-440 near the A-15 turnoff would find themselves forced to make a sudden stop for backed-up traffic taking the right-side exit for the A-15 – contributing to a high number of collisions.
It is hoped that the new feeder ramp, positioned on the left side of the westbound A-440, will resolve the situation.
Although fines for drivers caught speeding by photo radar don’t come with demerit points, the ministry notes that the fines for speeding through highway construction sites are double what they would normally be.
Mondoux, a Laval-based confectioner whose gummies and other sweets are ubiquitous in Quebec convenience stores as well as at gas station sales terminals, has been purchased by Regal Confections also of Laval, the two companies disclosed in a statement on Tuesday.
Mondoux, whose Sweet Sixteen gummy mix was developed by the company in recent years into a standout in convenience store settings, was founded in 1967 by Normand Mondoux.
Mondoux operates out of a 90,000 square foot facility in Laval, which houses the company’s head-office and packing operations.
A 22,000 square foot chocolate factory, also in Laval, for Mondoux’s Giacomo brand chocolate offerings, is a stone’s throw away from the company’s headquarters.
Mondoux has grown over time to become a leader in the highly competitive convenience & gas (“C&G”) retail category in Quebec, with 77 trucks delivering its assortment in the province, as well as in the Maritimes and in Ontario.
In 2010, Jean Mondoux, a member of the second generation of the family active in the business, created the Sweet Sixteen brand by mixing 16 distinct premium candies in a bag.
According to the company, Sweet Sixteen has become the best-selling gummy, licorice, and marshmallow brand mix in Quebec.
“We are excited to partner with Regal to uphold our family values and foster growth for our customers and brand partners, relying on Regal’s ~65 years of experience representing prestigious brands via its coast-to-coast coverage model across all sales channels,” Jean Mondoux, who chairs the company board, said in a statement.
The transaction was supported by Clearspring Capital Partners, a Canadian private equity firm focused on growing mid-market companies, as well as by Regal’s shareholders and banking partners, and the Mondoux family and management team who, according to the Regal/Mondoux statement, become partners in Regal.
As part of the acquisition agreement, Jean Mondoux has been given a seat on the Regal board. The two companies did not disclose the monetary terms of the agreement. Mondoux’s president, Mathieu Pilon, will continue in his role and will lead Mondoux as a separate entity.
“Confectionery Mondoux and the Mondoux family have a long and well-earned reputation in the industry,” said Hani Basile, president and CEO of Regal.
“They’ve carved an enviable market niche in Convenience & Gas, especially in Quebec,” added Basile. “In fact, many of our own products distributed in the Quebec C&G channel are sold through Mondoux’s franchise delivery model.
“Sweet Sixteen is a true complement to our product range and allows us to deepen our presence in the everyday confectionary category across Canada. I am pleased to partner with the Mondoux family and welcome Jean Mondoux to Regal’s Board.”
The grand piano through which, according to the RCMP, the suspects attempted to import cocaine into Canada. (Photo: Courtesy RCMP)
RCMP officers arrested four individuals on July 12 – including one from Laval – alleged to be involved in a conspiracy to import and traffic cocaine into Canada by concealing it in a grand piano.
The RCMP says the police operation was conducted in the Lanaudière and Sherbrooke regions.
The individuals arrested are:
Juan Diego Hernandez, 28, of Laval
Billy Donais Cadieux, 26, of St-Félix-de-Valois
Pablo Hernandez, 52, of Baie d’Urfé in West Island Montreal
and Michael Dubois, 37, of St-Denis-de-Brompton.
According to the RCMP, search warrants were executed at two residences and in a residential garage. Officers seized 62.7 kilos of cocaine, which were concealed in the walls of a grand piano, as well as $10 000 in cash and several electronic devices.
The investigation by the RCMP Eastern Region Federal Policing’s Airport and Federal Investigations Detachment was launched in response to a tip from Homeland Security Investigations in the U.S.
The RCMP said on Monday that the four accused were being kept in custody until scheduled to make a court appearance by videoconference on July 17.
They face charges of importation and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, as well as conspiracy under the Criminal Code.
As the the investigation is ongoing, the federal police force said further charges may be laid after analysis of the evidence gathered during the searches.
Thousands help mark Canada Day, while celebrating Hellenic culture and values
In contrast to past years when the weather wasn’t very cooperative, Mother Nature smiled warmly for the 2024 Laval Hellenic Summer Festival.
The four-day gathering outside Holy Cross Church on Souvenir Blvd. in Chomedey brought together thousands of Montrealers and Laval residents with Hellenic roots.
Taking place on the weekend just before Canada Day, the festival was an occasion to celebrate the country’s origins and multinational diversity – although it was primarily a celebration of Hellenic culture and values.
Among the dignitaries on hand to cut the Canada Day cake on June 30 were (from the left) Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis, Saint-François city councillor Isabelle Piché, Saint-Bruno city councillor David De Cotis, HCGM Laval chapter president Katerina Hulis, Gus Milonopoulos (second row), HCGM president George Tsoukas, Saint-Laurent MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier and Saint-Martin city councillor Aline Dib. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
A large turn-out
Katerina Hulis, who has been president of the Laval chapter of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal since last May, helped lead the committee which organized the festival.
Dancers from one of the two Hellenic cultural groups who performed during the 2024 Laval Hellenic Summer Festival. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
“I’m grateful for the fantastic team we had to organize this year’s event,” she said. “We’re very pleased with this weekend’s turn-out.”
Among the dignitaries who dropped by on the evening of June 30 to enjoy the Hellenic ambience and a piece of Canada Day birthday cake were Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis, Saint-François city councillor Isabelle Piché, Saint-Bruno city councillor David De Cotis, HCGM Laval chapter president Katerina Hulis, HCGM president George Tsoukas, Saint-Laurent MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier and Saint-Martin city councillor Aline Dib.
Saint-Martin city councillor Aline Dib (left) and Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier (right) spent time during the festival with leaders from a local Hellenic unit of Scouts Canada. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)HCGM president Dr. George Tsoukas, seen here with Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis and some younger members of the Hellenic community, joined them in a folk dance on the evening of June 30. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News) (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)Roast pork souvlaki was just one of several delicacies served in generous quantities by volunteers during the 2024 Laval Hellenic Summer Festival. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
Great day to be Greek
“It makes us all feel very proud to be here on a day like today,” said Lambropoulos, noting that during the summer she has the opportunity to visit several Hellenic festivals organized by Greek Montrealers. “I am very happy to be here to celebrate Canada Day in the heart of my district,” said Revelakis.
Although Saint-François councillor Isabelle Piché has just a handful of Greeks in her east-end Laval district, she was enjoying the food, the music and the folk dancing steeped in ancient tradition. “It’s a wonderful event even for people like myself who are not Greek,” she said.
Works by 70 artists to be showcased in one of Quebec’s most historic settings
While the dates may vary a little from year to year, there’s one thing about the Sainte-Rose Art Symposium you can always count on.
This popular summertime gathering of artists always guarantees four days of enjoyment of the visual arts for thousands of satisfied patrons.
The 28th symposium
La Vieille Caserne, the Corporation Rose-Art’s gallery located in a former Laval firehall, is always the place to start during a visit to the Sainte-Rose Art Symposium each year. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
This year, the Corporation Rose-Art’s art exhibition is taking place from Thursday July 25 to Sunday July 28. Those with a discerning taste for fine sculpture and inspiring visual creation will be arriving from all over Quebec, as well as other parts of eastern Canada, for the 28th symposium.
Many visitors will be purchasing works produced by the 70 participating artists, who express themselves in styles ranging from traditional and impressionistic to modern and abstract.
The event’s honorary president this year is Member of the National Assembly for Sainte-Rose Christopher Skeete. “Art nourishes the soul,” he said during a recent press conference at the Vieille Caserne art gallery on Sainte-Rose Blvd. where the 2024 lineup of artists was revealed.
Corporation Rose-Art president Oprina-Félicia Dolea. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
Home to great artists
As always, the symposium will be taking place alongside the Rivière des Mille-Îles in the charming and historic Laval neighbourhood known as Vieux Sainte-Rose. The village is renowned as the birthplace of internationally-acclaimed Québécois painter Marc-Aurèle Fortin. Saint-Rose was also at one time the home of landscape painter Clarence Gagnon. Both influenced generations of artists.
After winning a range of awards for excellence over nearly three decades, the organizing committee, led by Corporation Rose-Art president Oprina-Félicia Dolea, continues to uphold the standards that have established the Sainte-Rose Art Symposium’s reputation for excellence in art circles across eastern Canada.
Archeological exhibition
As an added bonus at this year’s symposium, archeologists who’ve been working in the past few years on archeological excavations on the grounds of the historic Sainte-Rose-de-Lima Church have agreed to set up a display of some of the artifacts from past centuries which were recovered. According to sources, they include antique household objects as well as religious items.
The organizers have received some significant recognitions for their efforts. In 2019, the Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented the organizers with a Dunamis award for helping to promote tourism in Laval. They were also a finalist for a second Dunamis in 2020 and 2022, as a sustainable organization or enterprise.
Guests from all over
Artists belonging to the Corporation Rose-Art joined local elected officials, including Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete, and Laval city councillors Flavia Alexandra Novac and Louise Lortie, for the launch of the 2024 Sainte-Rose Art Symposium, which runs from July 25-28. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
More than 20,000 people are expected to attend. Although most are usually from the Laval and greater Montreal regions, the busy vacation season is also known to bring in visitors from Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as well as from the U.S. states of Vermont, New York and New Hampshire.
Tourism has been growing by leaps and bounds in Laval over the past few years, as travellers from all over Canada and the U.S. begin to rediscover hidden treasures such as the Symposium de Sainte-Rose, in an upsurge of interest in travel since the end of the Covid pandemic.
Some of the best times to go
The Symposium will be taking place along a stretch of the main street in downtown Sainte-Rose, next to La Vieille Caserne (216 Ste-Rose Blvd.), a stone’s throw from Sainte-Rose-de-Lima Church, between Filion and Deslaurier-Hotte streets.
All the events are free. The hours are as follows: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Additional information is available on the website www.roseart.ca. E-mail: roseart@videotron.ca. Phone: (450) 625-7925.
Country’s agri-businesses want streamlined processes, small business lobby group says
As the Trudeau government looks to overhaul its Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program, most agri-businesses say they are in favour of multi-employer work permits as an option, enabling employers to share foreign workers, according to new research undertaken by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
Foreign worker ‘poaching’
However, cautions the CFIB, the majority of agribusiness owners don’t support sectoral and/or regional work permits, whether it’s under the current or a new program structure, where a third party would recruit and dispatch a pool of foreign workers, as they fear such permits could facilitate employee poaching and thus hinder retention.
“While government is reviewing its TFW program, it needs to consider the practical needs of agri-businesses and the future of Canada’s food security,” said Juliette Nicolaÿ, a CFIB policy analyst.
“Farmers are already struggling with chronic staffing shortages and when they turn to foreign labour, it’s only as a last resort because they can’t find anyone locally,” she added.“That’s concerning given Canada’s ageing population and a perceived lack of interest among Canadian workers in a career in agriculture.”
TFW hiring in Quebec
CFIB research found that three in 10 Canadian agri-businesses hired foreign workers in 2023. The reliance on foreign workers was even more pronounced in certain regions, such as Quebec (51%), and in agriculture sub-sectors characterized by labor intensive tasks, such as the fruits, vegetable and horticultural specialties (64%).
According to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), among employers who hired TFWs, 92% said foreign workers helped them meet demand for their products or services, while 89% said that TFWs helped them stay in business.
CFIB maintains that there are many misconceptions around the TFW program,for example that TFWs aren’t paid sufficient wages or they’re mistreated by their employers.
Debunking TFW myths
In fact, the federation says, most (85%) TFWs are paid the same wage as Canadianfull-time residents or citizens, and only 3.5% are paid less. They also note that the federal government conducts regular inspections to ensure health and safety of foreign workers, with 94% of employers inspected found to be compliant on 26 different criteria.
“While there may be isolated bad actors that should not be tolerated, agri-businesses highly value foreign workers, and they take time and effort to bring TFWs to Canada,”said Francesca Basta, a CFIB research analyst.
“They cover costs that go beyond wages like housing, transport and health care. It is also common for farmers to have the same TFWs come back year after year. Some also sponsor foreign workers to become permanent residents.”
CFIB’s suggestions
To improve the TFW program’s efficiency, the CFIB recommends that the federal government should consider:
Reducing red tape associated with hiring TFWs, notably streamlining the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process;
Allowing for the sharing or transferring foreign workers as an option (e.g., multi-employer work permit);
Indexing the housing deduction to inflation – it is currently $30, which does not reflect real housing prices;
Allowing employers to match the wages offered by another employer with an LMIA in the same area to strengthen retention and curtail poaching. Provisions under the Employer Compliance Regime currently limit this;
Reimbursing the employer for the costs associated with the administration and enforcement of the compliance inspection, should the LMIA not be issued;
And introduce a mechanism to compensate initial costs covered by the employer whose employee has been poached and streamlining access to new TFWs.
The CFIB’s full mitigating agricultural labour shortages report, Harvesting a solution: Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs),can be found on the CFIB’s website.
For the second year in a row, the City of Laval’s communications and marketing division received a Gold Quill Award of Merit. This time it was for a campaign the city mounted last year to recruit summer employees.
The Gold Quills are awarded annually by the International Association of Business Communicators(IABC) to recognize excellence in strategic communications at the international level.
“All my congratulations to the teams for this global recognition,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “Receiving this award the first time was a great honor. But getting it a second time shows without contradiction the expertise of the City of Laval’s communications and marketing service.
“Without doubt, everything is in place to get our citizens to contribute to their living space in order to turn it into an exceptional environment,” he added.
The goal of the 2023 recruiting campaign was to emphasize the attractiveness of the city’s seasonal jobs to a target audience of young people who are currently being sought by many employers, while also promoting the positions as valuable work experience on professional as well as personal levels.
“It was on this basis of a shortage of seasonal labour that the City of Laval decided to hire 500 seasonal employees,” said Nathalie Monette, the City of Laval’s chief of communications.
City reaches agreement in principle with itsrecreation workers
The City of Laval announced last week that it has reached an agreement in principle for a new collective agreement with 1,200 unionized employees working in the city’s recreation services department.
“After more than two years of negotiations, I am happy with the conclusion of this agreement which allows us to assure all citizens that they will be getting quality recreation services, all while respecting their capacity to pay,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
“Our main goal was to be able to achieve gains in efficiency for the city, while also being able to offer working conditions comparable to bordering cities.”
According to the city, the agreement, which is for six years,has resulted in gains for the employer and the residents, especially as regards the simplification of salary scales, greater mobility by the employees between recreational disciplines, and improved staff planning.
Emergency sirens now installed all over Laval’s territory
The City of Laval reports that following the enactment of by-law L-12933 in the autumn of 2022, a significant number ofindustrial companies located in Laval have complied and have installed emergency sirens designed to go off to alert the public if industrial accidents happen.
Sirens in the network have been designed to go off for events such as accidental toxic fume releases or explosions at companies where hazardous materials are stored or used in manufacturing processes.
Should a major industrial accident occur, according to the city – one of that threatens to cause widespread harm beyond the actual site of the industry – the siren will go off.
Its purpose is to quickly warn the population of the need to seek shelter. Laval joins the cities of Montreal and Victoriaville in implementing this policy.
“The security of the population is a priority, but also a shared responsibility,” said Laval city councillor and executive committee member Sandra Desmeules, who is responsible for public safety dossiers.
“I salute the commitment of the industries involved here in this regard, and I invite all people in Laval to become informed on the right things to do in order to assure their security and that of those close to them in emergency situations.”
What to do if you hear the emergency siren
Proceed to and get into the nearest building.
Close the windows and doors and shut down the ventilation. Seal the doors and windows with caulking if possible.
Get away from the doors and windows.
Get information from theCity of Laval website as well as from emergency text messages.
Sirens have been installed at companies located in industrial parks around the centre of île Jésus (around the border of Chomedey and Vimont), as well as in another industrial zone in the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul district. The sirens have a distinctive sound, rising and falling in tone over a period of several minutes.
