Proposed route could open eastern Laval up to massive development
The mayors of Laval, Terrebonne, Mascouche, Repentigny and Montreal-East hope to persuade the Quebec transport ministry to support a proposed new rapid transit rail line route that would pass from Repentigny through Montreal-East and Laval to Terrebonne and Mascouche on the North Shore, triggering economic development across their territories.
From the left, Mascouche mayor Guillaume Tremblay, Montreal-East mayor Anne St-Laurent, Repentigny mayor Nicolas Dufour, Terrebonne mayor Mathieu Traversy and Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer at Monday’s press conference when they announced their collective effort. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
Former REM de l’Est
The former REM de l’Est, which was renamed Projet structurant de l’est (PSE) after being sent back to the drawing board following extensive public criticism, is being managed in its initial planning stages by the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM).
Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer and the four other mayors agree unanimously on the overall merits of the PSE project. The transport ministry issued a preliminary progress report in January, although no firm decisions have yet been taken about the route the PSE will eventually follow.
Route is under study
Before issuing more definitive recommendations in June, the transport ministry is analyzing the situation and in the meantime is recommending that options be studied for PSE extensions northward to Rivière-des-Prairies, Laval and Lanaudière.
Some initial route proposals for the project, which was originally managed by CDPQ Infra, are being retained in the revised version, which the mayors say they support in principle. A good deal of the interest being expressed by the five cities stems from the economic stimulus that each is almost certain to receive should the route pass across their territory.
Key to economic development
“Today we are extending our hand to the government of Quebec and the ARTM by unanimously endorsing one of their proposals,” Boyer said during a press conference held last Monday at Laval’s interim city hall on Saint-Martin Blvd.
‘We feel certain that it is this route that will facilitate a better economic development on our territories’
Mayor Stéphane Boyer
“We feel certain that it is this route that will facilitate a better economic development on our territories and optimal mobility to the betterment of our citizens today and tomorrow,” he added, while noting that the proposed route would pass through Laval’s eastern territory, which remains largely undeveloped compared to the west.
Would spur growth, say mayors
In a statement the five mayors issued on Monday, they said they were inviting the ARTM and the provincial transport ministry to pursue their analysis, while focusing on the recommendation in January to follow a route from Repentigny through Montreal, Laval and onto the North Shore.
“Such a transportation project would not only facilitate providing service to the population of the east of Montreal, the east of Laval and the north-east shore, meaning more than 500,000 people, but also would consolidate and support the economic and demographic growth of the east end of the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM),” the mayors said in their statement.
Lyceum of Greek Women of Montreal and Greek (Fashion) Designers Association assist Dr. Lucy Gilbert’s DOvEEgene Clinical Research Project
This past week the Lyceum of Greek Women of Montreal (LGWM) staged a spectacular Greek Fashion Show at Laval’s Palace Convention Centre.
“Emily in Paris” jacket shown in Laval at Lyceum fashion show. (Photo: Harry Barba)
The gala event, held in support of the DOvEEgene Clinical Research Project that focuses on women’s cancer issues, featured 14 major Greek designers coordinated by Greek Designers Association president Orsalia Parthenis who traveled from Greece to present the magnificent creations.
Emceed by renowned Greek TV journalist-and-fashionista, Irene Nikolopoulou, the fund-raiser amassed $30,000 for research into prevention-and-cure-of cancer research.
Palace Convention Centre kicks in $15,000
Annie Koutrakis, Vimy MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Ville Saint-Laurent MP, heads of the Liberal Female Caucus, were the show’s honourary chairs; they were joined at the event by local leaders and various dignitaries from Greece.
LGWM has pledged $100,000 for the DOvEEgene Project by end-of-2023. The $45,000 proceeds from its 2022 Christmas Culinary Gala has already been donated; the group intends to complete its pledge with the community’s support from this prestigious Fashion Show. The April 25th event collected $30,000, apart from action-filled auctions for five designer-dresses modeled by cancer survivors and avoiders.
Bids ranged from $400 to $800 per dress. LGWM president Justine Frangouli-Argyris proudly announced a gener[1]ous gift of $15,000 from the Palace Convention Center. Since 2019, LGWM has contributed $300,000 to the DOvEEgene Clinical Research Project. Dr. Lucy Gilbert, the hero behind this research, stated that she wishes to headquarter the research in Canada, with intention to provide the findings to doctors all-over-the-world.
Businesswoman Katerina Markakis, designer Orsalia Parthenis, president of the LGWM Justine Frangouli-Argyris, and journalist / fashionista Irene Nikolopoulou. (Photo: Harry Barba)
Dr. Gilbert is in the final stages of the clinical research for the new molecular “Pap-type” test that will detect ovarian and endometrial cancer very early. Many LGWM female members have already taken the test and two were diagnosed with pre-cancerous cells in their abdomen and underwent hysterectomy, saving them from the silent killer of ovarian cancer.
Ground-breaking research
While there’s ample research into ovarian and endometrial cancers, Dr. Gilbert is the only local researcher looking for an early detection test, uniquely positioned to achieve this goal.
Although US Labs have more funding, her medical expertise and her access to diversity-of-women within the public healthcare system are keys to clinical studies to confirm her discovery, a historical moment for Canada and for women all-over-the-world.
Justine Frangouli-Argyris proudly told TLN that Dr. Gilbert, director of gynecology and oncology at MUHC is the first in the world to have ground-breaking research saving a multitude of women. Holding Canada Revenue Agency accreditation (CRA), Lyceum of Greek Women of Montreal is a non-profit that promotes cultural and feminist issues.
The 15 women from various profes[1]sions and backgrounds who comprise the board of directors of are Canadian ladies of Hellenic origin with passion-and-fire. From the organization’s 2016 birth, they have promoted unique aspects of Greek culture, beginning with their first major undertaking – the STATUE OF THE GREEK IMMIGRANT – by esteemed international sculptor, Giorgos Houliaras.
The work, donated to Montreal, on the occasion of the city’s 375th anni[1]versary, has become one of the metropolis’s major landmarks. Greece has an amazing wealth of fashion talent, and seeing these creative visionaries bring their show-stopping designs to life on the runway was truly epic. The theme surrounded a celebration of strength, hope, and compas[1]sion. Guests were totally blown away by the creativity, skill, and craftsmanship that went into each-and-every design, visual works of art, breathtaking as they were ethereal, playful, daring and stunning.
Early detection of silent killers
Chomedey municipal councillor Aglaia Revelakis, Consul
General for Greece in Montreal Katerina Varvarigou,
and Parc-Extension city councillor Mary Deros.
(Photo: Harry Barba)
“(Our efforts) are specifically designed to raise much-needed public support and funds for ovarian awareness, prevention, and treatment programs through our long-standing partner[1]ships with the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and the Québec Breast Cancer Foundation (QBCF),” Frangouli-Argyris stated in media releases.
“Over-the-years, we’ve raised millions for breast cancer causes,” she added, emphasizing that early detection also identifies uterus-and-ovarian-cancer, the silent killer. “This year’s collection,” she specified, “pays tribute to our ever-evolving lifestyle and perseverance Canadians show in adapting to our environment with empathy and compassion. The creations are inspired by light, sea, and the long history of Greece.”
The spectacular event swept 500 guests on musical-fash[1]ion-journeys creatively blending DJ music with trend-setting fashions to bring excitement, glamour and lifestyle in up-close[1]and-personal ways, while aiding an extremely important worthy cause which will save women’s lives all-over-the-world through the DOvEEgene Clinical Research Project headed by Dr. Lucy Gilbert.
With hope, on behalf of women
In her address to the gathering, Dr. Gilbert confided that she works with sadness, sorrow, and pain, but she works on behalf of women who have given up their lives, and for those whose lives were saved. The runway, blending beach and casual/formal wear, gave the audience tastes of what’s paramount in timeless Greek fashion.
Described as ‘the most stylish party of the year’ was attended by 500 Greek local goddesses in search of a cure for cancers afflicting women all over the world. Special thanks went to Maria Fotopoulos, the soul of the organization of this memorable event, and to Dr. Lucy Gilbert and her team at McGill University, the major force behind the DOvEEgene Clinical Research Project.
The current issue of the Laval News, volume 31-09, published on May 3rd, 2023. Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports. (Click on the image to read the paper.)
Front page of The Laval News, May 3rd, 2023 issue.
Although psychiatrists from Montreal’s Pinel Institute tabled a report earlier this week on the mental state of the STL bus driver who crashed into a Sainte-Rose daycare in February, his lawyers asked for a postponement of court proceedings until June 13 so they can evaluate the report’s contents.
Both the prosecution and the defence told a judge at the Palais de Justice de Laval on Saint-Martin Blvd. last Wednesday that they had only received the 22-page report that morning.
An aerial view of the bus crash on the morning of Wednesday Feb. 8. (Screenshot courtesy of Nouvelles TVA)
The driver, Pierre Ny St-Amand, 51, was previously judged fit to stand trial, although his lawyer requested a second assessment to evaluate criminal responsibility, arguing that a medical concept of criminal responsibility is not the same as a legal one.
Two four-year-olds, Maeva David and Jacob Gauthier, were killed in the Feb. 8 crash, which made national and international news, while six other children were injured.
Two men from Laval are facing criminal charges in Trois-Rivieres of pimping for prostitution-related crimes they allegedly committed in several of Quebec.
Patrick Cote and Sebastien Fleurant-Brisson. (Photo: Courtesy of Integrated Anti-Pimping Squad)
Sébastien Fleurant-Brisson, 32, and Patrick Côté, 41, are charged with inciting a person to offer or render sexual services for payment, knowingly promoting the offer of sexual services for payment, and benefiting financially from provided sexual services.
The Integrated Anti-Pimping Squad, which involves several police forces across the province, claims the events occurred between June 2020 and April 2022 in Quebec’s Outaouais, Laurentians, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Chaudière-Appalaches and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean regions.
The police believe there could be more victims and are asking anyone with information to contact the Sûreté du Québec’s Criminal Information Centre at 1-800-659-4264.
The Sûreté du Québec announced on Friday that they had arrested a suspect connected to a murder attempt made against alleged Montreal Mafia leader Leonardo Rizzuto near the intersection of autoroutes 13 and 440 in Laval in March.
The provincial police force said the Escouade nationale de répression du crime organisé (ENRCO) arrested a 32-year-old man from Mascouche the night before.
The attempt on Rizzuto’s life took place on March 15 around 4:30 p.m., while Rizzuto was travelling in a black Mercedes on Highway 440 westbound.
As he was approaching Exit 17 leading to Autoroute 13, the occupant of a black Porsche Macan is alleged to have fired several times at Rizzuto’s car, inflicting damage on the body and the tires, while also injuring Rizzuto lightly.
The SQ said the arrested suspect is known to police as having ties to organized crime.
According to the Montreal daily news site La Presse, Rizzuto was at the Romcafé on des Laurentides Blvd. in Laval just before the shooting took place. The café was the target of arson in 2017.
The mother of a seven-year-old girl who died under nebulous circumstances in Laval in January 2021 won’t have to serve jail time for failing to come to her seven-year-old daughter’s assistance.
That was the ruling of a Quebec Superior Court judge at the Palais de Justice de Laval last week. Justice Yvan Poulin said the 38-year-year old mother, originally from Afghanistan, had been in a unique situation leading up to the death of the girl who was suffering from mental problems.
Neither the mother’s nor the girl’s name can be disclosed because of a publication ban imposed by the court. The cause of death was determined to have been mostly from burns to 75 per cent of her body resulting from hot water.
The home on Le Boutillier St. in Chomedey where investigators from the Laval Police Department scrutinized evidence in January last year following the death of a 7-year-old girl. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
According to information in the judge’s report, the girl’s younger sister claimed she saw a niece pour hot water on the girl in an attempt to control her behaviour. However, the judge also noted elsewhere that false claims by at least one family member were made to the police.
Testimony in the report suggested that the girl, while refusing to have anything to do with her mother, had violent tantrums resulting in injuries to the mother’s face. Although the mother was charged with failing to provide the necessities of life to the girl, the judge questioned why a niece wasn’t also charged since she had been delegated some responsibilities for the girl’s care.
The niece reportedly explained injuries the girl sustained as being self-inflicted, according to the judge’s report. Prosecution had been seeking a prison term of two years less a day. However, the judge agreed with the defence lawyer that the mother should receive two years of supervised probation, including 240 hours of community service.
Sainte-Rose teen arrested after man stabbed in his home
A 16-year-old girl was arrested by Laval Police early last Monday morning after a man was stabbed at a home in Sainte-Rose.
The LPD said a 9-1-1 call they received just after midnight alerted them to the assault, after which officers arrived at the scene on Rue Blaise.
The victim, identified as a man in his early 50s, was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to an LPD spokesperson. Investigators were expected to interview him, but were waiting for his condition to improve.
The teenage suspect was arrested at the scene of the incident and was expected to meet with investigators. She was also expected to be arraigned at the Palais de Justice de Laval on Saint Martin Blvd. Monday morning or afternoon. Police would not comment on the relationship between the suspect and the victim, although they confirmed she is a minor, but could say nothing more as her identity is confidential under youth protection law.
LPD officer suspended after wrecking police car
A Laval police officer has been suspended for 15 days without pay after he wrecked a patrol car and damaged five other vehicles when he hit a patch of ice while pursuing a suspect at high speed.
A provincial police ethics committee made the decision to suspend Félix Gagnon for the Novemver 2019 incident. Just before 5:30 a.m. that day, Gagnon and a partner responded to a 9-1-1 call about a potential domestic-violence incident.
The woman who called said her ex-spouse was outside her home and seemed to be drunk. The man was known to police as a suspected pimp with a record for becoming violent.
When the two police officers arrived at the intersection of Laval Blvd. and Trait-Carré St., Gagnon spotted a black pickup truck, which was the only other vehicle travelling near the intersection that early morning. Gagnon told the investigators that the driver of the pickup truck saw his patrol car and accelerated away.
A Laval Police Dept. cruiser. (Photo: Courtesy of Blue Line Magazine)
The police chase continued on to McNamara St., where Gagnon travelled through eight intersections at speeds reaching 110 kilometres per hour in zones designated for 50 and 40 km/h. The committee was told there were no other vehicles in the area at the time and there seemed also to be no pedestrians.
When the pickup truck made a left-hand turn, the patrol car tried to follow, but sped over a patch of black ice. Gagnon lost control in a residential neighbourhood and the cruiser crashed into five vehicles parked close to an apartment building. Both officers suffered minor injuries, but the other officer had to take five months off from work to recover.
In the meantime, the patrol car was a total loss, and the five parked cars were left with damage described as medium to minor. The investigators determined the crash was caused mostly by the presence on the street of black ice. However, they also noted the police car was travelling at 118 km/h when it through an intersection seconds before the crash.
Multiple fire-bombings prompt cancellation of insurance and mall lease
A supportive cross-section of Laval’s Lebanese community gathered outside a well-known Lebanese restaurant on Curé Labelle Blvd. in Chomedey earlier this month to show encouragement for the owners who say they are being doubly-victimized after several fire-bombing incidents.
Nuits de Beyrouth, which has been the target of as many as four firebombing attempts in the past eight to nine months, is just one of several restaurants in the Laval and Montreal regions which have been similarly targeted.
Members of Laval’s Lebanese community gathered outside Nuits de Beyrouth on April 8 to show support for the owners who say they are victims of an extortion racket. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
Standing up to criminals
“We’re all united here to take a stand against what’s going on against all of the restaurant business owners in the Laval and Montreal areas,” Kevin Al-Sabek, speaking on behalf of his parents who are co-owners of Nuits de Beyrouth, said in an interview with The Laval News.
“We’ve been victims of vandalism and death threats against our businesses and the families that own them,” he said. “We’re also here to take a stand against all the choices that our landlords and our insurers have made. We have been here for nine years and we have always followed the rules, always paid our taxes.
“We’ve been victims of vandalism and death threats,” says Kevin Al-Sabek, son of Nuits de Beyrouth’s owners, (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
Insurance cancelled
“We paid our insurance company and never made a claim. All the damages that were made we’ve paid out of our own pocket. We never made any insurance claim, but they decided to rescind our policy. The landlord has also put a new lock on the door and is not allowing us in, even though we paid our April monthly rent. We have food and equipment inside, but they’re not allowing us in.”
Police in Laval and Montreal announced in recent weeks that they were working together to solve dozens of cases of violence and intimidation targeting local businesses. Up to March 31, they had arrested 19 people, with possibly more arrests expected.
Victims of extortion
Al-Sabek maintained that Nuits de Beyrouth is the victim of an extortion racket. He said a representative of the perpetrators, whom restaurant management had never met before, walked in one day and demanded money in exchange for protection from unspecified consequences should they not get paid.
“We are not connected to these people by any means,” said Al-Sabek. “They came in, they asked for money. That is the only contact we had with them. They entered, they wanted to sell us protection, we declined the offer. After they came, we reported everything to the authorities.”
‘People come here to be reminded of their culture and their roots’
Can’t I.D. the suspects
Although the owners had a security camera system inside Nuits de Beyrouth, the firebombing suspects managed to conceal their identity by wearing head and face coverings, Al-Sabek added. “We don’t know if this is organized crime,” he said. “Our only hope is that this will stop, because it’s not just us: all of the restaurants in the area are afraid now.”
He noted that since opening nearly a decade ago, Nuits de Beyrouth has become a popular gathering place for many in Laval’s Lebanese community. “People come here to be reminded of their culture and their roots,” said Al-Sabek. “It has become a landmark where they come to relax among friends.”
With its eyes set on reducing greenhouse gas emissions while playing a role in the ongoing struggle against climate change, the City of Laval is planning on passing new by-law legislation that will make it illegal to install cooking and heating equipment fueled by natural gas in new residential neighbourhoods.
Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
During the April 5 city council meeting, council members unanimously agreed to give the municipal administration a mandate to draft a by-law which will impose a moratorium on new natural gas installations.
According to the city, Laval’s residential sector accounts for 6 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec. The city is one of the first municipalities in the province to adopt such a policy. Laval previously made a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2035.
“We know that municipalities have a first-tier role in the fight against climate change,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “Just as we recently adopted our climate plan, Laval is taking another step forward to reach its targets for greenhouse gas reduction. It’s our responsibility to do more for future generations and I am proud of the considerable efforts by our administration to make Laval a leader in Quebec in the struggle against climate change.”
“This new policy shows the determination by our administration to tackle head-on the climate crisis while turning Laval into an innovative municipality when it comes to climate action,” added Laval-des-Rapides city councillor Alexandre Warnet who is responsible for environmental dossiers.
“Natural gas is not a viable solution for energy transition,” he added. “And I am proud of this new phase in our steps forward towards the carbon-neutralization of buildings in Laval. I hope that this meaningful step will serve to inspire other municipalities to speed up their goals towards becoming carbon neutral.”
Laval switches into spring flood-watch mode
Officials with the city announced earlier this week that round-the-clock monitoring has started on Laval’s waterfronts, especially along the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles and Lake of Two Mountains, as rainfall is expected to raise springtime water runoff to dangerously high levels.
Beginning last Monday, a 24-hour watch had begun. Laval has 14 telemetry stations installed all around the waterfront edge of its territory to accurately measure the water levels as they rise. The stations are calibrated with measurements from previous historic high water levels.
The city is advising property owners in known flood zones located at or near the water’s edge to consult the City of Laval web page for safety and emergency information about measures which can be taken, as well as to receive alerts should rapid flooding take place.
Municipal library to hold annual sale May 5 – 7
Laval’s municipal library system will be holding its annual sale of used and surplus books and other materials from May 5 to May 7 at the Cartier Arena. More than 50,000 items in a range of topics and for many different ages will be available.
Among the items up for grabs will be novels, documentaries, comic book art, encyclopedias, magazines, CDs, DVDs and others. There will be so much, in fact, that stock will regularly be replenished on the display tables.
“Over the past 20 years, the library sale has been something everyone has looked forward to not only in Laval, but also throughout the North Shore region,” says city councillor Flavia Alexandra Novac, who is responsible for the library system.
“This popularity attests to the importance of providing everyone with access to culture, to learning and to entertainment that comes from books,” she continued. “Laval’s libraries do this year-around through the various services they offer.”
Those going to the library sale are advised to bring bags as well as boxes to take away their purchases. Payment will be exclusively in cash or by Interac electronic debit. The Cartier Arena is located at 100 Montée Major, Laval-des-Rapides.
Hours:
Friday May 5, from 4 pm to 9 pm;
Saturday May 6, from 10 am to 5 pm;
Sunday May 7, from 10 am to 1 pm.
Prices:
Books and comic art: $3.50/kg;
CDs and DVDs: $1 per unit;
Magazines: 0.10 per unit.
Administration rejects Urban Planning direct line
Action Laval city councillor for Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Paolo Galati says that during the April 4 city council meeting, a proposal he made to create a new direct line for planning professionals to be able call the Urban Planning Department was voted down by the council majority.
City councillor for St-Vincent-de-Paul Paolo Galati.
“The mayor says he is open to ideas and that he is extending his hand towards the opposition, but the facts say the opposite,” Galati said in a statement.
He maintains that developers, architects and others are seeing the plans they submit to the city for projects being refused, leading to weeks of delays while waiting for reviews. “They tell us that Laval is among the worst cities,” said Galati.
“This administration has no solutions to the city’s problems,” added Action Laval city councillor for Saint-Bruno David De Cotis. “The mayor invites the opposition to submit its ideas to him by contacting his office directly, then refuses the ones we submit publicly. Does he really believe we don’t see through his ruse?”
Action Laval maintains that the city’s delays in its urban planning department are well-known throughout the Montreal region and that Mayor Stéphane Boyer pledged to resolve the situation. “The stubbornness of the mayor has no logical justification,” said De Cotis. “To us, the mayor’s refusal is pure partisanry.”
All-day event taking place at Laval’s Embassy Plaza
The Chevaliers de Colomb’s five councils in Laval have decided to come together in order to hold a Spaghetti Day event that will be taking place on Sunday April 30 from 10 am to 7 pm at the Embassy Plaza on Curé Labelle Blvd.
The Laval Chevaliers de Colomb held a spaghetti fundraiser in 2018 (seen here), but had to postpone further events for three years starting in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. (File photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
It has been three years since the Laval Chevaliers de Colomb last held one of these traditional spaghetti dinner fundraisers.
Postponed by Covid
Most recently, the Laval Chevaliers held annual spaghetti fundraisers beginning in 2018, but were forced to suspend the practice two years later as the Covid pandemic was getting underway.
However, they were also holding spaghetti dinner fundraisers as far back as the 1980s, according to Chevaliers de Colomb Ste-Dorothée Council Grand Knight Pierre Côté, while adding that members of the Laval Police Dept. eventually took it on as a fundraiser.
Maison de la Sérénité
All funds raised will be going towards the Maison de la Sérénité de Laval, a palliative care facility in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul. At $15 a ticket and with as many as 1,000 guests expected, the Chevaliers de Colomb hope to raise $15,000 for the cause.
All funds raised will be going towards the Maison de la Sérénité de Laval
The Chevaliers are getting the word out about their event through local media, as well as with leaflets and posters distributed at local restaurants and other retail establishments all over Laval.
Members of the National Assembly from Laval, as well as Laval city council members, are also doing their part by spreading the word to constituents.
