Dignitaries gather outside City Hall to mark Greece’s Independence Day
Elected officials from three levels of government in the Laval region gathered at the war cenotaph near Laval city hall on March 25 to pay respects alongside residents of Hellenic origin to Greek veterans and soldiers on the occasion of the 202nd anniversary of Greece’s independence.
Students from Montreal-area Greek schools marched past Laval City Hall durings this year’s Greece Independence Day commemoration. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
On March 25 in the year 1821 in what was then Ottoman-dominated Greece, Bishop Germanos of the metropolis of Patras blessed a Greek flag and proclaimed an uprising by the Greeks against the occupying Ottomans. In the Montreal region, Laval currently has the highest concentration of residents of Greek heritage.
‘We are all proud Greeks’
COUNCILLOR AGLAIA REVELAKIS
All proud Greeks
“We are all proud Greeks,” Laval city councillor for Chomedey Aglaia Revelakis said in an interview last week with the Laval News during weekend-long events surrounding the Greek Independence Day.
“You have to remember our history,” she continued. “It’s because of the heroes of 2021 that we were liberated and we’re here today. So, over the years this has become a big tradition that the whole community at large participates in. We all feel Greek, we are Greek, and this is all part of our culture and heritage.”
From the left, Laval city councillor for Chomedey Aglaia Revelakis, l’Abord-à-Plouffe councillor Vasiios Karidogiannis and city council president Cecilia Macedo prepare to lay a wreath at the Laval Cenotaph on March 25 during ceremonies commemorating the Independence Day of Greece. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
Proud to be Greek
L’Abord-à-Plouffe city councillor Vasilios Karidogiannis said this year’s independence commemoration was especially meaningful to him since he underwent the process of obtaining official Greek citizenship in the past year. Although his parents were originally from Greece, he was born in the Montreal region.
Laval-Les Îles MP Fayçal El-Khoury said he has always felt especially close to the Greek community since he was baptized in the Greek Orthodox church and a large number of his riding’s constituents are Greek.
Senator Leo Housakos deposits a wreath at the Laval Cenotaph during the 2023 Greek Independence Day ceremony. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)
A model for the world
Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis, who grew up within a traditional Greek family, said that for her, Greek Independence Day “symbolizes not only freedom for Greeks after 400 plus years of the Ottoman empire, but freedom in the world – especially with what’s going on in the world nowadays.
“Knowing about my history and my roots, my heritage is very important,” she added. “For me, it’s very important to stand up together with the Greek community to say thanks to our forefathers who fought valiantly. It’s very important never to forget.”
A large part of Laval’s territory is currently affected by power outages caused by icy conditions and numerous falling trees.
Although 101,358 out of 198,465 Laval homes are without electricity, the situation is under control. The City is working with various stakeholders and is closely monitoring the evolution of the situation.
The safety of citizens placed first
The Laval territory is particularly affected by the bad weather that has hit southwestern Quebec in the last few hours, and municipal teams are hard at work to ensure the safety of citizens. Among other things, they are busy securing the main arteries, clearing the roadway of fallen branches and trees, and spreading abrasives on the streets and sidewalks. They will remain mobilized until the situation is resolved.
Summary of interventions
Nearly 300 employees unite their efforts: 250 streets have been cleared in the last 24 hours. Currently, all streets are passable. However, even if debris (trees, ice, wires) continues to fall, the teams intervene quickly.
The City deployed additional staff to 311 and 911 to meet the needs of citizens as soon as possible. As for the police and firefighters, they ensure increased surveillance of the territory and follow up on calls to 911.
A police patrol with flashing lights will be deployed in sectors without electricity to reassure citizens and provide them with assistance if needed.
Since the start of the situation, 380 calls have been received, mainly in connection with trees in contact with electrical wires. The firefighters also intervene in the management of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning and carry out reminders of instructions.
Places to welcome citizens
Ville de Laval has made several municipal buildings available to accommodate citizens who wish to warm up and charge their electronic devices.
Community Centers: Accès, Argenteuil, Auteuil, Centre Champfleury, St-Joseph, Jean-Paul Campeau, Laval-Ouest, Ste-Dorothée, Raymond-Fortin and Centre du Sablon
The City would like to remind you that generators and their exhaust pipes must always be placed outside buildings to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, since many traffic lights are not functional, the City invites motorists to be extremely careful. It is important to bring the vehicle to a complete stop, then look around before moving on.
Check your smoke alarms and battery operated carbon monoxide alarms.
Turn off electrical appliances and stoves that were on at the time of the outage.
Be sure to place your generator outside well away from the building to avoid poisoning, and install a carbon monoxide alarm. Be careful when refueling. Follow the safety advice of the Fire Department.
Use flashlights instead of candles for added safety.
Turn down thermostats to minimum.
Unplug all electrical and electronic appliances, except for one lamp per floor, to avoid surging appliances when power returns.
Never use indoor heaters, lights or stoves designed for outdoor use or camping, such as charcoal or propane barbecues, camp heaters or propane stoves.
Emergency lighting in buildings lasts for approximately 30 minutes. This lighting is to facilitate evacuation and not to compensate for a breakdown.
Do not open the refrigerator or freezer door unnecessarily. This will keep food fresh for 24 to 48 hours.
In the event of an emergency, you may need to provide for your basic needs until help arrives. That’s why it’s important to prepare an emergency kit that will last you about 72 hours.
Citizens can report any problematic situation (e.g. sewer backup, tree fallen on the road, faulty traffic lights, etc.) to the 311 service. As for emergency situations requiring the movement of firefighters, police officers or paramedics, they can contact 911. To report a breakdown or warn of a potential danger concerning vegetation near a wire, please notify Hydro-Québec online or by calling 1-800-790-2424.
Boyer reacts to Legault government’s latest financial exercise
Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer was pleased with certain aspects of the Coalition Avenir Québec’s latest annual budget, which was tabled in the National Assembly recently.
Although he said some measures answered several needs for the city, he maintained that others fell short. “On first reading this budget, I am pleased to see that several of our pre-budget requests were heard by the government of Quebec,” said Boyer.
Boyer ‘disappointed’
“I am nonetheless disappointed not to see more measures to allow us to face challenges in housing and transport. But I acknowledge that factors like inflation and a slowdown in the economy were not favourable.”
Among other things, the Legault government announced a $50 million allocation over the next five years to introduce new measures to combat violence involving weapons such as handguns. Part of this will be going to the City of Laval.
Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer.
St-Martin transit project
The new budget also announced the creation of a project office for a major mass transit project to take place along Saint Martin Blvd. The measure is one that the City of Laval had asked for.
On the downside, Mayor Boyer said he was disappointed that another request, for a study on the feasibility of extending the Montreal Metro system’s orange line northward towards Laval, was not mentioned in the budget.
Boyer ‘disappointed’ at NOT seeing more measures to allow Laval to face challenges in housing and transport
Biodiversity projects
However, the provincial government is allocating $475 million over five years for biodiversity conservation projects, including the acquisition of green spaces and forest lands. This falls into line with an ongoing project by the City of Laval to build up a large reserve of protected green space on its territory.
Regarding housing issues, Mayor Boyer said a $1 billion investment the CAQ government has pledged to make for social and affordable housing is meaningful, but unfortunately insufficient to meet demands and needs, taking into consideration the housing crisis currently underway.
From May 5 to 14, the City of Laval will be hosting the festival Petits bonheurs, a fun springtime event for kids up to six years of age, offering more than 80 activities that include theatre, marionnettes, music, dance, visual arts, circus and more.
“The Maison des arts de Laval, which is known for its important role in creating cultural programs for young people, has been welcoming since its beginning this festival offering Laval’s families a unique occasion to discover art,” says city councillor for Sainte-Rose Flavia Alexandra Novac who is responsible for cultural dossiers.
Among the happenings
Three percussionists will perform in L’archipel aux mille sons (Ensemble Sixtrum/Le Vivier);
In À table!, three diplomats who don’t speak the same language turn food into art;
Marionnettes take centre stage, in a musical fable: Dans mon baluchon (Théâtre Advienne que pourra).
To master the arts, 11 workshops, including textile arts, juggling, marionnettes, dance, theatrical awakening and African music will be part of the festival.
Related free events will also be taking place at Laval’s municipal library branches, the Cosmodôme, the Centre d’interprétation de l’eau (C.I.Eau), as well as at the Musée de la Santé Armand-Frappier.
Quebec gives laval nearly $65 million for climate control efforts
The provincial government announced on March 31 that the City of Laval will be receiving $64.8 million for municipal projects designed to deal with climate change in order to reduce the city’s carbon impact.
According to a statement from Quebec, the funds will allow Laval to reduce its annual carbon emissions by the equivalent of around 4,000 round trips between Montreal and Paris by airliner.
The announcement was made by Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette with Sainte-Rose MNA Christopher Skeete, along with Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
Among the measures the city plans to introduce through the new funding is the withdrawal of oil, propane and natural gas heat and energy sources from up to 40 municipal buildings. As well, new buildings such as aquatic complex are being designed with renewable energy. In addition, the city plans to expand car-sharing services across Laval and install 140 new electric car-charging stations.
“This announcement shows that protecting the environment is everyone’s business,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “This important financial support from the government illustrates this. To plan effectively on a scale like this, cooperation is without a doubt the key. Beyond the sums committed and the actions taken, we can see that everyone hopes to contribute and get involved.”
City has a new strategic vision to help launch new businesses
Late last month, city officials unveiled a new strategic vision for economic development. The new strategy takes place over the next five years.
The vision comes with an additional $2.25 million dollars added to the city’s economic development budget for this purpose over the next three years.
“I feel confident that we are on the right track to turn Laval into a true force when it comes to innovation and economic development,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “This vision will be catalyst for the growth of our businesses which are faced with numerous challenges and whom we wish to accompany so that they may maximize their opportunities.” “To seix opportunities as they become available, it is imperative for Laval’s businesses to undergo a transformation,” said Lidia Divry, executiver director of the city’s economic development agency, Laval économique. “To get there, they must be willing to experiment, leading towards new ideas, which will in turn lead to innovations.”
The Junior A Monteuil Eclairs hockey team had a dream season in 2022-2023.
The Junior A Monteuil Eclairs hockey team had a dream season in 2022-2023.
They participated in three tournaments and won all of them: the Tournoi Provincial Junior de Lachenaie, followed by the Tournoi Provincial M11-Junior Monteuil Laval, and finally the Tournoi Connie Dion Val des Sources.
First in league
The Junior A Monteuil Eclairs finished first in their league. During the last weekend in March, they won the Laval championship, defeating Laval-Est in a tough fought game 4-2.
Monteuil was down 1-0 in the first 3:11 minutes into the game. Then Monteuil tied the game in the second period and took a 2-1 lead. But Laval-Est tied the game with two seconds left in the second period.
The Junior A Monteuil Eclairs won the Laval championship, defeating Laval-Est
An exciting match
With just under eight minutes left in the game, Monteuil took the lead and added a fourth goal, then never looked back. Their record this year is 43GP 40W 3T 0L.
They left last week for Shawinigan to participate in the Provincial Interrégionaux championship. They were trying to defend their title, which they won last year.
‘We’re working on affordability,’ says Liberal cabinet’s Rodriguez, point man for Quebec
There are three points to be remembered in the new federal budget tabled by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in Ottawa last week, according to Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez who is the Trudeau government’s lieutenant for Quebec.
The first, household grocery purchasing power during an inflationary period, is being addressed through a special rebate, for a one-shot payment of $467 for eligible couples with children, $234 for single Canadians without children, and $225 for seniors.
The affordability problem
Federal Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, the Liberal government’s lieutenant for Quebec.
“We’re working on affordability,” he said in an exclusive interview this week with Newsfirst Multimedia. “You’ve seen it and felt it, I’m sure. Things are costing more all the time, especially the groceries, and people are suffering.”
He said the sums will help households pay the groceries at a time when virtually everyone is being impacted.
The second element, he continued, is designed to help people get the dental care they need and make life more affordable. As such, by the end of this year the Liberal government expects to begin rolling out the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
Public dental coverage
The plan will be fully implemented by 2025, providing dental coverage for up to nine million Canadians. This is being supported by an investment written into the Trudeau government’s Budget 2023 of $13 billion over five years starting in 2023-24, and $4.4 billion in ongoing, permanent funding.
“No one should have to choose between taking care of their teeth and paying their bills,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement regarding the dental program, while adding that “Budget 2023 will help millions of Canadians see a dentist and provide much-needed relief for families.”
For $90,000 and less families
“Whoever’s been to the dentist recently – and I’ve been there – it’s become really, really expensive,” said Rodriguez. “We’re making sure that anyone who is not ensured and makes $90,000 and less benefits from this program. And I’m thinking more specifically about our seniors, for example.
“This is more than just health coverage,” he added. “It has a huge impact on their lives. When a senior doesn’t have enough money to have a denture, that person may very well decide to isolate and not go out because they don’t feel comfortable and will stay away from others. So, dental care is a health issue, but it’s also a social issue, a quality-of-life issue.”
Towards a clean economy
Outlining a third element, Rodriguez maintained the 2023 budget makes transformative investments to build Canada’s clean economy, fight climate change and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers.
He said this includes significant measures that will deliver cleaner and more affordable energy, support investment in communities and the creation of well-paying jobs, while ensuring that Canadian workers are able to produce and provide the goods and resources that Canadians and others need.
“We’re talking about building the economy of the future,” said Rodriguez, noting that the government has set aside $80 billion over 10 years for projects that include electrification of transportation, production of green energy and green technologies.
The post-Covid economy
While tabling the 2023 federal budget last week, the government claimed that the country has made a remarkable recovery from the Covid recession, that Canada’s economic growth was the strongest in the G7 over the last year, and today 830,000 more Canadians are employed than before the pandemic.
In addition, Finance Minister Freeland and other cabinet members maintained that inflation in Canada has fallen for eight months in a row, the unemployment rate is near a record low, and that the labour force participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 reached a record high of 85.7 per cent in February supported by a Canada-wide system of affordable early learning and child care.
Predatory lending targeted
In the budget, the government also pledged to take action to crack down on hidden junk fees and predatory lending, to lower credit card transaction fees for small businesses, and to help Canadians keep more money in their pockets.
To strengthen Canada’s universal public health care system, the Trudeau government also pledged to deliver $198.3 billion to reduce backlogs, expand access to family health services and ensure provinces and territories can provide public health care efficiently.
Some basic facts on Ottawa’s Budget 2023
In 2023, the Canadian Dental Care Plan will become available to uninsured Canadians under 18, persons with disabilities, and seniors who have an annual family income of less than $90,000. There will be no co-pays for those with an annual family income under $70,000. By 2025, the Canadian Dental Care Plan will be fully implemented to cover all uninsured Canadians with an annual family income under $90,000.
Budget 2023 also proposes to invest:
$250 million over three years, starting in 2025-26, and $75 million ongoing to establish an Oral Health Access Fund, which will address oral health gaps among vulnerable populations and reduce identified barriers to accessing dental care, including in rural and remote communities, complementing the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
$23.1 million over two years, starting in 2023-24, to collect data on oral health and dental care access in Canada and help the government’s ability to support those who need it most through the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
To make life more affordable while global inflation drove up the cost of living, the government has made significant investments and implemented key initiatives in the past year alone, including:
Doubling the Goods and Services Tax Credit (GSTC) for six months to help 11 million individuals and families with the rising cost of living – with couples with two children receiving up to an extra $467 and seniors receiving an extra $225 on average;
Launching the Canada Dental Benefit, which provides up to $1,300 over two years to help get kids the dental care they need;
Providing low-income renters with $500 to make life more affordable;
Enhancing the Canada Workers Benefit for our lowest-paid – and often most essential – workers, to provide up to $1,428 for a single worker without children, up to $2,461 to a family, and an additional $737 for workers with disabilities;
Increasing Old Age Security (OAS) benefits for seniors age 75 and older by 10 per cent as of July 2022, which is providing more than $800 in additional support to full pensioners; and
Delivering $10-a-day child care or reducing child care fees by at least 50 per cent on average in every province and territory, and strengthening the child care system in Quebec with more child care spaces.
A former anesthesiologist at Laval’s Cité de la Santé hospital is facing a manslaughter charge related to the death of an 84-year-old man after surgery he underwent in 2019.
Cité de la Santé hospital in eastern Laval.
Dr. Isabelle Désormeau was arrested on March 30 by the Laval Police following an investigation into the circumstances of the elderly male patient’s death a few hours after Désormeau had served as the anesthesiologist during his surgery for an intestinal obstruction.
The man, whose identity is not being divulged due to a court-imposed publication ban, had gone in October 2019 to Cité de la Santé where he reported that he was suffering from stomach pain.
Diagnosed with an intestinal blockage, he was told he needed immediate surgery, which began around 2 am.
During surgery, it was discovered that a large segment of his intestines needed to be removed, but that doing so would mean his becoming dependent on a colostomy bag, and he would have to endure a long hospital stay.
As the man was under anesthesia, the surgeon contacted a next-of-kin.
Taking the man’s stated wish into consideration, that he didn’t want cardio-pulmonary resuscitation or intubation if his condition deteriorated badly, the next-of-kin told the surgeon it would be best to halt the surgery and place the man in palliative care for the few days longer he was expected to live.
According to a statement of facts compiled by the police investigating the case, the anesthesiologist told an intensive care doctor that the man had no family, and that an intensive care bed would not be needed.
It is alleged that the anesthesiologist then disconnected the man, who was still under anesthesia, from a respirator and administered a medication, which is not identified in the statement of facts as it is subject to the publication ban.
The man died 20 minutes later.
According to the statement, two nurses who had observed the anesthesiologist’s actions confronted her, but she ignored them, and a complaint was filed later that same day.
Cité de la Santé’s director of professional services contacted the police after interviewing the nurses and the anesthesiologist, who said she had administered the medication as part of palliative care, according to court documents.
Désormeau resigned from the hospital in December 2019 and has since then also ceased practicing medicine.
The current issue of the Laval News, volume 31-07, published on April 5th, 2023. Covering Laval local news, politics, and sports. (Click on the image to read the paper.)
Front page of The Laval News, April 5th, 2023 issue.
Freezing precipitations amounts of 10 to 20 millimetres are expected to fall over a wide area surrounding the greater Montreal region – including Laval – during the day on Wednesday.
According to Environment Canada, surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots will become icy, slippery and extremely hazardous.
The federal weather agency warns to beware of branches or electrical wires that could break under the weight of ice.
Lysane Gendron, who was deputy director of the City of Laval’s culture, leisure and sports department, was found dead with marks of violence on her body in January. Her son, Emmanuel, 28, is facing charges. (Photo: Facebook)
Emmanuel Gendron-Tardif, who is facing a second-degree murder charge related to the slaying in January of his mother, Lysane Tardif, a former City of Laval department head, was in court on Tuesday, questioning psychiatric treatments at the Pinel Insitute where he is detained after being deemed unfit to immediately stand trial.
Gendron-Tardif was declared unfit on Feb. 28.
However, the judge presiding his case at the Palais de Justice in Montreal ordered he be given treatment in the eventuality he might improve to the point of being able to assist a defence lawyer.
Quebec Court judge Suzanne Costom set a date for this Thursday to hear a response from a Pinel Institute staff member to questions Gendron-Tardif raised about the treatment he would be undergoing leading towards a trial.
Gendron, who was deputy director of the city of Laval’s culture, leisure and sports department, was found lifeless inside her son’s apartment on Fullum St. in Montreal on Jan. 25.
Emmanuel Gendron-Tardif, 28, achieved a degree of acclaim as a Quebec-based film director.
