More than 7,000 Laval addresses visited during ongoing cleanup
After gathering up 82 per cent of the debris left behind in Laval following Tropical Storm Debby, the city is keeping cleanup crews on hand to make sure the job is done properly.
According to the city, intervention teams were going around a second time earlier this week on streets that were most impacted by flooding in order to collect any materials which may have been put out on the curb since the first pickup.
“Since August 12, our teams have accomplished a gigantic task, collecting more than 1,350 tons of debris over 82 per cent of Laval’s territory,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
“We understand to what extent these times have been difficult for the people impacted, and you can rest assured that the City of Laval is at your side,” he added. “For each home affected, that is a whole year of trash which must be picked up, and we will not abandon our efforts as long as they are necessary.”
Patrick Taillefer, director of the Laval Fire Dept. who is also responsible for overseeing emergency measures, said staff has been at work on the cleanup since the beginning. Faced with the magnitude of the mess, he said the operation went into overdrive late last week.
“Our main strike force, consisting of nearly 250 personnel and around 60 vehicles, will continue to make their way through the streets of the city to help conclude this second major operation,” he said. “Our staff, some of whom have also been impacted personally, are united and are sparing no efforts. The affected citizens can count on our support.”
Summary of waste pickups
- More than 2,200 streets covered, for 82 per cent of Laval’s territory
- Nearly 7,089 addresses visited
- 3,350 tons of debris collected
Large waste items pickup
Regular waste collections of large items are taking place as scheduled. However, only items which normally are accepted will be picked up. Discarded furniture and demolition debris from water damage will be picked up during a special collection. The city is asking residents who didn’t suffer storm and water damage to hold off throwing out items until next month.
Écocentres
The City of Laval’s Écocentres can be an excellent option for those with the means to take discarded items and materials there on their own for disposal. Given the exceptional circumstances, the city has authorized staff to accept a larger than usual amount of waste from residents and additional staff are there to serve you.
Some restrictions loosened
The city says it is allowing winter car shelters to be used on a temporary basis to cover furniture and other items retrieved from flooded homes, so long as they are being used for that specific purpose.
At the same time, the city is reminding homeowners that a permit is not needed for regular maintenance and remedial repair work carried out in flooded homes to restore them to order. However, permits must be obtained for larger renovation projects from the City of Laval’s urban planning department.
