An ice queen on stilts at the 2023 Laval en Blanc. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)
Party time for moms, dads and kids at the Centre de la Nature
Thousands of moms, dads and children from all over Laval turned up at the Centre de la Nature in Duvernay on the weekend of Jan. 27-28-29 for Laval en Blanc, a celebration of winter that serves as an annual counterpoint to the city’s popular Fête de la Famille during the summer.
There was snow sledding, ice skating and even some musical performances and children’s shows to be enjoyed in the warmth inside a large pavilion.
Although there was no ice fishing along the frozen Rivière des Mille Îles as there was in years past when Laval en Blanc was held in Sainte-Rose, the beauty and vastness of the Centre de la Nature made up for it.
Several of Laval’s elected officials (including councillors Nicholas Borne and Cecilia Macedo, brought members of their families to this year’s Laval en Blanc winter carnival at the Centre de la Nature on the weekend of Jan. 27-28-29. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)
Some mid-winter fun
For some, the idea of having fun outdoors during the winter, in temperatures hovering around zero degrees celsius, remains a novel idea and a discovery in itself – although it is the very reason the event is held each year in mid-winter by the City of Laval.
The zip line was as popular as ever. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)
The bumper cars were definitely a hit with young and old alike, as was the zip-line, while the strolling clowns and stilt walkers got the attention of one and all.
Several of the City of Laval’s elected representatives, including Laval-Les Îles councillor Nicholas Borne and Marigot councillor (and council president) Cecilia Macedo, were on hand on Saturday Jan. 28 with members of the families.
A show for the kids took place under a heated tent during the 2023 Laval en Blanc. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)
Used to be in Sainte-Rose
The bumper cars were also a “smash hit” at the Centre de la Nature during the 2023 Laval en Blanc. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)
“This is the 16th edition of Laval en Blanc,” Borne said during a brief interview with the Laval News, noting that the three-day event used to take place in Sainte-Rose, although that wasn’t possible this year because of extensive exterior renovations underway there now.
“So, we’re happy to have it at the Centre de la Nature,” he continued. “It’s a bigger area so we can accommodate more people.” On the evening of Friday Jan. 27, fireworks dominated the sky over the Centre de la Nature, as a large display was ignited to celebrate mid-winter in Laval.
The Bank of Canada’s decision to impose a quarter-point interest rate hike last week “willfully ignores inflation data, unfairly jeopardizes workers’ jobs and fails to address the root causes of price increases,” according to at least one Canadian labour union official.
“The Bank’s stubborn and aggressive rate increases are already having an impact on the economy contributing to increased costs for working families while at the same time corporate profiteering has been given a free pass,” said Unifor national president Lana Payne.
“Workers jobs and incomes are at stake here. It’s time to stop the rate hikes before the economy is pushed into a deep recession.” The decision was the eighth consecutive interest rate hike by the bank, raising interest rates from 0.25 to 4.5% in less than a year.
“At the last rate hike, the Bank of Canada Governor pointedly stated the next rate decision would be data driven,” said Payne. “The data clearly shows that inflation is slowing and that sources, namely supply chain bottlenecks and soaring gas prices, are easing.”
The Bank of Canada’s headquarters on Wellington St. in Ottawa.
Between December 2021 and December 2022, inflation was 6.3% while wage growth failed to keep pace at 5.1%. Meanwhile, corporate profits continued to soar. In Q3 2022, profits were more than 20% of GDP, up from the 15% average in the five years before the pandemic.
The Unifor head said that instead of recognizing corporate profiteering as a source of inflation, the Bank of Canda continues to focus on wages as the most worrying indicator of entrenched inflation.
“The Bank of Canada remains hell-bent on its recession creating strategy to stifle wages, putting the onus on workers while continuing to ignore blatant corporate profiteering,” said Payne.
“Corporations are taking advantage of inflation hysteria, using it as cover to increase profit margins and extract even more of workers’ hard-earned cash.”
Unifor is calling on the federal government to address corporate profiteering by expanding the excess profits tax and to prepare for a potential recession by fixing Employment Insurance.
National association’s last board resigned over sex assault and payout allegations
For someone who has spent a considerable amount of his life slumped over a computer keyboard dealing with words while honing his communication skills, Jonathan Goldbloom is no stranger to the very physical world of ice hockey.
Goldbloom, one of two Quebecers appointed in December to the new board of Hockey Canada following the national sports organization’s implosion last year, is self-deprecating as he describes his initiation into the sport while attending Montreal’s private Selwyn House School during his teenage years.
A hockey player and fan
“Not well, but yes,” he says, referring to his relative lack of skill on the ice, although he later also played on the Harvard University freshman team while completing undergraduate studies in the U.S.
To this day, Goldbloom continues to be active as an amateur in the sport of hockey, playing within a league of Montreal-area business executives who face off regularly in matches at the Westmount municipal arena.
Montreal-area communications specialist Jonathan Goldbloom, who was selected in December to sit on Hockey Canada’s new board of directors, is also chairing the search committee to recruit the national association’s new CEO. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)
He refers to ice hockey as “a passion of mine,” although he acknowledges he’s not as sharp on his skates as he used to be. “As I was saying to someone the other day, I know what to do, I just can’t do it anymore. I play my wing, but I’m just not as agile or as fast as I once was. But I still love the game.”
Hockey Canada meltdown
Last October, Hockey Canada’s previous board resigned amid blistering criticism, including reactions from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), related to the scandal-plagued organization’s handling of sexual assault allegations and secretive payouts to victims using funds from player registration fees.
As a result, Hockey Canada saw its federal and corporate funding drastically cut back, as Canada’s parliamentarians launched an investigation, while the organization’s last CEO, Scott Smith, was left with little choice but to resign. In addition, Henein Hutchison, a Toronto-based law firm known for its criminal defence work, has also completed a report on the allegations.
The Goldbloom dynasty
When announcing the appointment of the incoming nine-member board led by a new chairman, retired Ontario Court of Justice judge Hugh L. Fraser, Hockey Canada described the new directors as “custodians of the game who want nothing more than for this game to prosper.”
Descended from a family that included his father, Victor, who served in the Quebec Liberal cabinet from the early to mid-1970s, as well as his brother, Michael, former publisher of the Montreal Gazette and the Toronto Star, Jonathan Goldbloom made his name as a public relations specialist in Montreal, and as a member of the board of some distinctly Canadian institutions, including Via Rail and the Stratford Festival.
‘I wouldn’t be on the board if I didn’t think there was a crisis’
‘Disturbed’ by handling
Asked whether he was shocked by the revelations, Goldbloom said, “Disturbed would probably be a more accurate word. It’s not as if these revelations were not out there for some time. Disturbed in the sense of how they were investigated and how they were handled.
“I think that the issues of mistreatment and abuse are something, you know, that have become more in the forefront of society across all different sectors. So, it’s hard to say shocked. Disappointed, disturbed and a feeling that these need to be addressed.”
Regarding his role on the board, Goldbloom said, “I wouldn’t be on the board if I didn’t think there was a crisis and that it needed to be addressed. Yes, there was a lack of transparency. Yes, there should have been a proper investigation from day one and it should have been followed through with whatever ramifications there are.
‘It’s complicated,’ he says
“To the credit of Hockey Canada, the investigation by a Toronto law firm is completed and it’s now before a panel and we’re waiting for the panel’s recommendations on how to move forward,” he continued.
“It’s complicated because there’s also a police investigation at the same time. So, it’s finding the balance of all of that.” In addition to sitting on the Hockey Canada board, Goldbloom is chairing the search committee which is working to recruit the association’s next CEO.
In this regard, he said he’s been choosing representatives from all the different stakeholders at Hockey Canada, including former athletes and representatives of hockey associations from across the country. “It’s one of the ways of building the stakeholder unity that we’re looking for,” said Goldbloom.
‘We need to embrace immigration,’ he says, although province ‘will make its own decision’
Although federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser insists Quebec is entirely within its constitutional rights to set limits on immigration into its territory, he says he personally favours higher levels of immigration for economic reasons.
Fraser was in Montreal last week to meet with business leaders belonging to the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.
The C of C’s view
In a statement issued following the Feb. 1 meeting, CCMM president Michel Leblanc noted that the federal ministry’s current plan is to raise the number of immigrants entering Canada to 500,000 per year before 2023 comes to an end.
Federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser (centre), met last week with Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal officials to discuss immigration issues impacting Quebec.
According to Leblanc, Minister Fraser revealed during his conversation that the federal immigration ministry learned from its experience processing Ukrainian refugees over the past year, and that Ottawa hoped to use those lessons to accelerate the processing of new arrivals from other areas of the world without compromising security.
Working with Quebec
Summarizing the exchange during an interview with Newsfirst Multimedia, Fraser said his message to the CCMM was that Ottawa wants to work together with the Quebec government as well as businesses in Montreal “to ensure that the immigration system is delivering for Canadians.”
Expanding on that statement, he said it would mean “making sure that we can bring workers into essential jobs in the economy, whether we can reunite families, whether we can continue to play a leadership role on issues of a humanitarian nature.”
Perhaps more importantly, Fraser continued, “We want to make sure the system works, that it respects the agreement we have with the province of Quebec and that we want to continue to do our part to protect the demographic weight of Francophones, that we continue to grow our immigration ambitions for economic and demographic reasons.”
An economic challenge
Saying that he enjoys an excellent relationship with Quebec Immigration and Francization Minister Christine Fréchette, Fraser said, “we both have a unique focus on economic immigration to make sure that we’re bringing the workers into communities …
“… This is a major economic challenge. Businesses have just been through several very difficult years. We have spared no expense to make sure that we supported businesses and households, to make sure that businesses could keep their lights on and their doors open and the families can keep food on the table and the roof over their heads.”
Restrained immigration
Under Quebec Premier François Legault’s immigration plan for 2023, the province could admit up to 52,500 new permanent residents this year. The target, which is exactly the same as Quebec’s immigration plan for 2022, has come under fire, especially from the province’s business community, which has serious ongoing concerns about acute labour shortages in the post-pandemic economy.
Newsfirst Multimedia asked Fraser whether he considered it possible that Quebec is missing opportunities by holding back immigration. “Look, it’s a decision for Quebec to set their own immigration levels,” he responded.
Fraser’s personal view
“The agreement that we have empowers them to do so and we will process the cases that they ask us to and we will meet the levels of immigration that they ask us to meet. That’s part of the agreement that we have. This past year, despite the largest number of newcomers who were welcomed in Canada’s history, despite record demands on our system across different streams, we were able to meet the levels that Quebec has set.”
‘My own view is that Canada needs more people for economic reasons’
That said, Fraser added, “My own view is that Canada needs more people for economic reasons … My view is that we need to embrace immigration in the short term to address some of these gaps in the labor force but as importantly in the long term, we meet these skills gap that will exist over the next generation …
‘Embrace immigration’
Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser says “we need to embrace immigration to help employers maximize their potential.”
“And my view is that we need to embrace immigration to help employers maximize their potential as we climb out of this pandemic, but also protect the ability of communities to continue to exist as they have for many years.
“Quebec will make its own decision for the reasons that it determines are most important. But my view is that it’s an important moment in Canada’s history when we have such demand in the world from people who would like to move to Canada and make their contribution, to have the skills we need. My view is that we should embrace immigration at this moment in time.”
‘If we don’t change…’
He pointed out that 50 years ago there were seven workers for every retired person in Canada, while today the number is closer to three, and that in a few decades the number will be two across the entire country. “If that’s the case,” he continued, “if we don’t change the trajectory we are on with an aging population, our conversation a generation from now will not be about labor shortages, it will be about whether we can afford to keep schools and hospitals, including in rural communities, including in Francophone communities.”
The driver of a Société de transport de Laval bus is under arrest after an STL bus rammed into a children’s daycare centre in Laval’s Sainte-Rose district around 8:30 am on Wednesday morning, resulting in two reported fatalities and some serious injuries.
An aerial view of the daycare on the morning of Wednesday Feb. 8 following the crash. (Screenshot courtesy of Nouvelles TVA)
It is alleged that veteran STL employee Pierre Ny St-Amand was the driver of the bus that rammed the Garderie éducative de Sainte-Rose on the morning of Wednesday Feb. 8. (Photo: Facebook)
According to news reports around mid-morning, witnesses said an STL bus driver drove into the Garderie éducative Ste-Rose on Terrasse Dufferin, near a roundabout used by STL buses to turn around.
Some media were reporting on Wednesday morning that up to two children were killed in what appeared to be a deliberate act, and that at least four to five other individuals were injured.
The driver of the bus was identified on Wednesday as Pierre Ny St-Amand, a 10-year veteran of the STL. He now faces a range of charges, including two counts of first-degree homicide.
The current issue of the Laval News, volume 31-03, published on February 8th, 2023. Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports. (Click on the image to read the paper.)
Front page of the Laval News, February 8th, 2023 issue.
Two men from Laval are among 31 suspects arrested across Quebec late last week in connection with child pornography and other sexual offences involving minors.
The names of Loïc Moquin-Léger, 38, of Laval, and Jacques Normandeau, 69, also from Laval, appeared on a long list of men ranging in age from 37 to 79 years, released by a province-wide integrated police force unit dedicated to combatting child pornography.
The arrests culminated an investigation that started last fall involving the Sûreté du Québec as well as police forces from Laval, Longueuil, Québec, Gatineau and Montreal.
The arrests were made from Jan. 23 – 26. During the execution of court-mandated warrants, police searched suspects’ homes and computers.
The charges include luring, conspiracy to commit a sexual offence against a child, making sexually explicit material available to a child, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, sexual assault, and possessing, distributing and producing child pornography.
Blake Charbonneau of Laval was arrested last week in Mexico after being on a Canada-wide most-wanted fugitive list since 2020. (Photo: Courtesy of BOLO program)
A 35-year-old man from Laval who was considered one of Canada’s most wanted criminals has been arrested in Mexico to face charges of pimping and sexual offences.
Blake Charbonneau had been on a Canada-wide “be on the lookout” (BOLO) list of most wanted fugitives since 2020 and a $50,000 reward was offered to anyone providing information leading to his location.
Charbonneau was arrested by Mexican authorities late last week and was flown to Toronto, where he was transferred into the custody of the the Sûreté du Québec.
He will be appearing in Quebec court to face charges that include sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon and pimping.
The BOLO program which facilitated the arrest of Charbonneau is a private initiative overseen by a foundation which was started by Stéphan Crétier, the founder, chairman and CEO of Montreal-based GardaWorld Security, one of the five largest security service providers in the world.
Since the BOLO program’s launch in 2018, the following Canadian police forces and Crime Stoppers programs have cooperated:
Lysane Gendron, who was was deputy director of the City of Laval’s culture, leisure and sports department, was found dead with marks of violence on her body on Wednesday. (Photo: Facebook)
A 28-year-old male was arraigned and charged with murder at the Palais de Justice in Montreal on Thursday after a 61-year-old woman, identified as a senior manager in a City of Laval department, was found dead in a Fullum St. apartment in Montreal the previous day.
Emmanuel Gendron-Tardif was identified as the son of the victim, Lysane Gendron, a deputy director of Laval’s culture, leisure and sports department.
Police who responded to a 9-1-1 call on Wednesday morning found the body which bore marks of violence, according to media reports.
According to the police, the suspect has no criminal record. He told police his place of residence is on Fullum St.
During a symbolic Bell “Let’s Talk Day” flag raising ceremony in front of Laval City Hall on Jan. 25, Bell announced a $200,000 donation to the Cité de la Santé Foundation for the improvement of psychiatric facilities at the hospital.
Participating to the Bell Let’s Talk ceremonial flag raising and the announcement of a $200,000 donation to the Fondation Cité de la Santé du CISSS de Laval were (from left to right): Stéphane Boyer, Mayor of LavaL – Pierre Rodrigue, vice-president Québec Affairs at Bell – André Malacket, executive director Fondation Cité de la Santé – Lionel Carmant , Quebec Minister responsible for Social Services – Jean-Philippe Cotton, president and CEO CISSS de Laval (Photo: Courtesy CNW Group/Bell Canada)
According to a statement issued by Bell, the contribution will be entirely dedicated to an ongoing refurbishment of the psychiatric unit at Cité de la Santé. The project will reorganize, upgrade and improve the spaces used at the unit. More specifically, it will:
Integrate a psychiatric intensive care unit, including the addition of seven extra beds for high-risk patients;
Integrate a psychiatric crisis intervention care unit, where currently provided services will continue;
And renovate and upgrade all inpatient and psychiatric units, including the West Wing, which provides physical care.
“A day like this reminds us of the importance of talking about mental health, something that should be addressed all year round,” said Quebec Minister Responsible for Social Services Lionel Carmant, one of several dignitaries who took part in the ceremony.
“In this regard, I welcome Bell’s initiative and the donation made to the Cité de la Santé Foundation. There is no doubt that these funds will contribute to improving psychiatric care in the Laval region. The accessibility of mental health services and care must be improved for the entire population. Our government is making this a priority.”
“We welcome Bell’s support for mental health,” said André Malacket, Executive Director of the Cité de la Santé Foundation.
“Access to mental health care is a major challenge, and this addition is a practical solution to improve the situation,” said Pierre Rodrigue, vice-president Québec Affairs at Bell. “Too many people experiencing mental health issues do not receive the care they need. Let’s change this.”
