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Olivia from Laval is helping raise awareness of childhood cancer

Martin C. Barry
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Olivia from Laval is helping raise awareness of childhood cancer

IGA working with Charles Bruneau Foundation on province-wide tattoo campaign

A school-age girl from Laval who is recovering from cancer is part of a small group of pre-school children from Quebec who helped design tattoos which are part of a campaign led by IGA supermarkets to raise awareness of childhood cancer.

Young Olivia Grenier and an official with IGA extra Marché Richard Tellier in Laval are seen here.

For a fourth year, the Charles-Bruneau Foundation is working with IGA on the tattoo campaign. Proceeds from the sale of the temporary tattoos are going towards the foundation. The four children who drew characters for the tattoos had or are in remission from a childhood cancer.

An incredible experience

The children were assisted in the design of the tattoos by illustrator Audrey Malo, in conjunction with the Sid Lee promotion and marketing agency.

“It was an incredible experience being to create the visual signature of the project while working alongside the team from Sid Lee, who allowed me a lot of creative freedom,” said Malo. “This was a dream project: playful, funny, touching and for a good cause.”

Olivia Grenier, the girl from Laval, helped design a tattoo featuring a cake. The other children helped create tattoos depicting fruit and vegetable characters. All the tattoos, being sold in sheets featuring multiple tattoos, are available at IGA stores for $3 each until June 21.

‘A ray of sunshine’

Each of the four children has received medical treatment for cancer at one of the four Charles Bruneau Centres located in Quebec City, Sherbrooke and in Montreal. Olivia is considered by all who know her to be a little ray of sunshine. At age 5, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, and received treatment for it at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

The tattoos are all available at IGA stores for $3 each until June 21

“IGA is proud to have been associated once again with the Charles Bruneau Foundation in order to support research into childhood cancers,” said Caroline Duhamel, marketing director for IGA, as well as the company’s Rachelle Béry, Tradition and Bonichoix brands.

The Charles Bruneau Foundation’s primary mission is to find ways to provide children with solutions that maximize their chances of being healed of cancer.

Four special hospitals

The four hospitals in Quebec where the foundation has invested $40 million to create specialized treatment facilities are CHU Sainte-Justine, the Montreal Children’s Hospital, the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS in Sherbrooke and CHU de Québec-Université Laval in Quebec City. Since its beginnings, the Charles Bruneau Foundation has donated $55 million to pediatric cancer research, making it the leading contributor to pediatric hemo-ontological research in Quebec.

‘Évolution Laval 2023’ showcased clean technologies, sustainable mobility

Martin C. Barry
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‘Évolution Laval 2023’ showcased clean technologies, sustainable mobility

Laval Chamber of Commerce event drew up to 2,000 participants online and in-person

Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer spoke first-hand about his experiences leading one of Quebec’s largest cities in trying to introduce innovations into an urban setting.

Entrepreneurs and business people from Laval had the opportunity on May 30 and 31 to learn ways to maximize their efforts in an increasingly sustainable and evolving economy when the Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry staged Évolution Laval 2023, a multi-platformed and transnational event featuring internationally-renowned speakers.

A half-dozen presenters with wide-ranging experience in private sector and government management brought forward their views on sustainable mobility, electrification of transport, eco-fiscality, clean technologies and the measures that can be taken now to navigate the quickly-evolving environmental landscape while identifying and accepting challenges.

In-person and online

While up to 2,000 registered participants took part online, a few from Laval accepted an invitation to be present at the video studios of Creativ Nation on Le Corbusier Blvd. where the live segments from Laval were taking place.

Up to 2,000 registered participants took part online, while a few from Laval accepted an invitation to be present at the video studios of Creativ Nation on Le Corbusier Blvd.

Among the speakers taking part in person or remotely by videoconference were Erin Brockovich, the American paralegal and environmental activist whose key role in a major corporate lawsuit became the subject of the year-2000 Oscar-winning film Erin Brockovich.

Some practical experiences

Also sharing their experiences and stories were Bertrand Piccard, the first person to travel around the globe in a solar-powered aircraft. He is also a psychiatrist, the holder of 22 aeronautical records and the founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation.

As well, Bill Reed, the founder and creator of the LEED standard for environmentally sustainable construction norms, spoke about eco-responsible project financing as well as regenerative construction practices. Fabio Duarte, chief of research at MIT Sensible City Lab, explained how technological solutions can be integrated into municipal operations to make cities greener and more resilient to climate change.

Teaching entrepreneurs how to maximize their efforts in an increasingly evolving economy

Mayor Boyer’s take

Luc Sirois, a leading expert in technological innovation in Quebec, spoke of the challenges facing Laval. And finally, Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer spoke first-hand about his experiences as the mayor of Quebec’s third-largest city in trying to introduce innovations into an urban setting.

The presentations also provided business leaders from Laval with information on new economic trends, sustainable mobility, electrification of transport, eco-fiscality, clean technologies and more. The two-day event was MC’d by Alexandre Kénol, executive-director of Le Tiers Lieu, a cooperative workspace on Saint Martin Blvd. in Laval based on principles of social economy.

Laval News Volume 31-12

Laval News Staff
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0
Laval News Volume 31-12

The current issue of the Laval News, volume 31-12, published on June 14th, 2023.
Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

Front page of The Laval News.
Front page of The Laval News, June 14th, 2023 issue.

LPD seizes assault rifle during drug and weapons raids

Martin C. Barry
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0
LPD seizes assault rifle during drug and weapons raids
The LPD issued this photo of the materials seized in the raids.

The Laval Police said on Tuesday that officers with its organized crime division seized several firearms, including an assault rifle, while executing search warrants in Laval for narcotics and illegal weapons.

According to the LPD, around 50 officers and investigators from the Laval Police, as well as the Montreal Police, took part in raids at homes in Laval and Montreal which were believed to be connected to narcotics distribution networks.

The LPD released the following inventory of what was seized:

Armes à feu

  • An assault rifle;
  • A 9mm P80 handgun;
  • A 9mm ammunition clip with bullets.

Drugs

  • 9409.93 gr of methamphetamine in powder;
  • 2105.79 gr of Crystal Meth;
  • 66.83 gr of cocaine;
  • 934 tablets of methamphetamine;
  • 3646.95 gr of MDMA (ecstasy) ;
  • 17,692.43 gr of a powder used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Other

  • 4x cell phones;
  • 2x electronic scales;
  • 2x pill presses for making tablets;
  • $10,775 in Canadian currency.

The LPD said the search warrants were executed in conjunction with the provincial Public Security Ministry’s Project Centaure, aimed at combating armed violence, illegal firearms trafficking and organized crime.

Anyone who believes they have information useful to the police in the ongoing crackdown on organized crime is urged to call the Info-Police confidential hotline at 450 662-INFO (4636) or 911.

Ride the bus for $1 on smog days in Laval

Laval News Contributor
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Ride the bus for $1 on smog days in Laval

With smoke from wildfires burning across northern Quebec affecting many cities to the south, now is probably a better time than ever to take advantage of a special offer being made by Laval’s public transit authority.

From June 1 to September 4, whenever Environment Canada issues a smog alert for the Laval region, Société de transport de Laval (STL) bus riders will benefit from a special $1 fare for the next day.

Payable on board in cash, credit or debit, the single fare obtained allows you to travel on the entire network of buses and shared taxis of the STL. Launched 15 years ago this year, the STL’s smog alert program remains unique in Canada.

The STL says it wants to encourage the use of public transit in Laval to reduce the number of cars on the road, which are responsible for a significant part of air pollution.

Since its launch, the smog alert has been triggered 23 times by the STL, and more than 75,000 people in total boarded during these 23 days.

Bus in Laval Qc.

“Emissions generated by transport contribute to the formation of smog,” said Jocelyne Frédéric-Gauthier, Chair of the Board of Directors of the STL. “With the reduced fare, the STL is making a concrete contribution to improving air quality by encouraging as many people as possible to leave their cars behind and take public transit.”

The special $1 fare corresponds to a discount of nearly 75 per cent off the regular single fare.

In the event of a smog alert, the STL will broadcast a message on its website, its social media, its rider’s information tools and in a newsletter to its subscribers, in addition to communicating the information to the media.

Chomedey Liberal MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier opens constituency office

Martin C. Barry
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0
Chomedey Liberal MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier opens constituency office

She drew more than 36 per cent voter support in the Oct. 3 provincial election

Although it’s been more than half a year since the 2022 Quebec general election, it was only on May 18 that Chomedey Liberal MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier finally got around to holding an official opening for her riding office after National Assembly work obligations and local office renovations held things up for a few months.

A Liberal fortress

Although Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier has been busy at the National Assembly since being elected in early October last year, it was only this past May when she was finally able to welcome constituents to the opening of her riding office on Samson Blvd. in Chomedey. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

For longtime local Liberal strategist Claudette Lessard, Sona Lakhoyan Olivier was just the latest politician she’d seen over the years – from Lise Bacon (1981-1994), to Thomas Mulcair (1994-2007), and finally Guy Ouellette (2007-2022) – as Chomedey’s representative in the Quebec National Assembly.

“Chomedey has always been Liberal anyway – there’s no news there,” Lessard pointed out to the Laval News, while expressing the hope that it will continue along those lines, although only two out of the six provincial ridings in Laval are currently held by the Liberals.

An easy election victory

Last Oct. 3, Lakhoyan Olivier easily won the riding of Chomedey for the PLQ, drawing more than 36 per cent of the votes compared to less than 27 per cent support won by the Coalition Avenir Québec, the closest rival. While post-election results show that support for the CAQ rose by less than one percentage point, the Conservative Party of Quebec’s share in Chomedey surged by more than 16 points.

In a bid to maintain some continuity with the past along with tradition, Chomedey’s new Liberal MNA decided to preserve certain aspects of the décor in her suite of offices on Samson Blvd. at the corner of 1st Ave., which was previously Guy Ouellette’s constituency office. Noting that several paintings on the walls were placed there by Ouellette and his team, Lakhoyan Olivier said she kept them because they are part of history.

A cross-section of communities

“I love history and I love to recognize that,” she told the standing-room crowd who turned up for the celebration. They included a significant number of constituents from Chomedey’s Armenian community, as well as many others from this highly multicultural and ethnically-diverse provincial riding.

For the last six months, as Lakhoyan Olivier explained to her supporters, “I’ve been between the National Assembly three or four days a week and two days here. I’ve been as a legislator over there working hard to pass through bills. Working hard representing Chomedey and Quebec, because the needs of Chomedey are also the needs of Quebec.”

Longtime Chomedey residents Irving and Evie Applebee were among the many constituents who turned up at Sona Lakhoyan’s riding office on May 18 for the official opening. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

She said that since election day, she’s met with the leaders of many local community organizations. “I want to meet everybody,” she said, noting the presence of Agape executive director Kevin McLeod at the launch event as well as leaders from SCAMA.

A gift for languages

Sona Lakhoyan Olivier speaks five languages, has been a resident of the Chomedey area more than three decades, and has been well-known as a community activist in Laval for more than 30 years. Before being elected, she was an employee of Loto-Québec, serving as an executive hostess to VIP clients at the Montreal Casino.

Lakhoyan Olivier also served as an elected member of the former Commission scolaire de Laval (CSDL), as well as vice-president of the board of directors of the Fondation de la Cité de la Santé.

Chomedey Liberal MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier (second from right), who became the area’s provincial elected representative in the Quebec general election last Oct. 3, is seen with members of her family at her Samson Blvd. constituency office at the official opening on May 18. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

Raised on Guénette St. in Chomedey, Lakhoyan Olivier was born in Beirut, Lebanon, where she had the opportunity to learn Arabic, Turkish, Armenian (her mother tongue), as well as English and French.

Highly diverse education

During her years in Lebanon, she attended an Armenian community school during her primary years, followed by high school in Arabic, then a French-language girls’ school in Montreal, and finally Concordia University. While doing undergraduate studies at Concordia, she pursued minors in Greek, Russian, German and Spanish.

Juggling family obligations with work and now politics daily, she is married to Marc Olivier. Together, they raised two daughters, Savannah and Ariana, both of whom are pursuing studies at Concordia University.

City issues positive report after first year of First Responder service

Martin C. Barry
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City issues positive report after first year of First Responder service

Officials with the City of Laval say they are greatly pleased with the First Responder service Laval first implemented a year ago.

Since May 16 last year, 280 firefighters working out of the city’s nine firehalls began offering First Responder service, complementing emergency medical services also offered by Urgences-Santé ambulance crews.

The firefighters have been certified as First Responders in accordance with norms maintained by the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services.

Since last year, they have been able to provide emergency response in medical situations involving cardiopulmonary arrest, anaphylactic shock and opioid overdoses, resulting in saved lives over that period.

“I would like to warmly thank the firefighters from Laval for this first year during which they served as First Responders,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.

“The integration of the firefighting service with First Responders brought about many changes in the work of our intervenors,” he continued. “But they showed themselves remarkably capable of adapting, which led to reduced fatalities in the population of Laval, while also improving the quality of life of citizens. With this new role, the firefighters are contributing to saving even more lives.”

With their new responsibilities, Laval’s First Responders are arriving at the scene of emergency medical incidents in a little more than five minutes. This, according to the city, is twice as fast as ambulance crews for the same type of intervention.

While acknowledging that it will take from three to five years longer to know the full impact of the new service, the city’s initial estimate is that 1,561 interventions have been made by Laval’s First Responders so far.

According to the stats, Laval’s First Responders made 110 interventions for medical situations which were considered potentially life-threatening, but which were stabilized thanks to their actions.

As well, they dealt with 22 situations involving respiratory problems because of opioid overdoses, and 76 interventions involving people having serious allergic reactions. Laval is among the first major cities in Quebec to implement First Responder service through its firefighters to Level One (PR-1).

City of Laval wins highest distinction in élixir de PMI-Montréal competition

The City of Laval won the award for Project of the Year in urban planning in the élixir PMI-Montréal competition, which recognizes excellence in project management. The award was presented during the Gala Élixir held in Montreal on May 9.

Award for Laval’s communications and marketing team

The City of Laval’s communications and marketing team also was the recipient of an award recently: the Gold Quill Award of Merit, presented by the International Association of Business Communicators(IABC).

The award recognized the team’s excellence in communications strategy on an international scale. It was presented in recognition of the City of Laval’s development of a digital “one stop shop” for managers to use while working in hybrid mode.

From the left: Josée Lapointe, Nathalie Monette and Joannie Tremblay of the city’s internal communications team with the award.

“This award attests to the ongoing commitment of our employees, most notably in the communications and marketing department, to come up with quality, innovative and practical solutions which answer to the needs of the organization,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “We are honoured to have received this world-class recognition which highlights the passion and devotion of our teams, who are always working towards improvement, for the employees and for the citizens.”

SWLSB students recognized at Laurier Gala/Star Fest

Martin C. Barry
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0
SWLSB students recognized at Laurier Gala/Star Fest

‘Their performances mesmerized the audience’

The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board (SWLSB) says the Laurier Gala/Star Fest, held on Thursday May 25 at the Château Royal in Laval, was a “resounding success,” showcasing the achievements of 205 students from across the school board in the categories of arts, academics, community involvement, school perseverance and sports.

Memorable performances

The evening’s entertainment was provided by 23 talented students who auditioned to be part of the 2023 Star Fest. “Their performances mesmerized the audience, creating an electrifying atmosphere of celebration and admiration,” the board said in a statement.

The Laurier Gala/Star Fest was hosted by two SWLSB principals and Virgin Radio’s charismatic morning host, Cousin Vinny.

CDC Vimont student Angela Amarualik, recipient of the annual event’s prestigious 2023 Indigenous Artist of the Year award, kicked off the Gala/Star Fest and set the tone for the evening.

$2,500 in bursaries

The event was made possible through the financial contributions of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation and Caisse Desjardins Thérèse-de-Blainville, which allowed the SWLSB to give students $2,500 of bursaries during the gala.

“Their unwavering commitment is truly commendable, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude for their invaluable partnership,” the board stated.

During the gala, Paolo Galati, chairperson of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, took a moment to express his sincere appreciation to the parents for their invaluable role as partners in their children’s education.

Congrats and thanks

He acknowledged their collaboration with school teams, emphasizing that the teams play a vital role in ensuring the success and well-being of their children.

“Your involvement has proven to provide more opportunities for success,” said Galati. “Thank you for being so dedicated and supportive. Parents, on behalf of the Council of Commissioners, we cannot thank you enough.”

Galati also extended heartfelt congratulations to the students being honored at the event. He commended their hard work, resilience and the unwavering support of their families and educators, emphasizing the immense pride the school board holds for each and every one of them.

A community event

The Laurier Gala/Star Fest brought together more than 1,200 people, reflecting the strong support and enthusiasm of the school board community.

The board said it wished to extend its deepest gratitude to all the students, parents, staff and partners who contributed earning the SWLSB a graduation and qualification rate of 88.3 per cent.

“Together, we continue to foster a culture of excellence and inspire future generations to reach for the stars,” they said.

‘Parents, on behalf of the Council of Commissioners, we cannot thank you enough,’ SWLSB chair Paolo Galati said

Third-largest school board

With a workforce of more than 2,000 employees, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board is the third largest English school board in Quebec. Its territory comprises the administrative regions of Laval, Laurentides and Lanaudière.

The school board provides preschool, elementary, secondary, adult education, and vocational training services to over 14,000 students in 35 schools and four centres, as well as business training services.

Laval News Volume 31-11

Laval News Staff
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0
Laval News Volume 31-11

The current issue of the Laval News, volume 31-11, published on May 31st, 2023.
Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

Front page of The Laval News.
Front page of The Laval News, May 31st, 2023 issue.

LPD seeks suspects in alleged false representation frauds

Martin C. Barry
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0
LPD seeks suspects in alleged false representation frauds
The LPD says the suspect is a French-speaking white woman between 20 and 30 years of age. (Photo: Courtesy of Laval Police)

The Laval Police Dept. is seeking the public’s help to identify suspects alleged to be involved in a string of cases of “false representation” fraud which targeted senior citizens.

The fraud involved a male and a female suspect, each carrying out an aspect of the scam.

He would call victims on their home phones and pose as a bank employee, while claiming the victim had been targeted in a credit card fraud scheme which he was mandated to investigate.

After obtaining a victim’s personal identification number (PIN), the male suspect instructed the victim to put their bank transaction card in an envelope.

The victims were then told that the investigator in charge of their file was a man named Jean Melançon. Most of the victims live in seniors’ retirement homes.

For her part, the female suspect would go to victims’ homes to gather the envelopes, while posing as a police officer with a specific badge number.

LPD investigators say nearly 10 cases are believed to be connected to the suspects, beginning in June 2022.

Because the female suspect was photographed by security cameras in at least one instance when she turned up to pick up the envelopes, the LPD issued an image of her.

She is described as a French-speaking, white woman between 20 and 30 years old, around 5’5″ tall, with dark brown or black hair.

She allegedly posed as a police officer and is believed to have operated under several aliases, including Claudia Spinelli, Claudia Pinelli, Maria Moreli, Claudia Morelli, and Sabrina Spinelli.

Anyone who thinks they have useful information is asked to call 9-1-1, or contact the LPD directly at 450-662-4636. The file number is LVL-220626-043.

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