Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In tabling their latest triennial investment plan (PTI) for the years 2025-2027, officials with the City of Laval emphasized that they remain aware of the impact of climate change, while saying they plan to vigilantly make sure that taxpayer’ money is spent in a targeted and appropriate fashion.

$1.72 billion PTI budget

According to a summary of the PTI issued by the city late last week, Laval will spend $1.72 billion on capital works investment projects over the next three years, with $100 million set aside for projects to deal specifically with flood water management issues.

“We are presenting a plan that is responsible, to better be able to face the future,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer, alluding to the major floods that assailed Laval earlier this year.

“We lived it: the climate disruptions have a real cost for our citizens, but also for the municipal administration. It is for that reason that we are substantially accelerating our investments in prevention and resilience from floods, with an envelope of an additional $100 million.

Current and future needs

“Even if it is impossible to protect ourselves from all the consequences from natural catastrophes, the goal is to accelerate the works allowing for the reduction of risks linked to overflowing sewers and floods. This follows an increase in investments in the repair and maintenance of our infrastructures since 2021. The goal is to reduce the risks for our citizens.”

He said the City of Laval’s PTI 2025-2027 investment budget was planned following a rigorous analysis of current as well as future needs, along with a vision of future development that was “realistic and lucid,” Boyer added.

The mayor said that the city’s plan is to pursue major projects now underway, without taking on any new ones, “to allow us to allot a growing amount of our investments to the maintenance of our streets and our water management networks.”

Some of the measures

Among the Boyer administration’s targeted plans for better water management and flood control:

• Fast-tracking sewer and waterworks rehabilitation, while prioritizing more vulnerable sectors of the city;
• Adding more power generators to pumping stations;
• Construction of more flood-control dikes
• Construction of more retention basins, drainage ponds, “sponge” streets, and rain drainage gardens;
• Reduction of the impact of floods on riversides, by stabilizing 9 km along the edge of the Rivière des Mille-Îles;

Other PTI projects

The overall three-year PTI budget will be spent in segments of $594 million in 2025, $611 million in 2026 and $510 in 2027. Apart from water management and flood protection, the budget will also be spent on the following:

• $85.9 million for reconstruction of streets and sidewalks;
• $54.5 million for the purchase of lands;
• $50.5 million for maintenance of parks and public spaces;

$38.1 to support and improve sustainable modes of transportation.