Pink in the City founder Denise Vourtzoumis was recently presented with the Quebec National Assembly Medal by Fabre MNA Alice Abou-Khalil.
Denise started the non-profit Pink in the City with her family 17 years ago, and has worked tirelessly since then to help support research and provide care for people affected by breast cancer.
She is also an ambassador and volunteer for the #FedExCares community programs, having organized and participated in countless projects with local FedEx teams over the years.
Pink in the City started as a single event in 2006. Denise’s young son decided that he wanted to shave his head in support of breast cancer patients. That event created an awareness about breast cancer in the community and the need to support those who had been impacted by this insidious disease.
It also served to demonstrate that every selfless gesture of support makes a difference. From this first experience, it was clear that there was much more to do and the entire family were able to create new opportunities to support this important cause.
Having been raised with a strong belief in volunteerism and giving back to the community, Denise said she felt it was important to rally likeminded people to the cause. That meant people who cared and wanted to make a difference.
Over time, Pink in the City’s dedicated volunteers, sponsors, partners and medical advisors allowed the organization to attain and exceed its goals. They reached out to others to make the team stronger, more dynamic and diverse.
Community partners also played a key role by supporting and attending Pink in the City’s various functions and events. “Their contributions are invaluable,” said Denise.
Partnerships extended to leadership programs in Laval’s high schools, through the Model the Way program. Model the Way assures that the commitment to the cause will be carried forward by young people in the future, according to Denise.
According to budget, houses worth $440,742 to be billed $162 more in 2024
Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer.
Although Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer announced the 2024 property tax rate recently while emphasizing that the hike is less than the rate of inflation, there’s no getting around the fact it’s a whopping 4.8 per cent increase, even though that will only translate into $162 more on a house worth $440,742.
Costs to be cut
In order to make ends meet next year, some serious cost-cutting lies ahead, according to a statement issued by the mayor’s office. To get there, Laval will be seeking new sources of revenue and ways to streamline operations.
The administration maintains that a few dozen millions of dollars in savings have already been achieved through close scrutiny of the city’s expenses, without cutting into residents’ services at this point.
Although the 2024 budget will only be tabled next month, the mayor has already revealed that one way to keep expenses down next year will be “greatly limit” new employee hirings, following up on a policy the city followed last year.
$300 mil. project axed
The city isn’t concealing that a major casualty of the cuts is the cancellation of a biomethane waste processing plant project that had been scheduled to start next year. The City of Laval won’t have to worry for now about the $300 million cost, even though that probably would have been paid out gradually over many years.
“Our administration made every effort to make sure taxes were under inflation, but without compromising services to citizens,” Mayor Boyer said. “We are proud of the rigor shown in this budgetary exercise and the efficiency ever since our arrival in 2021. Once again this year, we were able to find a responsible equilibrium to maintain taxes at their lowest, without having to cut services all the same.”
Some budget highlights
A special tax on water infrastructure will increase from $72 to $73;
The tarif for water service will rise from $321 to $337, representing a $16 increase for all households;
A tax will be introduced to help for the City of Laval’s contribution to the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM). The average household will pay $232 for this.
At least one of Laval city council’s opposition parties, Action Laval, reacted negatively to news of the city’s latest budget.
It’s all about taxes
Action Laval’s interim-leader Achille Cifelli, as well as councillors Aglaia Revelakis (Chomedey), David De Cotis (Saint-Bruno), Paolo Galati (Saint-Vincent-de-Paul) and Isabelle Piché (Saint-François) noted the Boyer administration had chosen to peg the ARTM tax to property values, bringing $52.6 million in revenue to the city.
“When the mayor talks about diversifying sources of revenue, what you need to understand is that he’s talking about new taxes,” said Cifelli. “Regardless of what shape the tax comes in, it will always come out of the same pockets, those of the citizens.” In the meantime, he municipal services and the city’s priorities “are abandoned,” said Cifelli.
Debt service costs up
“The citizens are already up on anger over services they are not receiving from the city,” said Galati, adding that he receives calls daily on that issue. He said the 4.8 per cent increase won’t go over well, “especially during an economic slowdown,” according to Galati.
Action Laval pointed out that the new budget increases the cost of debt servicing for capital works projects substantially.
“While we are currently undergoing a housing crisis, and our sewers need an investment of $600 million, and while the population are demanding services nearby in their districts, the mayor persists with projects downtown which don’t meet the needs of citizens,” they said. “The mayor’s choices are disconnected from the reality of the citizens,” said De Cotis.
A Laval Police Dept. dog handler is seen here with one of the four-legged members of the force’s canine squad. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
Dog lovers – especially those with a fondness for German Shepherds – will be able to indulge their appreciation once again over the coming year as the Laval Police Dept. has released the 2024 version of its ever-popular Dog Calendar.
The proceeds of its sale are going to the Fondation Martin-Matte, which raises money to help persons who’ve suffered head traumas.
It has been 15 years since the LPD first published the calendar, which features photos for all the months with police dogs posing with their human handlers.
Since 2009, sales of the calendar have managed to raise more than $550,000 for the foundation. The money helps pay for respite and leisure activities for persons who’ve been diagnosed with head trauma resulting from accidents and other causes.
The LPD has been supporting the cause since the untimely death of Constable Éric Lavoie, who was a dog handler with the police force. He died of a head trauma following a road accident which happened when he was on duty and responding to an emergency call.
During a recent launch at LPD headquarters for the new calendar, a cheque for $33,132 was handed over to officials with the Fondation Martin-Matte, representing the proceeds from the sale of the 2023 calendar.
Officers with the Laval Police Dept. are seen here with representatives of the Fondation Martin-Matte during the recent launch of the 2024 LPD Dog Calendar. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
The Laval Police Dept.’s 2024 Dog Calendar is available for $5 at the LPD’s east-end Laval station at 3225 Saint-Martin Blvd. East, as well as at LPD headquarters at 2911 Chomedey Blvd. in Chomedey.
Newsfirst Multimedia political columnist Robert Vairo.
The centerpiece of the Canadian government’s alleged fight against climate change has cracked. Canadians in all regions of our great country now realize that the carbon tax, ruthlessly imposed as a pollution saver, is just an added government revenue stream. And the rest of the government’s ‘save the planet’ heroics have been no more than a distraction or deception.
Two court decisions have now all but crippled the Liberal government’s green plan. First, the Supreme Court ruled that Ottawa has no right to bar provinces from constructing infrastructure projects. The Impact Assessment Act is a collision with economic reality. Just last week, a second blow was dealt, this one relating to the plastics ban. Here, the Federal Court stated that the Liberal government was “unreasonable and unconstitutional” by labeling all plastics toxic. Remember that plastic checkout bags, cutlery, food service ware, stir sticks and straws in Canada were ruled illegal after December 20,2022. Have you noticed that half of the containers in your grocery bag are plastic? The slimy politics of pretending to do something for the environment have been uncovered. So much for the Liberal government’s ‘save the environment’ plan.
We have a need for plastic. Government should work with the plastic industry to find an agreeable way to maintain a sustainable environment.
The panicked liberal decision to freeze the carbon tax only on heating oil and only in the Maritimes removes the veil on government greed for political power. It has triggered demands for the abolition of the tax across Canada. Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe said he will stop collecting the carbon tax for the federal coffers January 1st. In British Columbia, Kevin Falcon, the leader of the Liberal opposition (now called BC United to distance itself from the federal liberals) says he will “cut the provincial carbon tax on all fuels,” if elected next year.
La Société Distincte has its own ‘cap and trade’ system, but the bottom line remains; Québec has the lowest carbon tax of all provinces at .10 cents a liter compared to everyone else’s .14 cents. It perhaps explains perhaps why, so far, there is not a whimper from the Quebec premier. Fearful of the increased PQ popularity, Monsieur Legault is too busy trying to annihilate the English language, culture, and education from Québec.
This carbon tax impacts business and increases the cost of every single item Canadians purchase. Is it even worth it? Canada remains not even in the top ten, but the 111th world polluter (policymagazine.ca) with a mere 1.5% of world carbon emissions. Canadians are smart enough to realize that they can slow climate change on their own by re-using and recycling. Encouragement and incentives are what’s needed. What we don’t need is government using our dollars to force its green ideology on us to offset our carbon footprint. It is morally wrong to legislate unacceptable and needless added costs to groceries, building supplies, and heating on working families.
Violence and Hatred Remain Unaccountable
There is just no good news around. Hatred and violence remain the order of the day on our streets. It’s ugly. It’s horrific. This kind of inhumanity is not a reflection of the Canada we are used to. How has this happened? Are we different now? Have we changed our values that much? While most political leaders denounce “in the strongest terms”, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre caught my attention in an unfiltered address to the country. He took it a step further by saying that what is targeting Canada’s Jewish community is an importation of violence that we see in some areas of the world. There are individuals amongst us preaching, condoning, and celebrating violence without being arrested and charged. Section 319 of the Canadian criminal code “makes it an offence to wilfully promote hatred against any identifiable group,” punishable by imprisonment up to two years. I am not aware of anyone who has been charged under this section, despite open hatred and violence demonstrated against Canadian Jews.
It’s shameful how politicians and even CBC can’t bring themselves to say the words “killed by Hamas terrorists.” Let’s stop playing political games guided by polls, by treading lightly, trying to avoid offending anyone, or choosing one side only to buy favoritism.
If the information from the source cannot be confirmed, then the United Nations, a third independent party should be allowed in the war theater to establish the truth.
One needn’t be Jewish nor Palestinian to demand news without an agenda, honest reporting. Get it right. Canadians deserve that much.
Demand on food banks in Canada are at a record high
Foodbanks have never seen so many Canadians without the means to afford inflated grocery prices. There were two million at last count. The federal government doesn’t want to, but it would have an immediate effect on prices if the carbon tax was eliminated, at least on food processors and transporters. It is necessary to end the supply management and control in the marketing of egg, poultry and dairy. It will cost the Liberals votes in Québec, but will save Canadians 700 dollars a year on their grocery bills. More competition is cited by the Competition Bureau. Provinces can help too by eliminating the sales tax on numerous grocery shelf items.
There is a record increase in violent retail crime, more often than not committed by accused violent offenders out on bail. As a result, these grocery chain losses are added to the grocery bill. Clearly our woke ‘catch and release’ justice system is not working. It’s causing pain and grief for Canadian families and must stop.
Blais cites ‘obsolescence’ of her office’s online system for processing complaints
The City of Laval’s ombudsman says she wants to apologize to some residents for not being able to follow up on their complaints in a timely fashion because of “operational challenges” that have been impacting her office’s productivity.
In her report for the year ending in December 2022, ombudsman Nathalie Blais initially said that last year was marked by improved operations for Laval, although some challenges remained.
Sustainable solutions
“We have worked closely with the General Management and the Mayor,” said Blais. “Their support has enabled us to resolve some persistent operational issues and to consider the implementation of sustainable solutions.
“Although challenges remain, we are optimistic about the future,” she added. “We would also like to highlight the increased cooperation of the various municipal departments in improving the handling of citizen complaints, with a collaborative strategy that is beginning to bear fruit.
City of Laval ombudsman Nathalie Blais has issued an apology to those Laval residents whose complaints her office has been unable to process because of inadequate technological support from the administration, she says.
“For the coming year, our vision is clear: to resolve disputes between the municipal administration and citizens through openness, listening and communication. Our primary objective is to strengthen ties between all parties involved, facilitate dialogue, and contribute to a harmonious community.”
Obsolete computer systems
On the downside, the ombudsman’s office said several operational challenges had been hampering the processing of complaints and impacting productivity.
“These challenges include the obsolescence of its online system for processing complaints, which is no longer capable of producing reports and statistics, response times from municipal services, and a lack of resources within the team,” the office stated.
They added that with the support of the city administration as well as the City of Laval’s Innovation and Technology Department, the ombudsman’s office hopes that a new software system will be implemented in 2024-2025 to better integrate services and process complaints more transparently and efficiently.
In a key passage of the statement, they said the ombudsman would like to offer her “sincerest apologies to certain citizens for not being able to follow up on their complaints within a reasonable delay due to these problems.
Efforts towards progress
“These operational issues had been identified since Ms. Blais’ arrival, but it was not until 2023 that concrete solutions could begin to be implemented, thanks to the commitment and support of the General Management and the Mayor.” In spite of these challenges, the ombudsman’s office says they have redoubled their efforts to make progress on as many issues as possible.
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The ombudsman’s office said they managed to process 457 requests over the past year. They maintain that 52 per cent of cases were handled within 30 days, including 29 per cent in five days or less. Also, in 58 per cent of cases, the ombudsman’s office guided citizens, informing them of their rights and putting them in touch with the relevant municipal administration or organization.
Some complex cases remain
In 42 per cent of cases they managed to work in collaboration with the departments concerned “to resolve the case fairly,” they said. In 10 per cent of cases, the department concerned changed its position. They said that some of these cases are still active due to their complexity.
In all, 36 per cent of the cases handled by the ombudsman were admissible (i.e. the complaints were deemed to be founded). The departments most often involved were: public works: 20.6 per cent, environment and eco-citizenship: 15.2 per cent, urban planning: 12.9 per cent and engineering: 8.5 per cent.
Blais seeks ‘commitments’
They said that in keeping with a spirit of collaboration in which the ombudsman seeks to run the office, Blais favors “commitments” from municipal departments rather than recommendations from the office. “The commitment is the result of an agreement between the Ombudsman’s Office and the City departments,” they said.
In the period between January 1 and December 31, 2022, up to the production of the report, 31 commitments (20 files, including systemic complaints) were recorded, and 55 per cent were completed. They said the majority of commitments concerned the City of Laval’s engineering department.
The current issue of the Laval News, volume 31-22, published on November 22nd, 2023. Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports. (Click on the image to read the paper.)
Front page of The Laval News, November 22nd, 2023 issue.
The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board is advising parents of children attending its schools that strike days planned by common front union members will result in the closing of all SWLSB schools, training centres, administrative offices and daycare services on November 21, 22 and 23.
“Please note that all school activities, events or meetings scheduled on these days will be cancelled,” the SWLSB says in a statement posted on its website.
“Your school will contact you with new dates once they are rescheduled,” they add. “We acknowledge that this strike action may impact your family. We appreciate your understanding as we navigate this situation. Should there be any changes to the situation, we will advise you accordingly.”
The Laval Police Dept. says it has opened an investigation after several residents were seemingly chosen at random by an unknown perpetrator to receive mailed letters containing an unidentified white powder along with extortion threats.
A spokesperson for the LPD said on Tuesday that 10 residents had been identified as having received the mailings so far.
The spokesperson said samples of the powder have been sent to a lab for analysis.
The LPD is advising anyone who believes they may also have received one of the envelopes to handle it cautiously, call the LPD and wait for officers to arrive.
The LPD can be contacted through their special hotline at 450-662-INFO (4636).
For the 15th consecutive year, Action Laval city councillor for Saint-Bruno David De Cotis held a large outdoor Halloween party on Oct. 31 in Lausanne Park near the centre of his district.
The spooky and ghoulish event drew as many as seven thousand residents, including many children with their parents, from the area.
They were able to have fun entering and passing through a “haunted house” which had been set up, while also being able to walk through a challenging outdoor maze.
The event, like several other community gatherings De Cotis sponsors in Saint-Bruno throughout the year, was supported through sponsorship from several local businesses, rather than funding from the city, he pointed out.
The year’s other events include a Fête de quartier (which raises funds for the Société d’Alzheimer), and a Fête nationale event.
“All of these are done in the spirit of building a sense of belonging to the community,” added De Cotis. “To be of service to the citizens: this is what it’s all about.”
The WWII Axis powers first ran into serious resistance in 1940 in Greece
Patriotic Greeks from all over Montreal joined elected officials from across the region along with leaders from the Hellenic community for a ceremony on Oct. 29 at the Greek Community Centre in Côte des Neiges marking the 83rd anniversary of the historic day during World War II when Greece rejected its occupation by Axis forces.
Each year, Ohi Day is celebrated throughout Greece, Cyprus and Greek communities around the world to commemorate the refusal by Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas when presented on Oct. 28, 1940 with an ultimatum made by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
A straightforward ‘no’
The ultimatum was presented to Metaxas by the Italian ambassador to Greece. It demanded that Greece allow Axis forces to enter Greek territory and occupy certain strategic locations, or otherwise face war. The name for the day comes from Metaxas’ straightforward reply. “No,” he is reputed to have said curtly, following which he added, “Then it is war.”
In response, Italian troops stationed in Albania, which was an Italian protectorate, attacked the Greek border, marking the beginning of Greece’s involvement in World War II. On the morning of Oct. 28, Greeks took to the streets, irrespective of political affiliation, shouting “Ohi.” Since 1942, it has been a national celebration marked annually.
Saying ‘ohi’ to fascists
Dignitaries who attended this year’s event organized by the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal included the Consul General in Montreal for Greece Katerina Varvarigou, Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis, Saint-Laurent Liberal MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Park Extension city councillor Mary Deros, Laval city councillors Aglaia Revelakis and Vasilios Karidogiannis and local Greek community leaders.
In interviews with Newsfirst Multimedia, some of the dignitaries who attended shared their thoughts on the significance of Ohi Day. “In 1940, the Greeks said ohi to fascism,” said Revelakis, suggesting that Greeks at that time fundamentally rejected the war-mongering tenets of fascist extremism and chose to fight back in order to preserve their freedom.
“It’s very important that people understand that united we are strong and that this is the way we can have peace in the world,” she added. Councillor Karidogiannis agreed that resistance to fascism remains one of the most important lessons to be learned from Ohi Day. “It’s still very relevant today,” he said.
Vigilance still needed
“The fight against fascism and nazism and all sorts of extremes is still ongoing on a worldwide scale. But, you know, surprisingly also even on a very local scale within Laval there are extremist elements here and there causing trouble in our community and this must be fought because it tends to spread very easily if not taken care of at the start.
“So, it’s very important that we celebrate Ohi Day every year and remember how and why it happened, why we continue to celebrate it so that we can pass on the message to future generations in order to fight extremisms of all sorts,” said Karidogiannis.
‘Heroes fight like Greeks’
Councillor Deros said Ohi Day should serve to remind us all, regardless of whether we have Hellenic roots or not, that when Greece faced such a great threat “there were strong individuals who said no, they didn’t want to give in, and they were willing to fight so that we could have the freedom that we have today.”
Paraphrasing Winston Churchill, who once said “Hence we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks,” Deros continued, “they weren’t afraid to die, but they went out for their beliefs. They believed in their freedom and democracy and they fought hard for it and won.”
Lambropoulos said, “It’s a day that I believe needs to continue to be celebrated year after year. It’s especially important because Greece stood up to the nazis and fought in order to stand up for their values when a lot of other countries did not put up such a fight. It’s a day to be proud to be Greek and to honour the heroes who fought in that war.”
