A 46-year-old male resident of Lauzon St. in Laval’s Sainte-Dorothée district is facing two charges of first-degree murder and one count of assault causing bodily harm in what police believe is a case of domestic violence turned deadly.
The scene on Lauzon St. around 9:20 pm on Monday Oct. 17. (Photo: courtesy Laval Police)
When Laval Police arrived at the family’s home, they found an 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl in critical condition. The children were transported to hospital where they were later pronounced dead.
Their father was also transported to hospital in critical condition and under police custody, although his condition was said to be stable later on Tuesday.
According to news reports on Tuesday, a judge determined that the man, identified as Kamaljit Arora, wasn’t fit to stand trial.
The prosecution and defence agreed that he had been unable to communicate since being arrested Monday night.
He is due back in court on Wednesday morning to answer to the charges.
The victims were students at École Pierre-Laporte and École Saint-Martin in Laval.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Journal de Montréal identified the two children as Anzel Arora, a 13-year-old girl, and Aaron Arora, an 11-year-old boy.
The Laval Police have launched an arson investigation after three vehicles were heavily damaged by fire earlier this week from late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.
The first call was received by the Laval Fire Dept. around 1 am Wednesday that two cars were in flames in the parking lot of an industrial building near the corner of Leman Blvd. and Belgrand St. in Duvernay.
Upon their arrival, fire department personnel noticed that a third vehicle parked behind the building was also in flames.
Marc-André Cauvier has been charged with attempted kidnapping.
A 54-year-old male Laval resident remained in custody and made a second appearance at the Laval courthouse on Thursday to answer an accusation that he attempted to kidnap a 21-year-old woman last Oct. 1 near the Montmorency Metro station in Laval.
Marc-André Cauvier was arrested earlier this week and was arraigned in court last Tuesday to face charges that also include forcible confinement and assault.
On Oct. 1 around 1:00 a.m., the victim was driven by an Uber ride hailing car to the Montmorency Metro parking lot where she got off.
As she proceeded towards her own vehicle, which was parked at Collège Montmorency across the street, she was, according to the allegations, accosted by Cauvier, who allegedly tried to abduct her.
However, according to an account of the incident given to the police by the victim, the suspect fled after she put up a struggle.
The Laval Police say they have reason to believe the suspect had other victims. The LPD can be reached through their Info-Line at 450 662-INFO (4636).
Transports Québec says preparatory work for asphalting is currently underway on Autoroute 13 between the Louis Bisson Bridge in Chomedey and the Vachon Bridge in Sainte-Rose, continuing until the onset of winter.
According to the provincial highways ministry, the work will be causing access issues in some areas on at some on-ramps, including the following:
Two to three lanes of the A-13 northbound between the Louis Bisson and Vachon bridges will be partly or completely closed at night. As well, one or two lanes could be closed during some weekends.
The A-13 northbound between Exit 12 (Samson, Notre-Dame, St-Martin) and Sainte-Rose Blvd. will be closed completely nights. As well, the Exit 12 ramp will be closed nights.
The A-13 from Dagenais Blvd. headed southward will be closed completely at night.
The ministry says detours resulting from these closings will be clearly indicated. Lower speed limits will also be posted. The work will be resuming in the spring.
The Quebec highways ministry says the Gédéon Ouimet Bridge, which spans the Rivière des Mille Îles between Laval and Boisbriand on the North Shore, will be partly closed from Friday Oct. 14 at 8:30 pm until Saturday Oct. 15 at 3 pm for road surface repairs and asphalting work.
Repairs and asphalting are scheduled to take place on the Gédéon Ouimet Bridge on Autoroute 15 on Oct. 14-15.
According to the ministry, the southbound lanes of the bridge will be closed completely during the entire period, with southbound traffic being redirected into a single lane on the left-hand side (northbound) of the bridge.
In addition, the on-ramp leading from Route 344 (de la Grande Côte Rd.) onto southbound Autoroute 15 will be closed entirely during this period.
Transports Québec is warning motorists that due to snarled traffic expected on the A-15 near the Gédéon Ouimet Bridge during this time period, the area should be avoided, and that autoroutes 13 and 640 offer alternative routes.
The Laval Police have opened a homicide investigation after a 31-year-old man sitting in a car in the Saint-François district was shot to death around 11:20 pm on Friday night.
The shooting took place on du Canada St. in Saint-François as the victim was sitting in a Jeep Cherokee.
Saturday morning, the Montreal daily news source La Presse identified him as Stéphane Risler Achille, while saying he had been targeted by at least a dozen bullets.
He was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.
According to La Presse, the shooters were in a second vehicle, but fled soon after. The sound of their gunshots led to several calls being made by nearby residents to 9-1-1.
The LPD’s canine squad and the identification unit were on the scene Saturday morning, and investigators were questioning potential witnesses.
According to La Presse, the victim was a resident of Saint-François, who pleaded guilty seven years ago to personal drug possession charges.
Citing police sources, the La Presse news site said he was known to police as an independent drug dealer and a hustler for prostitutes’ services.
While the police don’t believe he was formally affiliated with any criminal organization, La Presse claims he had been seen hanging around with street gang members from the neighborhood where the slaying took place.
Laval, Montreal and other municipalities throughout the Montreal region have been assailed by a wave of gun-related homicides and violent incidents over the past several years, many of them related to an escalation of activity by street gangs and organized crime.
Figure skating and travelling are ice performer Freddie Allain’s two passions in life
From Oct. 6 to 10, it will be time for kids along with moms and dads to grab their Mickey Mouse ears for a few hours of non-stop fun when 50 of their favourite Disney friends come to life on ice skates during Disney on Ice’s Let’s Celebrate show at Place Bell.
Classic Disney
For generations of children and kids at heart who grew up with images of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other timeless Disney creations, the show will be an opportunity to see live characters from Disney stories that include Snow White, Pinocchio, Frozen, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Mulan and Finding Dory.
In all, 14 classic as well as more recent Disney storylines are included in the one hour and forty-minute show (there is also a 15-minute intermission), with none other than Mickey Mouse serving as master of ceremonies. But the Disney characters are only the beginning.
Former competition skater
The skating is performed by a cast of some of the world’s most accomplished figure skating professionals – including former Canadian competitive figure skater Freddie Allain.
In the “Tangled” segment of Let’s Celebrate, he plays Flynn Rider, a character from the Disney animated movie based loosely on the German fairy tale Rapunzel.
He is also part of the ensemble and can be found in many other numbers. This is the 13th year Freddie Allain has been touring with Disney on Ice, and by all accounts he loves it.
Two passions in life
“I have two passions in life,” he said in an interview with The Laval News. “Figure skating and traveling. And I’m lucky enough that I found a job that I get to do both of those things and get paid for it. So yeah, I’m good. I’m pretty happy.
“We’re a ton of skaters, so we all have that in common. So, when I tour on a show, I get to like kind of build a second family. So, I have friends that I’ve made all over the world, which is great. So, when you get to tour with these people and get to see the world and get to sightsee wherever you want, like it’s a really a great experience.”
He loves the job
Originally from New Brunswick, after completing high-school he lived in Montreal for six years while engaging in competitive figure skating. When he retired from that, some skating colleagues told Allain about the work they were doing with Disney on Ice. He told himself he’d try it for a year, although he’s still with the company well over a decade later.
During his competitive skating career, Allain, now 36, made it onto Canada’s junior national team and did a couple of international competitions. For novice skaters who might be contemplating eventually pursuing skating as a career, he said opportunities for professional figure skaters are out there to be had.
‘Figure skating is such a beautiful sport and you can do so much with it,’ says figure skating pro Freddie Allain
Career in figure skating
“I was lucky to get a job right away when I auditioned,” said Allain, adding that usually it’s a little bit easier for boys because there aren’t as many male figure skaters. “They hire figure skaters for shows including Disney on Ice, of course. But there are different shows in Europe. Like Cirque du Soleil currently has a show with figure skaters. There’s lots of opportunity.”
For those who are old enough to remember, at one time two professional ice shows dominated the North American market: Ice Capades and Ice Follies. While the former went out of business in the mid-1990s, Ice Follies was purchased in 1979 by the U.S.-based Feld Entertainment which own Disney on Ice.
Family entertainment
Allain, who is currently training to become an ice-show choreographer once he retires from performing, maintains that professional figure skating remains a strong draw in the live entertainment business because of its family-oriented nature and ongoing appeal to children as well as adults.
“I think like, at the end of the day, families and people in general are always wanting to be entertained,” he said. “And figure skating is such a beautiful sport and you can do so much with it.
Bringing joy to families
“So yeah, there are like tons of tons of shows happening all over the world. I also find since COVID that people are just so happy to get out of the house again and then see live entertainment. So that’s always been good to just, like, bring joy to families all over the world.” Performances of Disney on Ice’s Let’s Celebrate are available in English and French. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.ca. Place Bell address: 1950, Claude-Gagné St. in Laval.
The Laval Police say they recently arrested Marlon Étienne-Lafontant, also known by the nicknames Rach and Flip. According to the LPD, Étienne-Lafontant, 29, is a member of the Flamehead Boys street gang.
The police force says that tip-offs provided by the public provided enough information on him to open an investigation regarding his alleged possession of firearms and his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.
Marlon Étienne-Lafontant.
Éric Simon.
The LPD alleges he is a player in drug trafficking in Laval-des-Rapides and that the street gang he is alleged to be involved with is linked to several firearms incidents in Laval this past summer.
In addition to his alleged criminal activities, Étienne-Lafontant is also known in the Montreal region as an aspiring hip-hop performer under the pseudonym Rach. His most recent recording was promoted with panel advertisements on the backs of Société de transport de Montréal buses.
At the same time, the LPD’s Équinoxe Squadron arrested another suspected gang member. Éric Simon, 19, is also suspected of illegal firearms possession. Both he and Marlon Étienne-Lafontant remained detained last week. Simon is scheduled to answer a charge of possession of a prohibited firearm during a court appearance scheduled for Oct. 12.
A 38-year-old man died last Sunday afternoon after his car collided with another vehicle whose driver fled the scene on foot along with a passenger.
Around 4:30 pm near the corner of Jaffa St. and Lisbonne Blvd. in Sainte-Rose, a black Honda Civic driven by the man was struck by a white Range Rover.
According to a police report, the occupants of the Range Rover immediately abandoned their vehicle and fled. LPD accident investigators were on the scene late Sunday searching for evidence that might lead to the suspects.
LPD says its strategy has cut down gun violence
Following a long string of shootings in Laval, many in public places, the Laval Police say they are making progress in fighting gun violence.
Laval Police chief Pierre Brochet told journalists during a recent briefing that the LPD’s work is paying off. According to Brochet, shootings are down by half, with 13 reported this year up to recent weeks, compared to 27 in 2021.
“This is a big change, and we are very proud of all the mobilization,” said Brochet. To deal with the gun problem, the LPD launched its Paradox 2022 project, which is a coordinated approach to dealing with local urban violence.
Brochet said that the concerted and proactive strategy the LPD implemented this year “has certainly contributed to the positive impacts we are seeing on the ground. This is not an end in itself, as the phenomenon is volatile, and our work continues. However, it is a source of pride for our service to see that our mobilization is bearing fruit.”
A Glock .45 handgun.
He said that improved tracking and surveillance of known offenders had helped cut down the number of gun crimes on Laval territory.
“What we did was identify the violent criminals and really put pressure on them,” said Brochet, adding that the criminals in question were known for frauds, thefts, gambling and drugs.
He said firearm-related arrests had increased slightly in Laval, with 29 this year compared to 27 by the same time in 2021.
While insisting that the number of shootings in Laval went down, he said police officers seized more guns than before, with most coming from the U.S.
Laval police say prevention and youth programs are part of their plan and they hope what amounts to a short-term strategy to reduce gun violence leads to longer-term results.
Nearly $52,000 raised during LPD’s 5th annual Heroes’ Challenge
On Saturday Sept. 24, more than 80 officers from the Laval Police Dept., the Montreal Police Dept., the Sûreté du Québec, the RCMP, the Gatineau Police Dept., the Canadian Pacific Police and others took part at Laval’s Centre de la Nature in the fifth annual Parcours des héros (Heroes’ Challenge), raising $51,250 from Quebec Special Olympics athletes from Quebec.
The officers took part in a 5-kilometre obstacle course involving 20 hurdles, while twinned with 21 Quebec Special Olympics athletes.
The money is going to be used by the Quebec Special Olympics to implement several sports and health programs for the benefit of persons with intellectual disabilities. Since the first Parcours des héros was held, a total of $176,250 has been raised by the LPD for the Quebec Special Olympics.
In addition to the police officers and Special Olympics athletes, a significant number of other people also got out to the Centre de la Nature to provide encouragement to the event participants.
Some of the other activities which took place at the same time included a demonstration of canine skills by specially-trained police dogs and their handlers.
CF Montréal players help inaugurate Impact Foundation’s gift to the city
Players with CF Montréal along with officials from the Montreal Impact Foundation and the City of Laval opened a new synthetic surface multisport mini-field at du Moulin Park in Laval’s Saint-François district last week, much to the delight of some grade school children who were the first users.
It was the fourth mini-field inaugurated by the foundation – and the first in Laval – after similar sports fields were built over the past few years at Champdoré Park in Montreal’s Saint-Michel district, Joe-Beef Park in Pointe-Saint-Charles, and Paul-André Potvin Park in Shawinigan north of Quebec City.
Players with CF Montreal, alongside members of the Montreal Impact Foundation, representatives of the City of Laval and students from École l’Escale in Saint-François are seen here with team mascot Tac-Tik on Sept. 27 during the inauguration of the new playing field. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)
Health through sports
“We are always very proud to give back to the community through our mini-field facilities,” Montreal Impact Foundation President Carmie Frassetti Saputo said in a statement. “They are safe and healthy gathering places for youth and families from underserved communities.
“With this initiative, our primary goal is to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles,” she continued. “We are very grateful to the city of Laval for its invaluable collaboration, and I am confident that together we will continue improving access to youth sports as well as the quality of life in the Saint-François district.”
“Our administration is committed to providing new sports infrastructure in Laval and we are delighted to count on the collaboration of partners like the Montreal Impact Foundation to reach that goal,” Mayor Stéphane Boyer said in a press release.
Making sports accessible
“This new multisport synthetic mini-field in Parc du Moulin, accessible to all citizens, adds to our actions aimed to create more sports and family spaces on the island, particularly in the Saint-François sector,” he added. “This is exactly the kind of initiative that facilitates access to sports and improves the quality of life in the neighborhoods.”
Grade schoolers from the nearby École l’Escale played an informal soccer match with CF Montréal team members on the new field.
In a mission statement, the Montreal Impact Foundation says it organizes and supports various activities to help improve the quality of life of underprivileged children and their families. It mainly provides sports facilities to promote physical activity, and social integration.
Located in city park
The Saint-François field’s construction began May 6, with an initial inauguration date scheduled for mid-July 2022, although it opened only on Sept. 27. The field was built on parkland owned by the City of Laval and is now officially the city’s property.
The new facility was opened with help from CF Montréal (formerly Montreal Impact) players Zachary Brault-Guillard, Sebastian Breza, Kei Kamara and James Pantemis. The field was completed around the same time as the City of Laval was finishing a refurbishing at du Moulin Park, including renovated tennis and basketball courts. A multifunctional skating rink and a skatepark are scheduled for completion in 2024.
Laval city councillor Nicholas Borne, who sits on the executive-committee and attended the opening on behalf of Mayor Boyer, said the field will be accessible by everyone in the community, and not just by sports associations as is sometimes the case.
First signed at age 20
Born and raised in Kirkland on Montreal’s West Island, Pantemis, 25, got his foot in the door with CF Montréal in 2014 when he joined the club’s soccer academy, signing his first team contract at age 20. Pantemis made his competitive debut for the former Impact team on July 24, 2019 in a Canadian Championship match against York9, in which the Impact prevailed 1 – 0.
CF Montréal goalie James Pantemis plays with students on the new multisport field that opened in du Moulin Park in Saint-François on Sept. 27. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)
Describing his style of goalkeeping, Pantemis said, “I like to put a lot of emphasis on my reflexes. I think that’s a big part of my game. But I think today it’s important to try and take little things from everybody. You know, not all goalies are the same. So, if you take a little bit from each one, that’s the best thing.”
‘I like to put a lot of emphasis on my reflexes – I think that’s a big part of my game,’ says CF Montréal goaltender James Pantemis
Worked his way up
CF Montréal goalie James Pantemis.
Pantemis started playing house league soccer for AS Pierrefonds at age four, and later played for Lakeshore SC when he had reached U8 and U9 levels. Around that time, he also played on Lac-Saint-Louis regional teams, the provincial Team Québec and the youth national team.
Pantemis agreed there are a lot of good reasons for aspiring young soccer players to feel optimistic that they can one day play the sport professionally as he does now. “I personally enjoy returning to the community to show the kids that I played in some of their neighbourhood parks,” he said. “It’s a good motivator to show them that anything can happen if they want to achieve.”
The synthetic soccer field at Lausanne Park in Laval’s Saint-Bruno district was recently refurbished thanks to a grant from BMO Team of the Week, which was won by the Monteuil U10 girls’ soccer team.
As part of the refurbishing, the soccer field now has new goal nets, as well as new shelters for players and spectators which were installed over the past summer. A monument has also been installed near the park entrance, with the layout of the park and its various sports facilities shown on it, as well as a commemorative plaque.
All the work was done thanks to a $125,000 grant from BMO. The Monteuil soccer team (which is now merged with the Association de soccer de Laval) had won the Team of the Week contest in 2013. In addition to the refurbishing of the grounds, a $5,000 donation has been made to a local children’s breakfast club.
“It is a great source of pride to see young girl soccer players from Laval getting together to become involved in our community in order to give back to those who will be following after them,” said city councillor Nicholas Borne, the executive-committee member responsible for sports.
“This prize will be serving not only the soccer club, but also all of the community since it will leave a lasting heritage behind to all young athletes. It will allow for the services offered to sports associations and to citizens to be optimized.”
The city councillor for the area, David De Cotis of Action Laval, was on hand for the official opening of the facility. “It’s marvelous to see our businesses trying to make a difference like this for our youths,” he said. “These investments will benefit the vast majority of our young people and the clubs who use this playing field.”
Caroline Lussier, regional vice-president of BMO, said, “We are proud to have been able to work with the City of Laval to obtain these new soccer installations which will allow youths to continue practicing their favourite sport in an environment conducive to succeeding. In keeping with our commitment to making a difference in life as in business, BMO continues to support access to soccer by making a positive impact in communities.”
Pandemic impact study shows Laval’s business owners feel optimistic
In spite of the effects from the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two-and-a-half years, there are signs that the spirit of entrepreneurialism in Laval is still alive, according to a third annual study conducted for the regional development agency Laval économique.
According to the study conducted last year by the Léger polling firm, 90 per cent of Laval’s entrepreneurial business owners are not worried about being forced to close because of the current economic circumstances.
Nearly half (46.5 per cent) said in the study that their revenues have remained stable, while 28 per cent reported their revenues increased.
The 2021 portrait of entrepreneurial dynamics in Laval also indicates that youths, women and immigrants are among those interested in starting a business. In the study, nearly 16 per cent of all respondents said they intended to start or to re-launch a business.
“More than ever, the City of Laval is distinguishing itself by the vitality of its entrepreneurial spirit,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “In spite of the negative effects that impacted small and medium businesses on our territory, Laval’s entrepreneurs have proven their resilience and courage and show that they have everything necessary to succeed.
“I am pleased to know that Laval’s entrepreneurial milieu is made up of entrepreneurs from all backgrounds who contribute to the diversity of innovative and dynamic businesses, which in turn reflects their attachment to the productive economy of the city,” Boyer added.
Lidia Divry, executive-director of Laval économique, said, “The results of the study bear witness to the effervescence of entrepreneurialism across the territory, and this is what we see each day on the ground. It’s a sign that the tools and programs we offer are bearing fruit. With our team, we will continue to support entrepreneurs and companies in order to generate wealth on our territory.”
Some facts from the study:
48.8 per cent say they intend to invest in innovative projects over the coming year, compared to 31.3 per cent who said so in the rest of Quebec.
78.6 per cent have implemented human resource strategies (compared to 61.3 per cent in the rest of Quebec).
41 per cent said they intend to invest in recruitment, 40 per cent in the improvement of work conditions, while 38.1 per cent said they will be increasing salaries and social perks.
56.7 per cent of business owners in Laval said they have adopted a new strategic orientation in the last year, including a focus on sustainable development (32 per cent) or increased focus on diversity and minority hiring (21.3 per cent).
Alternate-side street parking in effect since Oct. 1
The City of Laval is advising residents that winter parking rules, involving parking on alternate sides of the street to facilitate snow removal, are in effect as of Oct. 1.
When there are no street maintenance operations underway (street sweeping, snow plowing or snow blowing), parking is permitted on both sides of the street until the next operation starts.
“We are determined to make life simpler for the citizens of Laval by putting into place measures and tools that will allow them to take fully advantage of the street parking on most of the roads network on our territory,” says Laval city councillor for Sainte-Dorothée Ray Khalil who is responsible for public works on the executive-committee.
He noted that last year, residents got 117 days of unrestricted street parking out of a total 150 days when the parking restrictions apply.
The city recommends residents get information when snow removal ops will be getting underway from the online app Info-Stationnement. As well, signage is posted along streets after snowfalls warning motorists that parking is restricted until snow removal is completed.
The city says that over the past three winters, it has been testing new ways of controlling wintertime street parking with several pilot projects offering more flexibility.
‘Open house’ at Laval’s firehalls on Sunday Oct. 9
Most of the City of Laval’s firehalls will be open to the public for tours on Sunday Oct. 9 from 10 am to 4 pm. In all, staff at eight firehalls will welcome everybody who wants to stop by, the exception being Firehall No. 9 in Vimont which is currently closed for extensive renovations.
The Laval Fire Dept.’s annual open house day is always a big draw for children who turn up with their parents for one of the most exciting experiences in their young lives. This year as in years past, they will have a chance to see up close the equipment and gear firefighters use on a daily basis.
“Open house day is a unique occasion to meet the employees of the Laval Fire Dept.,” says Laval city councillor for Concorde–Bois-de-Boulogne Sandra Desmeules, who is responsible for public safety dossiers on the executive-committee.
“It takes place in a relaxed atmosphere and it’s an opportunity to see everything up close, while questions can albo be asked on various aspects of the occupation.” Everybody attending one of the open houses will have a chance to win a 72-hour emergency survival kit.
