Martin C. Barry

Elections Québec takes special measures for municipal elections because of Canada Post strike

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Quebec’s Chief Electoral Officer Jean-François Blanchet has made a special decision to allow municipalities to deliver election-related documents by means other than direct delivery to voters during the 2025 municipal general election. Blanchet says the decision was necessary given the current disruption to postal services.

“Postal services are a key element of the electoral process,” Blanchet said in a statement issued by his office.

“In the current context, municipalities, responsible for organizing their elections, will have to make considerable additional efforts to find other solutions,” he said. “I urge voters to be understanding and take the time to contact their municipality to obtain all the information they need to exercise their right to vote.”

Alternative measures

Blanchet said his decision would not prevent municipalities from delivering their documents by mail if the strike ends quickly and postal services resume as normal. But in the meantime, the chief electoral officer’s office is proposing various alternative measures.

If municipalities are able to, they are being encouraged to prioritize a solution that will ensure the delivery of two documents to voters’ doors, in accordance with the spirit of the electoral act: the notice of registration on the voters’ list and the reminder card.

The municipalities are being told they can use another delivery service or rely on their staff or a group of volunteers, for example. If they are unable to distribute personalized registration notices in the name of each voter, they can distribute a non-personalized notice to each door.

They should then allow voters to verify in person their registration on the voters’ lists, but also by telephone or online. They can also disseminate general information through posters, advertisements and their websites. If municipalities with 20,000 or more inhabitants are unable to deliver their reminder cards to voters’ doors, they must allow them to verify their polling place by telephone, according to the chief electoral officer.

Mandatory Mailings

Under the legislation respecting elections and referendums in Quebec’s municipalities, all towns and cities are required to send a notice of registration by mail to all addresses in their territory. This notice indicates the names of the electors registered on the lists of electors at each address. It may also indicate that no one is registered at that address. It also indicates where and when the board of revisors will sit. This notice should be sent between October 6 and 15, depending on the municipality.

Nearly 92 per cent of Quebec’s approximately 6.4 million electors are registered on the list of electors. Nearly 98 per cent of them are registered at the correct address. Between October 11 and 21, each municipality must hold at least two electoral list revision meetings to allow voters to register or change their registration if necessary. The locations, dates and times vary from one municipality to another.

Owners and co-owners

Élections Québec invites voters to use its online service to check their registration on the provincial electoral list. The majority of people registered on this list are also registered at the same address on their municipality’s electoral lists. However, this is not the case for people who are eligible to vote as owners or co-owners of a building or as occupants or co-occupants of a business establishment within the municipality.

In addition, anyone who has changed their address and modified their registration on the electoral list since September 5, including through the Quebec Change of Address Service (SQCA), must contact their municipality to make this change of address, even if the information is up to date on the Élections Québec website.

Make sure you are registered

Voters should not assume that they are registered on their municipality’s electoral lists, even if they voted in the last federal election, since the electoral lists used in the upcoming election are separate.

No one will be able to make changes to the electoral rolls on election day. This is an important difference between federal and municipal elections. To be eligible to vote in the 2025 municipal elections, you must meet these five conditions on the November 2, election day:

Be registered on the electoral lists of your municipality; Be 18 years of age or older; Be a Canadian citizen; Be in one of the following situations: domiciled in the municipality and, for at least 6 months, in Quebec; Be the owner of a building in the municipality or the occupant of a business establishment located within the municipality for at least 45 days. 5. And still have the right to vote (unless it has been revoked because of non-residency or other reason).

Elections Québec takes special measures for municipal elections because of Canada Post strike Read More »

City-Watch: Laval and the Rocket team up for Héma-Québec blood drive

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Laval’s Blood Drive is back for the 52nd time. In collaboration with Héma-Québec and the Laval Rocket, the city invites residents to a major event filled with a sense of belonging on Tuesday November 4 at Place Bell.

According to the city, the goal for this major drive is to reach 550 donations. In a friendly and inspiring atmosphere, donors will have the opportunity to meet Laval Rocket players and municipal officials while performing a vital and life-saving act.

It is strongly recommended you reserve your spot now, online or by phone, although walk-ins are also possible. It should be noted that most healthy adults can donate blood.

Information on the reservation process and eligibility criteria is available on the event’s website. You can also reserve your spot by calling 1-800-343-7264 during the available time slots between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

You can confirm your eligibility by visiting hemaquebec.ca/don-sang or calling 1-800-847-2525. The Laval Blood Drive is made possible thanks to the participation of the City of Laval, Héma-Québec and the Laval Rocket.

“Thanks to the alliance between the Laval Rocket and Héma-Québec, we are a winning team that saves lives,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “The Laval Blood Drive is much more than an event: it’s a gesture of solidarity that unites our community around a vital cause. At Place Bell, every donor will be welcomed in a space designed for their comfort. Give generously.”

“The Laval Rocket organization is proud to partner with the City of Laval and Héma-Québec again this year,” says Pascal Vincent, head coach of the Laval Rocket.

“Having attended my first Laval blood drive last season, I can say that our supporters, as well as many donors, were there,” he added. “Every donation is crucial, because we all know someone who, one day or another, will need this precious gift. Come meet the team and me at Place Bell on November 4.”

“Héma-Québec is proud to partner with the City of Laval and the Rocket for the Laval Blood Drive,” says Sylvain Lauzé, blood drive consultant at Héma-Québec. “We invite you to reach out on November 4 and contribute to the health of the entire community.”

Laval takes action to sterilize and adopt stray cats

The City of Laval and the SPCA Lanaudière Basses-Laurentides have announced the implementation of a pilot project aimed at better managing the stray cat population in Laval.

In addition to helping reduce the number of cat births through sterilization, the partnership will promote the adoption of sociable cats and offer a new life to more independent felines.

The project will be rolled out before the end of this fall in areas where the stray cat population is particularly acute, according to complaint data collected by the city over the past five years.

By concentrating efforts in these neighborhoods, says the city, it will be possible to measure the project’s impact before considering whether to expand it.

The city says it will allocate $70,000 for an initial one-year period, and this amount will be renewable for a second year depending on the results. With the investment, the city estimates it will be able to sterilize more than 300 cats per year with the voluntary cooperation of the public.

“We have heard the concerns expressed by many citizens,” says Christine Poirier, Duvernay-Pont-Viau’s city councilor, who is responsible for the cat control dossier.

“With this pilot project, conducted in partnership with the SPCA Lanaudière Basses-Laurentides, we are choosing an approach that respects animal welfare and is as efficient as possible with Laval residents’ money. This will improve both the quality of life of the animals and that of the population in our neighborhoods.”

All stray cats captured as part of the project will be sterilized and dewormed.

Unlike approaches limited to sterilizing and then releasing stray cats, the SPCA Lanaudière Basses-Laurentides program also includes an adoption component.

Through this, sociable cats will be taken in by a network of foster families with a view to their permanent adoption.

As well, there will be a farm cat program, intended for semi-sociable or unadoptable cats.

This program involves their relocation to farms, barns or stables in the area after a behavioral and medical assessment.

City-Watch: Laval and the Rocket team up for Héma-Québec blood drive Read More »

Canadian smaller businesses pay between 20-23 per cent more taxes than the U.S., claims CFIB report

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

To improve Canada’s tax competitiveness and boost economic productivity, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is calling on the federal and provincial governments to lower corporate income tax rates for small firms, and increase the small business deduction threshold while indexing it to inflation.

Quebec businesses overtaxed

The motion comes after the CFIB recently issued a report that compared business tax loads in Canada and the U.S., concluding that small businesses in Quebec and Atlantic Canada were among the most overcharged in the ten provinces.

A Canadian microbusiness (which the CFIB defines as being made up of four employees) pays on average a whopping 20% more in taxes than a similar firm in the United States, stated the report which compared tax loads in 10 Canadian provinces and 20 U.S. states.

By comparison, a small business (25 employees) pays 23% more in taxes than its U.S. counterpart, the CFIB found. But even the most competitive provinces (B.C. for micro businesses, Saskatchewan for small firms) had an average tax burden higher than the vast majority of U.S. states.

Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

The CFIB notes that recent pro-small business changes in the United States through the “Big Beautiful Bill” driven through by President Donald Trump made the tax gap between the two countries even wider.

The conclusion the federation came to? “Canada needs to lower taxes or risk driving investment south of the border,” they said in a September 11 statement.

“U.S. tariffs are not the only competitive issue facing Canadian small businesses,” said Bradlee Whidden, a CFIB senior policy analyst and the report’s co-author.

“When you look at the numbers, it’s crystal clear: smaller businesses in Canada are already at a serious tax disadvantage, which was just made permanent by recent pro-small business changes in the United States through the Big Beautiful Bill.

“If Canada wants to compete and raise our standard of living, we need to cut taxes,” added Whidden. “Payroll taxes are heavy on both sides of the border, but the real gap is in corporate and property taxes. Here in Canada, that gap means less money going back into wages, business operations and growth.”

“U.S. tariffs are not the only competitive issue facing Canadian small businesses,” says Bradlee Whidden, a CFIB senior policy analyst and the report’s co-author.

Quebec’s poor tax performance

On a province-by-province level, Quebec and Atlantic Canada performed the poorest, the CFIB said, while western Canadian provinces ranked a bit higher, but still significantly below the average of U.S. states that were analyzed.

However, even the most competitive provinces (B.C. for micro businesses, Saskatchewan for small firms) had an average tax burden higher than the vast majority of U.S. states, the CFIB concluded.

Among microbusinesses, the five best (1 – 5) and worst (26 – 30) jurisdictions in the report were:

1.   South Dakota (USA) 26.   Newfoundland and Labrador (CAN) 
2.   North Dakota (USA) 27.   Prince Edward Island (CAN) 
3.   Wyoming (USA) 28.   Nova Scotia (CAN) 
4.   Florida (USA) 29.   New Brunswick (CAN) 
5.   Texas (USA) 30.   Quebec (CAN)  

Among small businesses, the five best (1 – 5) and worst (26 – 30) jurisdictions are:

1.   South Dakota (USA) 26.   Nova Scotia (CAN) 
2.   Wyoming (USA) 27.   Prince Edward Island (CAN) 
3.   North Dakota (USA)28.   Newfoundland and Labrador (CAN) 
4.   Florida (USA) 29.   New Brunswick (CAN) 
5.   Texas (USA) 30.   Quebec (CAN)  

In addition to the recommendation to the federal and provincial governments, the CFIB is also suggesting that municipalities, working in conjunction with provincial governments that oversee them, should reduce property taxes and close the property tax gap between commercial and residential properties.

“Trade disruptions have put the spotlight on Canada’s uphill battle to remain competitive with the United States,” said Juliette Nicolaÿ, the CFIB’s policy analyst for national affairs and the report’s other co-author.

Gap can’t be ignored, says analyst

“While we can’t control what other countries do, we can’t ignore the widening gap between Canadian small firms and their U.S. competitors,” she added. “It’s time for governments to step up with policies that lower the cost of doing business in Canada.”

Canadian smaller businesses pay between 20-23 per cent more taxes than the U.S., claims CFIB report Read More »

Canadian smaller businesses pay between 20-23 per cent more taxes than the U.S., claims CFIB report

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

To improve Canada’s tax competitiveness and boost economic productivity, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is calling on the federal and provincial governments to lower corporate income tax rates for small firms, and increase the small business deduction threshold while indexing it to inflation.

Quebec businesses overtaxed

The motion comes after the CFIB recently issued a report that compared business tax loads in Canada and the U.S., concluding that small businesses in Quebec and Atlantic Canada were among the most overcharged in the ten provinces.

A Canadian microbusiness (which the CFIB defines as being made up of four employees) pays on average a whopping 20% more in taxes than a similar firm in the United States, stated the report which compared tax loads in 10 Canadian provinces and 20 U.S. states.

By comparison, a small business (25 employees) pays 23% more in taxes than its U.S. counterpart, the CFIB found. But even the most competitive provinces (B.C. for micro businesses, Saskatchewan for small firms) had an average tax burden higher than the vast majority of U.S. states.

Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

The CFIB notes that recent pro-small business changes in the United States through the “Big Beautiful Bill” driven through by President Donald Trump made the tax gap between the two countries even wider.

The conclusion the federation came to? “Canada needs to lower taxes or risk driving investment south of the border,” they said in a September 11 statement.

“U.S. tariffs are not the only competitive issue facing Canadian small businesses,” said Bradlee Whidden, a CFIB senior policy analyst and the report’s co-author.

“When you look at the numbers, it’s crystal clear: smaller businesses in Canada are already at a serious tax disadvantage, which was just made permanent by recent pro-small business changes in the United States through the Big Beautiful Bill.

“If Canada wants to compete and raise our standard of living, we need to cut taxes,” added Whidden. “Payroll taxes are heavy on both sides of the border, but the real gap is in corporate and property taxes. Here in Canada, that gap means less money going back into wages, business operations and growth.”

Quebec’s poor tax performance

On a province-by-province level, Quebec and Atlantic Canada performed the poorest, the CFIB said, while western Canadian provinces ranked a bit higher, but still significantly below the average of U.S. states that were analyzed.

However, even the most competitive provinces (B.C. for micro businesses, Saskatchewan for small firms) had an average tax burden higher than the vast majority of U.S. states, the CFIB concluded.

Among microbusinesses, the five best (1 – 5) and worst (26 – 30) jurisdictions in the report were:

1.   South Dakota (USA) 26.   Newfoundland and Labrador (CAN) 
2.   North Dakota (USA) 27.   Prince Edward Island (CAN) 
3.   Wyoming (USA) 28.   Nova Scotia (CAN) 
4.   Florida (USA) 29.   New Brunswick (CAN) 
5.   Texas (USA) 30.   Quebec (CAN)  

Among small businesses, the five best (1 – 5) and worst (26 – 30) jurisdictions are:

1.   South Dakota (USA) 26.   Nova Scotia (CAN) 
2.   Wyoming (USA) 27.   Prince Edward Island (CAN) 
3.   North Dakota (USA)28.   Newfoundland and Labrador (CAN) 
4.   Florida (USA) 29.   New Brunswick (CAN) 
5.   Texas (USA) 30.   Quebec (CAN)  

In addition to the recommendation to the federal and provincial governments, the CFIB is also suggesting that municipalities, working in conjunction with provincial governments that oversee them, should reduce property taxes and close the property tax gap between commercial and residential properties.

“Trade disruptions have put the spotlight on Canada’s uphill battle to remain competitive with the United States,” said Juliette Nicolaÿ, the CFIB’s policy analyst for national affairs and the report’s other co-author.

Gap can’t be ignored, says analyst

“While we can’t control what other countries do, we can’t ignore the widening gap between Canadian small firms and their U.S. competitors,” she added. “It’s time for governments to step up with policies that lower the cost of doing business in Canada.”

Canadian smaller businesses pay between 20-23 per cent more taxes than the U.S., claims CFIB report Read More »

Ensemble Montréal’s Soraya Martinez Ferrada is focused on winning on November 2

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On opening day last week of the campaign for the City of Montreal’s municipal elections scheduled for around a month from now, Ensemble Montréal mayoralty candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada took the high road when asked during an interview with Nouvelles Parc Extension News whether she thought it might be easy to defeat the incumbent Projet Montréal party.

Martinez Ferrada was the main speaker at an Ensemble Montréal launch held at a former church converted into an events venue on Adam St. in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district in east-end Montreal.

She’s focused on the task

“I don’t take into account what my adversaries are doing, I only take into account where I am at,” said the former federal Liberal Minister of Tourism and Economic Development Quebec, who was also the city councillor for Saint-Michel from 2005 to 2009.

While saying that her team of candidates was nearly complete, she continued, “I’m not only offering Montrealers myself as mayor, but a full team behind me that is ready to serve Montrealers and ready to govern. So, I don’t do politics on the backs of my rivals. I only do politics for Montrealers.”

That said, Martinez Ferrada didn’t deny that Projet Montréal had committed a good number of gaffes during the eight years they’ve been in power at Montreal City Hall.

Not a normal state of affairs

Among the issues she raised in a pep talk to an audience of loyal supporters and invited guests were basic things Projet Montréal seemingly forgot, especially in the last four years, such as street repairs, efficient garbage removal and rats proliferating in neighbourhoods.

“What I’m saying is that it’s not normal to have a city where citizens don’t feel safe – especially in a city like Montreal,” she said. “And it’s not normal to have people sleeping on the streets. And it’s not normal to have a city that’s so dirty that you see rats on the street.

“So, what I’m saying is that because all these things aren’t normal, we need an administration that will tackle these issues and offer a new perspective, new ideas. And that is us,” she added.

Meets blue collar workers

Among the issues Soraya Martinez Ferrada may find herself addressing if she becomes Montreal’s next mayor is her administration’s relationship with the city’s unionized blue-collar workers, who currently are in an unresolved contract negotiation dispute with the city.

She got a preview of things that may come when a delegation of blue collars turned up for the Ensemble Montréal campaign launch. They lingered peacefully with placards outside where Martinez Ferrada met them and listened patiently.

The November 2 election will mark the eighth time incumbent Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros runs for Montreal City Council. She first won the seat in 1998.

Among the candidates who also turned up at the campaign launch were Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough mayor candidate Sylvain Gariépy, Effie Giannou (Bordeaux-Cartierville) and Lemonia Strapatsas (Mile-End).

Ensemble Montréal’s Soraya Martinez Ferrada is focused on winning on November 2 Read More »

FILIA Association for Seniors holds annual Walk a Thon in Chomedey

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With the searing heat of summer finally over, what could be more fitting for fitness-conscious seniors than a brisk walk around the block, when the sun is high in the sky, while enjoying the cool autumn air?

For a certain number of senior citizens from Laval who are loyal supporters of FILIA, the group’s September Walk a Thon is an outdoor event at Saint Norbert Park in eastern Chomedey never to be missed.

The 19th annual Walk a Thon on Sept. 15 drew a loyal following of FILIA members, as well as a few elected officials who have provided a significant amount help to the organization for years.

A range of services

The goal of the day was to raise awareness of the needs of senior citizens – including regular physical exercise – while also raising funds for FILIA so it can continue providing a range of crucial services to seniors, such as a meals-on-wheels program, but also interesting field trips to locations in and outside the Montreal region.

Led for around 30 years by Johanna Tsoublekas who continues to provide guidance and management, FILIA’s services include home housekeeping and supervision, volunteer training and a healthcare clinic for the feet.

“For me, this is a must annual gathering,” said Laval city councillor for Souvenir-Labelle Sandra El Helou who is responsible for senior citizen dossiers on city council. “It’s nearly eight years I’ve been following FILIA and its mission, and it is as important as ever to provide support,” she added.

Deros loves FILIA

“It’s great to see the number of people who come out here year after year to participate and support the meals-on-wheels program,” said Montreal city councillor for Parc Extension Mary Deros. (FILIA was initially based in her district, but relocated to Chomedey as Montreal’s Greek population migrated here.)

“Joahanna brings people together,” said Deros. “She provides the FILIA members with a reason for being. She keeps them active in mind and in body, which is a great accomplishment. Especially when you come to a certain age, sometimes you want to be alone or quiet. But she gets them out of that and keeps everybody active.”

Passing on the torch

Although FILIA’s mission at one time was to provide assistance to Greek women of the Parc Extension Hellenic community, then later throughout the Montreal region, the organization’s mandate now is to serve senior citizens and people from all backgrounds – with a growing emphasis on the population of Chomedey.

With advancing age, Johanna has been looking over the past two years for someone who might be willing to take over at least some of her responsibilities. In the meantime, her son, Bill, has stepped in, and he was on hand at the Walk a Thon providing assistance.

FILIA Association for Seniors holds annual Walk a Thon in Chomedey Read More »

Laval opens new community centre in Val-Martin, while delivering 359 social housing units

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A new municipal community centre in one of Laval’s more disadvantaged neighbourhoods was officially declared open earlier this month by officials from the city as well as community activists who had urged Laval for years to move forward with the project.

The Centre communautaire Simonne-Monet-Chartrand is located on Souvenir Blvd. on the boundary that separates the city’s Chomedey and l’Abord-à-Plouffe neighbourhoods.

Designed to primarily serve residents of the nearby Val-Martin social housing district, the community centre (costing $17 million, not including the housing) was conceived to fit in snugly with a seven-storey subsidized residential building.

Old replaced with new

Completion of the project also marked the culmination of the first phase of a major overhaul of the Val-Martin neighbourhood, which was started by former Laval mayor Marc Demers and continued under Mayor Stéphane Boyer.

At one time, Val-Martin was notorious for its run-down and mould-infested subsidized housing units, many of which were condemned and demolished.

And indeed, a certain number of the old units can still be seen on nearby streets, boarded over and abandoned, as new units (paid for largely with sums from higher levels of government) are gradually built to replace them.

Phase One completed

According to a press release issued by the City of Laval, this was the conclusion of the first of several phases to revitalize Val-Martin.

It was a process that was kickstarted in 2016 by the municipal housing department (Office municipal d’habitation de Laval OMHL), in conjunction with the Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ) and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp (CMHC). In all, 359 new social housing units will have been completed when all is said and done.

The centre was named after labor activist, feminist writer and pacifist Simonne Monet-Chartrand. In addition to her social activism, she was married to Quebec labor leader Michel Chartrand.

A multifunctional place

Conceived to encourage inclusion, creativity and communal living, the centre includes focused facilities for youths and families, a food bank and a community kitchen, a large communal gathering space, multifunctional rooms, as well as interior spaces for dancing and other types of artistic and cultural events.

With the task of building now accomplished, the City of Laval is seeking to have the Centre communautaire Simonne-Monet-Chartrand certified LEED Gold as an internationally-recognized, environmentally-sustainable facility. Worth noting is that the centre was designed to be easily accessible by pedestrians and by public transit.

“Taking into consideration the scarcity of affordable housing, the inauguration of the Simonne-Monet-Chartrand community centre demonstrates that Laval acts decisively to create living spaces that are accessible, sustainable and unifying,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.

‘Building neighbourhoods’

“This project demonstrates our willingness to go higher than the simple construction of housing,” he continued. “We are building entire neighbourhoods where apartments, services and meeting spaces are side by side. With our partners, we are setting down the bases for an exemplary revitalization that restores dignity, hope and a sense of belonging to the families of Val-Martin, and, more widely, to the entire community in Laval.”

“The centre is much more than just a building,” said the centre’s executive-director, Noémie Barolet. “Our vision is a clear one: to make Chomedey a neighbourhood where you can grow. With the Centre Simonne-Monet-Chartrand, we are laying down a cornerstone to get there, by wagering on the strength of the collective, along with citizen creativity and solidarity.”

A ‘magnificent project,’ says opposition

The project’s completion received praise not only from the mayor’s side of the Laval city council chamber (it’s located just within the boundaries of l’Abord-à-Plouffe councillor Vasilios Karidogiannis’s district), but also from Claude Larochelle, leader of the Parti Laval (the official opposition).

“It’s a magnificent project,” Larochelle said in an interview with The Laval News, while adding that the city chose to locate the centre in the best possible place where it was most needed. “This is a place where a project like this was most needed. That said, my hat’s off to a good project in the right location.”

Laval opens new community centre in Val-Martin, while delivering 359 social housing units Read More »

Laval declares its efficiency improvements a success

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Nearly a year after the initial implementation of a municipal efficiency plan, officials with the City of Laval say they have achieved some real improvements in services offered to the city’s population.

“By setting clear objectives, transparent management and a structured accountability, the administration is modernizing its practices in order to offer its citizens an experience that’s smoother, more efficient and better adapted to the population’s needs,” the city states in a press release issued last week.

“We were looking for some in-depth change and the results are there,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “The services are faster, more accessible, more efficient and simpler.

“This is the result of some hard work, of a clear vision and commitment from everyone in the organization,” he continued. “Modernizing our administration means we are fully taking up our responsibility towards all citizens, which is to offer quality services, at a fair cost while meeting expectations.”

The city reports that during the first months this year, the average waiting time for callers to its 311 centralized info service fell to 63 seconds, representing an 87 per cent improvement over 496 seconds in 2021.

During the same period, 81 per cent of requests were dealt with within that time frame, for a 10 per cent improvement compared to 2024. The city says this was in spite of an 11 per cent increase in the number of calls received.

The improvements were achieved, according to the city, through the use of a digital platform, the Mon Dossier web portal, which was developed internally. More than 85 per cent of requests received for things such as permits, subsidies or declarations are processed via this platform now.

“By going for digital solutions like the Mon Dossier portal, we are simplifying access to services, while also making the internal process lighter,” said Tania Fonrose, director of the city’s citizen experience department.

“This reorganization of work allows not only an improvement in citizen experience, but also for better use of resources. The 311 service, for example, was able to absorb a significant increase in requests with additional staff, thanks to the efficiency gains generated.”

Beginning this winter, permit applications and certificates from the urban planning department can be obtained online through the Mon Dossier portal. The City of Laval has won a number of awards for its work on resolving these issues, including some from the Institut d’administration publique du Québec (IAPQ), the Réseau de l’informatique municipale du Québec (RIMQ) and the Project Management Institute of Montreal.

A new concert hall and events venue opens in Saint-François

Residents from all over Laval will be able to enjoy a range of shows and entertainments at the latest concert hall and events venue to be completed and opened by the city.

Located in the Espace citoyen des Confluents (ECC) in the district of Saint-François, the multipurpose hall hosted its first show on September 20, although there will be more to come, according to the city.

“As the first professional quality concert hall in eastern Laval, it offers 180 seats in a modern and quality building,” says Laval city councillor for Sainte-Rose Flavia Alexandra Novac, who is responsible for cultural dossiers on city council.

“With the opening of this new hall, the ECC will be a gathering place that’s even more outstanding for the community of Laval, especially those from the east end of the island,” added Novac.

Some of the events and shows on the schedule at the hall over the coming months:

  • Liberté Big Band: A jazz and classical ensemble made up of seasoned and professional musicians.
  • Guided tour: On the city’s Journées de la culture, learn more about the workings of a professional concert hall, including acoustics.
  • Boubacar Ndiaye: A spoken word event combining art and music.
  • Salsalazar: Music from Québec, Cuba, Peru Colombia and Chile.
  • Kutsi Merki: Folklore from Bulgaria with dance.

Dead Gong: Jazz with Turkish and Ethiopian influences.

Laval declares its efficiency improvements a success Read More »

Laval city councillors table petitions during September council meeting

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In a municipality as big and as populous as the City of Laval, one of the many things that takes place during city council meetings is the tabling of petitions from residents seeking interventions on a range of issues.

At every monthly council meeting, there is a period around the beginning when councillors in the 21 districts formally present the petitions, which are accepted and registered by the city’s chief clerk.

Petitions tabled during meeting

During the September 9 council meeting, Laval-Les Îles councillor Nicholas Borne presented a petition started by Robert Papillon of Pesant St. in the district, asking that the city conduct an analysis of speed bumps installed on the street. According to Councillor Borne, 43 residents of the street signed the petition.

A petition was also tabled by Duvernay district councillor Achille Cifelli, regarding a skating rink at Val-des-Arbres Park, where, according to the 222 residents who signed the petition, the rink is in poor condition and has been moved to various locations over time, most recently to make space for a dog park.

Safety issues on Lévesque Blvd.

Independent city councillor for Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Paolo Galati tabled a petition gathered by residents of St-Jean St. and Lévesque Blvd. East in his district, expressing concern about the safety of pedestrians, many of them children, as well as public transit users, because of traffic hazards on Lévesque Blvd.

“Traffic on Lévesque Blvd. East has become much too fast and too dense,” Galati said while tabling the petition.

“Vehicles are passing regularly at an excessive speed, making it extremely dangerous to cross, especially for children going to school, to the park or to neighbourhood activities, as well as for families who must cross this artery, and users of the STL who most cross to get to bus stops.”

Girl killed by car in 2016

Galati said that over the years, he’s often raised the issue, and that in 2016 a young girl was killed after being hit by a car on Lévesque while she was walking along with her father, her grandmother and another child.

He said the residents are therefore demanding that the city act urgently and concretely by implementing the following measures: installation of a pedestrian crosswalk with an adapted traffic light, reduction of the maximum speed to 40 km/h between des Cépages Blvd. and Roger Lortie Ave., and addition of a solar panel with a digital speed display.

“This citizen initiative is a pressing appeal for prevention in order to avoid that a serious accident, or worse a tragedy like the one in 2016, does not happen again,” added Galati, demanding that the city’s traffic department develop an action plan quickly.

Suicide Prevention Month

During a period reserved for councillors’ statements and new business, Chomedey independent councillor Aglaia Revelakis noted that September has been set aside on the calendar as the National Month for the Prevention of Suicide.

“This is a moment that reminds us undeniably of those persons in our community who are in need of help, as well as those who have been impacted by this problem,” said Revelakis.

“Mental health is important and asking for help is a sign of strength rather than weakness,” she continued. “Together, let us create a community where support, compassion and understanding make all the difference.”

At the same time, Revelakis wished her Jewish constituents a happy Rosh Hashanah, and she wished good luck to all the incumbent and new candidates in the upcoming municipal elections taking place on November 2.

Memorial sought for Greeks

L’Abord-à-Plouffe city councillor Vasilios Karidogiannis noted that he recently met with the newly-elected president of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, Basile Angelopoulos, to discuss a variety of issues.

Karidogiannis added that Laval’s Greek population is among the five most significant multicultural communities in the city, with more than 20,000 people being of Hellenic heritage.

He tabled a resolution during the council meeting proposing the installation in a public place along Souvenir Blvd. of a memorial of some kind paying homage to the contributions made in Laval by the Greek diaspora.

Laval city councillors table petitions during September council meeting Read More »

$80,000 in fire damages blamed on a broken microwave oven

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The owners of a home on Chicoutimi Avenue in Laval’s Duvernay district are $80,000 in the hole after a fire that is believed to have been set off by a malfunctioning microwave oven.

Around 5:15 pm on Sunday September 7, Laval firefighters received a call via 9-1-1 and were on the scene five minutes later.

A paramedic crew from Urgences Santé was dispatched to the scene to deal with at least one smoke inhalation casualty, but Laval Fire Dept. firefighters had things under control in a short time.

Damages to the structure of the house were estimated at $60,000, with an additional $20,000 damages to interior furnishings. Fire investigators were able to pinpoint the origin of the blaze as being in the kitchen.

Former Laval-Ouest gas station turned restaurant burns up

A former roadside gas station on Arthur Sauvé Blvd. in Laval-Ouest was reduced to rubble on August 26 in a fire that the LFD has turned over to the police for an arson investigation.

The Moyasu Sushi Fusion restaurant at 949 Arthur Sauvé was torched overnight from August 25-26. It took LFD personnel just 30 minutes to get it under control, but by then the damage was done.

The LFD had been to the same address for a report of a fire the day before.

Vehicles torched at 440 Ford car dealership

Arsonists are believed to have been responsible for vehicle fires that broke out in the parking lot at the 440 Ford car dealership on Chomedey Blvd. overnight on September 8,

Around 2 am, a call was received by Laval Police from a witness that several parked cars were aflame, bringing Laval Fire Dept. personnel rapidly to the scene.

After LFD fire investigators quickly found evidence of accelerants being used to start the blaze, they transferred the dossier to the police for a criminal investigation, including forensic examination for fingerprint and DNA evidence.

According to news reports, the car dealership had also been the target of an arson attack in April 2024. No arrests were reported as of earlier this week in conjunction with either incident.

Water main break on residential street in Laval nearly swallows car

A water main break on Rue Adrien in Laval’s St-François sector caused the ground under a parked car to collapse, almost submerging the vehicle.

City of Laval crews were repairing the road, closing a 150-metre stretch of the street.

“Our teams were informed of a leak accompanied by subsidence of the roadway on Adrien Street in St-François,” the city said in a statement.

“They immediately intervened to secure the area by installing a safety perimeter and began assessing the necessary corrective work, including the condition of gas lines and other underground infrastructure.

“Following this assessment, a team was mobilized today to carry out the required repairs and restore traffic,” added the statement.

“The water main has been repaired, and work continues to fully restore the area. Residents’ water supply was not interrupted during the work.”

As a precaution, the city issued a boil water advisory for residents. Crews were still investigating the cause of the leak.

$80,000 in fire damages blamed on a broken microwave oven Read More »

Moms, dads and kids said goodbye to summer at Laval’s Fête de la famille

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Although many of the kids who visited the Centre de la nature for the city’s Fête de la famille on Labour Day weekend were probably still primed and ready to go by the end of the day, a lot of parents were more likely exhausted and ready to hit the sack by the time it was all over.

It is a measure of the sheer vastness of the city’s largest outdoor park in Laval’s Duvernay district that it’s difficult to visit the place from end to end over the space of a few hours without coming away in a state of at least partial exhaustion.

Unless, of course, you have the inexhaustible energy of a growing child.

Saturday a washout

Among the many moms, dads and kids taking in the ambience on Sunday afternoon were Jason and his two pre-school kids from Laval’s Sainte-Dorothée district. While it was not their first time visiting the nature park, it was their first foray onto the vast grounds during a Fête de la famille celebration.

While Saturday may have been a rainy washout for some who’d planned to attend the first day of the outdoor celebration, the good news was that all-day sunshine prevailed on Sunday.

The city decided to stage a two-day celebration this year, instead of a single day as usual, given fact that 2025 is the 60th anniversary of the City of Laval’s founding in 1965. With an emphasis on sports and games, there was a multitude of activities, shows and hosted activities for children as well as adults.

The Zip Line at this year’s Fête de la famille at the Centre de la nature attracted children as well as adults. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

Fun for everybody

Among the many fun things to do were an overhead Zip Line, a climbing wall, a dance workshop, sports challenges, an exposition of public works heavy equipment, members of the Laval Rocket hockey team, officers from the Laval Police with their mascot Flair, BMX stunt bike riding and an initiation to pumptrack cycling.

There were also science workshops, nature talks and exhibits, a mobile library, giant games, digital challenges with the Laval public library’s Espace numérique, an exposition of archeological artifacts, and a section about animal protection.

Moms, dads and kids said goodbye to summer at Laval’s Fête de la famille Read More »

Incumbent mayor Stéphane Boyer promises to ‘concentrate on the essentials’

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Unlike some mayoralty candidates who were seeking re-election in Quebec’s third-largest city over the past few decades, incumbent Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer will not be dangling the prospect of flashy new projects – like Place Bell or the Aquatic Complex, as his predecessors did – when he’s out campaigning before election day on November 2.

A focus by past City of Laval administrations on projects like those, which also tended to be located in or near downtown Laval rather than in the more residential outlying areas, provided fodder over the years to city council opposition councillors, such as those from Action Laval.

Dismisses opposition claims

Rightly or wrongly, they accused Boyer’s predecessor, Mayor Marc Demers who also led the Mouvement lavallois, of ignoring the more common needs of Laval’s tax-paying residents (including upgrades to park infrastructure and new local arenas) in neighborhoods all over Île Jésus where the vast majority of Laval’s bedroom community population is situated.

With a little more than a month and a half left until the people of Laval decide who will lead the city for the next four years, Mayor Boyer, 37, said late last week in a wide-ranging pre-election interview with The Laval News that he disagreed fundamentally with the opposition’s claims,

He maintained that his party, the Mouvement lavallois, has succeeded in striking a proper balance between big and small projects in line with the needs of Laval’s residents.

“The opposition always wants to do wedge politics, while telling people that they are forgotten in their neighbourhoods,” said Boyer.

Focused on big and small, says Boyer

“The reality is that, yes, there are a few big projects, because we are Quebec’s third-largest city. But there are a lot of small projects in the neighbourhoods. It’s just that we don’t talk as much about it.”

As examples of smaller and more local projects in recent years, Boyer cited the renewal and opening of a long-neglected beach area alongside the Rivière des Mille Îles in Laval-Ouest, as well as the inauguration of a new library branch and culture centre in Saint-François.

In numbers, according to the mayor, no more than 18 per cent on average of the City of Laval’s budgeted annual expenses gets allotted for major projects, including the upcoming central library and cultural complex in the Montmorency sector, while the rest goes towards the city’s everyday needs as well as smaller projects in neighbourhoods.

So, what is Stéphane Boyer’s pledge to voters should they choose to re-elect him? “What I am proposing to the citizens for the next few years is to concentrate on the essentials,” he said.

Making Laval more resilient

Noting that a good deal of Laval’s essential infrastructure, including major roadways, dates from the 1960s and 1970s when the population grew by 100,000 over a relative few years, he said a re-elected Mouvement lavallois administration would concentrate on basics like road maintenance, while keeping a focus on issues directly impacting homeowners such as flooding, ice storms and wind damage linked to climate change.

“So, my main focus for the next few years would be maintenance of infrastructure, to make the city more resilient and to better protect our citizens,” he said, while claiming that 94 per cent of the pledges the Mouvement lavallois made prior to the 2021 election are now accomplished or are underway.

Few details on Carré Laval project

The mayor does, in fact, have one project he announced a year ago that could be considered major, although it is longer-term. Carré Laval envisions the development in the space of 20 years of a large tract of land near Autoroute 15 in eastern Chomedey (formerly serving as a snow dump) into a mixed residential/commercial/light industrial sector.

Ironically, the opposition at city hall has criticized Boyer for not saying enough about this dossier. Boyer has justified his administration’s reluctance to say more, insisting it would be inappropriate to discuss in detail a project that’s only now getting off the ground.

Earlier this year, Mayor Boyer garnered a fair bit of media attention after he revealed that he suffered from a type of arthritis affecting the spinal cord, limiting some of his activities, although he said that he still intended to run for re-election.

Back problem not limiting him

As he explained in last week’s interview, the discomfort he experiences makes it more difficult for him to stand for lengths of time at the frequent receptions politicians are expected to attend. “After half an hour I need to sit down,” he said.

Boyer, who first entered Laval city politics in 2013 during the post-Gilles Vaillancourt surge that brought the Mouvement lavallois into office, served at first as the city councillor for Laval’s Duvernay-Pont-Viau district and as a senior member of the executive-committee. At the time of his election as mayor four years ago when he was 33, he was the youngest mayor in the City of Laval’s history.

While acknowledging that he owns and lives in a house in Laval-des-Rapides, Boyer was reluctant to reveal more about his personal circumstances. “I don’t talk about my personal life,” he said, while adding, “I want my family to be able to have their own private life.” What is better known about Boyer is his love of outdoor activities, including hiking, kayaking, rock climbing and sailing.

He has less time for leisure

While he is also known to have travelled in his younger years to some distant parts of the world like South Africa and New Zealand, his role as mayor over the past four years has constrained his ability to continue travelling as extensively, he admitted.

“I don’t do it as much as I would like to now that I am mayor because I work six or seven days a week now and don’t have that much free time,” said Boyer.

Famously, one of the pledges Mayor Boyer made when running for the mayoralty in 2021 was that he would roll his salary (which was the second-highest among Quebec towns and cities at the time) back by $30,000 if elected.

Today, minus that amount, he earns around $200,000 a year. Although he has no intention of renewing the pledge, the mayor pointed out that his current salary is less than the salaries paid to the city manager and the assistant city manager.

On track to low property taxes

One of the inescapable truths about municipal election years is that the annual budgets that precede voting day almost always go easy on property taxpayers. As such, the budget by the Boyer administration in December last year held the tax increase to 1.9 per cent. The increase the year before was 4.8 per cent.

Noting that Laval’s economic development projections for the current year as well as for 2026 indicate continuing growth in the number of housing units built here, Boyer said the city is on track to break all previous records before the end of this year, allowing the city to maintain a correspondingly low tax rate because of the additional revenue.

Incumbent mayor Stéphane Boyer promises to ‘concentrate on the essentials’ Read More »

The Legault gov’t is making school teacher shortage worse, say Laval-area PLQ MNAs

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In a meeting last week between Laval region teachers’ union reps and three Quebec Liberal Party MNAs, including two from Laval, the union contended there’s been a noteworthy drop in the number of university students working towards becoming teachers because of the CAQ government’s failure to address worsening workplace conditions in public education.

Senior officials with the Syndicat de l’enseignement de la région de Laval met at union headquarters in Pont-Viau with Quebec Liberal MNA Madwa-Nika Cadet, the PLQ’s official critic for education and employment, as well as Chomedey PLQ MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier and Mille-Îles PLQ MNA Virginie Dufour.

No one wants to teach

“What they told us is that the enrollments for education in university have lowered immensely,” Lakhoyan Olivier said in an interview with The Laval News.

“They (students) don’t like to see what’s happening,” added Cadet, maintaining that the impact of the Legault government’s actions on the public education sector is discouraging university students from pursuing careers in teaching.

In June, shortly after the school year ended, the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (with which the SERL is affiliated) issued a statement demanding that Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville be relieved of his cabinet duties by Premier François Legault in view of $570 million in cuts to the public education sector Drainville was making.

Untangling the priorities

“It is likely to get worse,” Cadet predicted, arguing that funding cuts have become the CAQ government’s number one priority, while the government’s second priority is the public education sector’s lack of qualified teachers.

“Since students are looking out for their future, they’re saying to themselves that they don’t want to go into education,” she continued. “They see the working conditions and they do not want to end up on that path.”

But adding to the problem, she said, the number of teachers already inside Quebec’s public education system is also declining simply because the teachers are leaving in desperation.

“They are leaving at the beginning of their careers in the first five years,” she said, noting that the phenomenon has been documented.

However, according to Cadet, experienced teachers are also abandoning the system in spite of the fact they often love working with and helping to educate children. “We don’t give the possibility for the teachers to succeed,” she said.

‘A vicious circle,’ says Fournier

“It’s creating a vicious circle,” interjected Mille-Îles Liberal MNA Virginie Dufour. “Where you have less teachers, then less people interested.”

Taking into account the CAQ government’s management of the education portfolio in addition to all the other dossiers it oversees, Cadet said, “What everybody is telling us is that it’s the first time we see the situation as bad as this. The first time we see this much chaos. The first time we see so many last-minute decisions.

“And that’s the problem with this government,” she added. “First, they make a decision, and then they react. It’s like they don’t consult beforehand. And sometimes when they do, they consult in silos where they consult only one group, then another group, but the groups can’t talk to each other because they’re under non-disclosure agreements that stop them from talking.”

Youth employment impacted

With regards to another dossier, this time affecting the province-wide youth employment network run by the Carrefour jeunesse emploi (including the Laval branch), CJE officials told the PLQ MNAs that the CAQ government (which funds the network) has been demanding more accountability from the CJEs, while cutting budgets and resources.

“Money is now being spent more on bureaucracy and filling paperwork and forms than for giving service,È Dufour said. “They’re funding less, but employees are putting in more time for red tape and paperwork,” added Lakhoyan Olivier.

The Legault gov’t is making school teacher shortage worse, say Laval-area PLQ MNAs Read More »

Laval decides to purchase Golf Sainte-Rose to turn into public park

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Members of the City of Laval’s executive-committee have signed a letter of intention addressed to a real estate holding company, stating the city’s interest in purchasing a Sainte-Rose golf course for the purpose of redeveloping it into a public park.

The letter addressed to Groupe immobilier Van Houtte stated the city’s willingness to undertake negotiations with the company so that the golf course can be turned into a green space in line with Laval’s ongoing ambitions to preserve as much natural territory as possible.

CMM involvement

According to a release issued by the city, the undertaking is being done in conjunction with the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), which is a regional government authority with a mandate to eventually conserve 30 per cent of Montreal’s overall territory for an eventual network of regional parks.

The city says that in order to pay for the purchase of Golf Sainte-Rose, it will be making a formal application for a subsidy from the CMM through the regional authority’s Trame verte et bleue program.

And while the city foresees the deal closing before the end of next year, the city’s statement says the goal is for the golf course to remain open until the end of the 2027 golf season.

An unspoiled area

Surrounded by the Mille Îles river and a forested area known as the Mattawa Woods, Golf Sainte-Rose is seen by the City of Laval as an essential piece of the unspoiled green space the municipality wants to preserve permanently.

According to the city, conserving the golf course would help to restore nearby marshes and wet areas, to create a unique ecological corridor, to help deal with climate change impacts, and would also offer the population a large area suitable for games and sports in the open air.

“The Sainte-Rose golf course is a unique site in Laval, as much for its ecological value and for its recreational potential,” said Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer.

“What we have in mind is clear: to protect this territory while transforming it into a vast riverside nature park that is accessible to everyone. Few river banks in Laval offer such a large and promising area for leisure activities.

Consultations planned

“We therefore hope to develop outdoor activities that respect the natural environment and make it possible to take full advantage of nature,” Boyer added.

“Our wish is to build this vision in conjunction with the population and organizations in Laval. Together, we will turn this site into a model of balance between nature conservation, leisure and collective well-being.”

“Natural and green spaces are essential in order to deal with the climate crisis and to preserve the quality of life of the population,” said Massimo Iezzoni, executive director of the CMM. “We must act concretely and rapidly to enlarge and protect their territory. This is even more true in heavily urbanized areas like greater Montreal, where there is very little natural space left for us to reach the targets.”

Surpassing conservation goals

The city says it wants the transformation of Golf Sainte-Rose to take place with the participation of residents. Hence, citizens as well as organizations involved with the environment and leisure activities will be asked to contribute to deciding on the site’s future use.

In 2023, the City of Laval announced that it had surpassed its stated conservation goals by reaching 18 per cent protected territory, which was five times more than in 2009.

Since 2021, the city has also acquired nearly 100 hectares of natural outdoor spaces thanks to $35 million in investments for that purpose. Among those acquisitions were the purchase of Île Locas near Golf Sainte-Rose in the rivière des Mille Îles.

Laval decides to purchase Golf Sainte-Rose to turn into public park Read More »

Parc Ex’s Pakistanis celebrate the start of their nation’s 79th year of independence

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Celebrations held on Saturday Aug. 16 in Parc Extension’s Saint Roch Park to mark the 79th annual Pakistan Independence Day attracted a good-size crowd of patriotic Pakistanis who enjoyed singing, traditional dancing and stirring addresses.

Some Mexican flair

While there is a 16,000-kilometre distance between Pakistan and Mexico, that didn’t stand in the way for the organizers, the Himalaya Seniors of Quebec, to invite a small group of Mexican folkloric dancers based in Villeray to come and put on a good dance show.

There were also multi-cultural events and speeches by elected officials from local ridings and neighborhoods. Various artists and singers from the Pakistani community were also invited to perform, while bazaar and food concession operators also took part.

A very busy weekend

Prominent dignitaries including MPs, MNAs, borough mayors, city councillors and representatives of different cultural communities were also invited to grace the occasion with their presence.

For some of the local elected officials, Pakistan Independence Day was just one of a series of commemorative events taking place over a single weekend, making it their busiest time of the year.

The other events in or near Parc Extension included India Independence Day, Armenian community celebrations, and the Montreal Greek Festival.

Every year, Pakistan’s national independence day is celebrated all over Pakistan and in many part of the world with flag raising ceremonies, tributes to the national heroes and fireworks in the capital, Islamabad.

A big day in Pakistan

The main celebration takes place in the capital, where the President and Prime Minister raise the national flag at the Presidential and Parliament buildings and deliver speeches that are televised live.

In the speech, the leaders highlight the achievements of the government, goals set for the future and (in the words of the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam), bring “Unity, Faith and Discipline” to the people.

The event, also known as Yaum-e-Azadi, is officially observed on the anniversary of the day in 1947 when Pakistan became independent from British rule within what was then known as the British Raj.

Pakistan economy expanding

According to the English-language Pakistani news daily Express Tribune, Pakistan is presently undergoing an economic expansion phase, including the privatization of government corporations, aimed at attracting foreign investment and reducing budget deficits.

However, the country still has challenges to deal with, such as rapid population growth, widespread illiteracy, political instability, poor relations with other nations and heavy foreign debt.

Parc Ex’s Pakistanis celebrate the start of their nation’s 79th year of independence Read More »

Parc Exers gather to celebrate India Independence Day

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Parc Extension’s Place de la Gare was filled with joy and jubilation on the afternoon of Sunday Aug. 17 as people of Indian heritage from everywhere in the Montreal region gathered to take part in joyful festivities marking the day 79 years ago when India became a nation.

For many elected officials from Parc Ex as well as from throughout the Montreal region, the India Independence Day celebrations were just one of a lengthy series of events taking place all weekend as Montrealers were beginning to wind down after summer vacation.

One of Parc Ex’s big events

Organized annually by the India-Canada Organization, India Independence Day is one of the largest public events in Parc Extension every year. Months of preparation take place, leading up to it annually.

Although there has not been an India Independence Day parade along Querbes Ave. for a number of years, India-Canada Organization chairman Naseer Mehdi Khan, as well as an event organizer from the Borough of VSMPE both suggested to Nouvelles Parc Extension News that they haven’t given up hope of holding a parade next year if the conditions are right and there is willingness to go ahead with it.

Progress report on India

In addition to the celebrations, India Independence Day is also an occasion for the organizers to publicly speak about progress that’s been made during the previous year in the home country and to focus on issues of concern there.

Since the early 1990s, India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in the developing world. This has been accompanied by increases in life expectancy, literacy rates and food security. India is now one of the world’s largest economies by nominal GDP, and third-largest by purchasing power parity.

Indian economy booming

During the local celebrations, an official representative from the Republic of India’s high commission in Canada spoke optimistically of India’s prospering economy, which ranks next to Germany, China and the United States (which is in first place).

He also spoke of significantly improved relations between India and Canada with the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney. Relations between Canada and India fell to an historic low during former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s time in office.

Parc Exers gather to celebrate India Independence Day Read More »

Up to 20,000 attended Montreal Greek Festival in the heart of Parc Ex

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Hundreds of people in a mood to party gathered in the centre of Parc Extension on the weekend of August 15 to 17 to talk, eat, dance and soak up the Hellenic ambience at the annual Montreal Greek Festival.

Held around the same time as the Greek Orthodox Church’s Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, the last day, Sunday, was the culminating celebration of all things Greek.

Four days of fun

It all took place at the intersection of Saint Roch and Outremont streets where hundreds of people of all ages – many of them Hellenic teens – formed circles and danced until late into the night. More than 20,000 attended the festival.

This was the first year newly-elected Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal president Basile Angelopoulos presided over the festivities.

“This is truly the beginning of a new era at the HCGM,” said Angelopoulos, a longtime Laval resident, who was elected in June. While he grew up in Laval, his parents lived in Parc Extension for a number of years after first arriving from Greece.

A continuing tradition

“Welcome to all our friends and thank you for being here to share this wonderful occasion, a tradition that continues and one that we will ensure will continue in the future,” he told the gathering prior to the beginning of a performance by Greek folk dancers.

Although she represents a Laval constituency, Vimy Liberal MP Annie Koutrakis spent an important part of her youth in Parc Extension. Before moving to Chomedey at age 17 with her parents, she attended Barclay School in Parc Ex and has fond memories of playing in the parks and on the streets of the area.

A ‘homecoming’ for some

“The Montreal Greek Festival is like a homecoming for me every year,” she said in an interview with Nouvelles Parc Extension, reflecting a view held by many Greek Montrealers from all over the region who regard Parc Extension, with its many Greek Orthodox churches, as the spiritual centre of the Montreal Greek community.

A highlight of the evening on Sunday August 17 was the presentation by Chomedey Liberal MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier of a National Assembly Medal to longtime Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros in recognition of Deros’s many years of public service. Although she now lives in Laval, Lakhoyan Olivier grew up in Parc Extension.

Up to 20,000 attended Montreal Greek Festival in the heart of Parc Ex Read More »

9th annual Fête de Quartier St-Bruno draws hundreds of moms, dads and kids

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Although some were worried about a sudden and unexpected downpour raining out the party, nearly all concerns were set aside when hundreds of residents of Laval’s Saint-Bruno district gathered near Lausanne Park last Sunday afternoon for local city councillor David De Cotis’s ninth annual Fête de Quartier.

The area’s biggest community celebration of the year drew more than a dozen local organizations and merchants.

They were eager to touch base with people from the area. Elected representatives from various levels of government were also on hand to introduce themselves.

Action Laval councillor for Saint-Bruno David De Cotis was joined by party colleagues at the Fête de Quartier. From the left, Val-des-Arbres councillor Achille Cifelli, Action Laval mayoralty candidate Frédéric Mayer, Saint-François councillor Isabelle Piché, David De Cotis and Action Laval candidate in Sainte-Dorothée James Bissi. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

All for a good cause

The event was organized by De Cotis in conjunction with the Service bénévole d’entraide Vimont-Auteuil (SBEVA), a local non-profit that provides meals-on-wheels to hundreds of individuals impacted by loss of personal autonomy.

All proceeds from the Fête de Quartier de Saint-Bruno will be going to SBEVA.

“This a community event to create a sense of belonging for everyone – but especially the children,” De Cotis said in an interview with The Laval News. “But at the same time, all the money raised today is going straight to the SBEVA.

9th annual Fête de Quartier St-Bruno draws hundreds of moms, dads and kids Read More »

LPD Blue: Fire causes more than a half-million dollars damage to home in Saint-François

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A fire that broke out at a home on Pierre Boucher St. in Laval’s Saint-François district on August 22 will be costing the owners or their insurers more than a half-million dollars to repair the damage.

The Laval Fire Dept. received a distress call about the blaze via 9-1-1 around 7 pm and were on the scene within four minutes.

According to a post placed on the X feed of the Association des Pompiers de Laval (the firemen’s union), flames were visible at the rear of the dwelling upon the firefighters’ arrival, then spread to the roof.

However, the occupants were able to get out safely before the firemen arrived.

In all, 34 firemen and nine fire department units were summoned to the scene. They reported the situation as being under control by nearly 9:30 pm.

Human error was a probable factor, fire investigators concluded in an initial report on the source of the blaze, without providing more detailed information.

They estimated damages to the building (worth $681,000, according to City of Laval property valuation records) at $450,000, while damages to interior furnishings were estimated at $100,000.

Body found on Cité-de-la-Santé Hospital roof in Laval

Laval police are investigating after a body was found on the roof of Cité-de-la-Santé Hospital on the morning of Tuesday August 19.

A call to 9-1-1 was made around 9:35 a.m. after hospital staff discovered a deceased person on the roof of one of the hospital campus’s buildings, according to a spokesperson for the Laval Police Dept.

Authorities confirmed that the person was pronounced dead on the scene. The LPD’s crimes against persons’ squad took charge of the file, in conjunction with the coroner’s office.

According to the police, an investigation will attempt to determine the causes and circumstances of the death. The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Laval declined to issue a statement last week, saying they could not as the incident remained under police investigation.

But in the meantime, they confirmed that there would be no impact on services to Cité de la Santé patients or visitors.

QMI news reported last week that the deceased was a former Cité de la Santé cardiology patient who had been released a few days before, and that the body was found on the roof of the cardiology unit.

Fire heavily damages single-story Fabreville home

A one-story house on Éric Street in Fabreville suffered substantial fire and smoke damage on Monday August 18 after flames that started on an exterior rear balcony spread to the roof of the home.

An initial distress call from the owners was received by 9-1-1 operators around 5:30 am and the occupants were reported to have evacuated about five minutes later.

Although Laval Fire Dept. personnel reported the situation as under control in around 45 minutes, an estimated $100,000 in fire and water damage had been done by then.

House in Duvernay evacuated after reported natural gas leak

A home on Curé Cloutier St. in Laval’s Duvernay district was evacuated as a precaution on the morning of Friday August 22 after excavation machinery accidentally ruptured a natural gas line nearby.

Laval Fire Dept. personnel confirmed the gas leak, after which they accompanied the house’s occupants outside, then summoned Hydro-Québec to neutralize any risk posed by electrical sources.

As a result, there was an electricity blackout on several streets for several hours, although the situation was deemed as being under control before 9:30 am.

LPD Blue: Fire causes more than a half-million dollars damage to home in Saint-François Read More »

Carney announces removal of retaliatory tariffs on CUSMA-compliant U.S. goods

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After warning that nearly one in five small Canadian businesses impacted by tariffs couldn’t last more than six months without intervention by the federal government, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business changed its tune late last week, saying it welcomed Ottawa’s decision to drop retaliatory tariffs on a wide range of U.S. goods.

Damaging retaliation

“This is a step in the right direction and will take some of the pressure off Canadian small businesses as trade talks continue,” said CFIB vice-president of advocacy Corinne Pohlmann

However, she maintained that many small business owners had told the CFIB before then that Canada’s retaliatory measures were almost as damaging as the U.S. tariffs themselves.

“While small firms were in favour of Canadian counter tariffs as the trade war began, their support has been falling since February,” Pohlmann added.

While maintaining that the government’s announcement provided some relief going forward, she said the CFIB still wants Ottawa to immediately release tariff revenue to small businesses and work quickly to resolve small business requests still tied up in the remissions process.

Free trade is on again

In a statement issued by Prime Minister Marc Carney’s office last week, Carney said that the Canadian government decided to match the United States by removing all of Canada’s tariffs on U.S. goods, specifically those covered under the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement.

The decision takes effect on September 1. “In short, Canada and the U.S. have now re-established free trade for the vast majority of our goods,” Carney said.

However, Canada will retain tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos as it works intensively with the U.S. to resolve the issues there. The federal government underscored the fact that Canada is the second-largest foreign investor in the U.S.

Carney said that to address challenges in strategic sectors from agriculture to autos, the government will soon announce a new comprehensive industrial strategy that protects Canadian jobs, boosts Canadian competitiveness, buys Canadian goods, and diversifies Canadian exports.

Small business hit hardest

The CFIB said before the government’s announcement that new data it obtained revealed small businesses were being hit hardest by U.S. and Canadian tariffs on steel and aluminum and Canada’s own retaliatory tariffs on other U.S. goods. In addition, according to the CFIB, nearly one-third of Canadian SMEs would be negatively affected by the loss of the $800 U.S. de minimis exemption.

U.S. President Donald Trump had signed an executive order on July 31, raising tariffs on some Canadian goods to 35 per cent. Canada might have been able to avoid the hike had it managed to strike a new trade deal with the U.S. by an August 1 deadline, although that didn’t happen. 

The Canadian government had imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods three times since the trade war began, including counter-tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. consumer goods and additional tariffs on U.S. autos.

Bad deal vs. lasting uncertainty

“Small businesses don’t have a lot of runway left,” Pohlmann warned last week before the federal government’s latest announcement. She said the worst outcome for Canada in the trade war would be “a bad deal,” but the second worst outcome would be the regularization of an uncertainty that small business owners had been contending with for the past six months.

“The federal government needs to provide some stability and return tariff revenue to help small businesses,” she said. “We’ve suggested several options, including temporarily reducing the federal small business tax rate to zero or a tariff rebate designed on earlier models, like the carbon tax rebate.”

CFIB data indicates that nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of small businesses face higher expenses, while many are also seeing lower revenues (48 per cent), supply chain disruptions (41 per cent), and paused investments (36 per cent).

As well, nearly one in five (19 per cent) of small businesses dealing with extra tariff costs reported they would not be able to last more than six months if the tariff status quo remained, while nearly four in 10 (38 per cent) said they would last less than a year.

What happens to collected tariffs?

With Ottawa having collected billions in additional tariff revenue on U.S. imports, a strong majority (82 per cent) told the CFIB the government should ensure that any tariff revenue that is returned includes support for smaller businesses affected both directly and indirectly by trade disruptions.

“The trade war’s impact on Canada’s small businesses should be top of mind for the government as Canada continues its negotiations with the U.S. Canada can’t fix its productivity crisis without empowering its entrepreneurs,” according to Pohlmann.

“If the government wants to build one Canadian economy, it needs to ensure small businesses are part of the solution and that includes providing them with tariff support during this very challenging time,” she said.

Carney announces removal of retaliatory tariffs on CUSMA-compliant U.S. goods Read More »

Action Laval demands ‘transparency’ from city over Carré Laval project

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Nearly a year after the city announced a wide-ranging strategy for the transformation of a long-vacant expanse of land at Laval’s centre into a mixed-use project, Action Laval is demanding the Boyer administration come clean on its plans for Carré Laval and share whatever information is available with Laval’s taxpayers.

In September last year, with much fanfare, Mayor Stéphane Boyer announced that the Carré Laval project would be taking place over a span of at least 20 years on a mostly vacant square of land at the southwest intersection of Autoroute 15 and Saint-Martin Blvd.

The most notable landmarks there until now have been the Palais de Justice, as well as the abandoned stone quarry behind the courthouse, and in more recent years the staging base for the lightshow entertainment start-up Illumi Laval, who have vacated the site.

A major project

In a press release issued by the city last year, Laval officials referred to Carré Laval as a “flagship project,” serving possibly as a prototype for similar developments elsewhere in Laval.

The city acknowledged it is an “ambitious vision” for an area that was chosen largely because of its strategic location immediately next to the A-15, allowing widespread exposure to a steady stream of traffic passing through Laval and greater Montreal.

During an expected first phase, a 22-hectare regional park (the equivalent of 30 football fields, according to the city) would be created, with the disused stone quarry dominating the middle. Eventually, 3,500 units of housing would be built in Carré Laval, although the initial plan calls for the creation of 1,000 housing units, 500 of which would be affordable.

Working with Angus developer

To reach this goal, the city said last year that it would be working closely with the Société de développement Angus (SDA), a property developer that operates on principles of social economy. SDA’s main accomplishment to date was the redevelopment of the former Angus railway yards in the east end of Montreal into a mixed-use residential/commercial community.

The City of Laval signed an agreement in principle with the Société de développement Angus, which sets out three phases for SDA’s involvement with Carré Laval: construction of 500 units of affordable housing; development of an additional 500 housing units of an unspecified type; and the realization of a public building built around the “One Health” concept, as well as life sciences and commercial research.

The city launched a wide-ranging public consultation on Carré Laval with an initial presentation in September last year. The plan also calls for life and health sciences companies to eventually locate their research facilities in Carré Laval.

‘Just an announcement’

“When the mayor announced this project, along with things like social housing that was supposed to go with it, it was basically just an announcement, right,” said Action Laval councillor for Saint-Bruno David De Cotis.

“But there’s no other plan, there’s no budget associated with this. It’s just a dream, but with nothing around it. Nothing to say any of this is actually going to happen. Which is why we’re asking for transparency.”

During the August Laval city council meeting two weeks ago, Action Laval’s interim-leader Achille Cifelli tabled a motion asking the city’s executive-committee to publicly release all documents relating to the Carré Laval project.

Among other things, the motion asks the executive-committee to hold an independent audit of the expenses associated with the project, as well as the anticipated tax impacts, while asking that public additional consultations be held.

‘Not against development’

“We are not against development, but it has to be transparent, responsible and supported by the population,” Cifelli said in a statement. “Today that is not the case with Carré Laval.” Action Laval’s motion is scheduled to be debated during the September city council meeting.

“The elected officials from the Action Laval team will be present to defend the motion and to protect the interests of the citizens,” added Frédéric Mayer, the party’s candidate for mayor in the November 2 elections.

“All Laval residents are entitled to know how their money is being used and how Carré Laval is being managed,” he added. “My colleague’s proposal seeks clear information and real consultations of the population.”

Action Laval demands ‘transparency’ from city over Carré Laval project Read More »

City-Watch: Two days of celebrations mark Laval’s 60th birthday at Fête de la famille

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Although Saturday may already have been a rainy washout for some of those who’d been planning to attend the first day of the City of Laval’s Fête de la famille outdoor celebration on Labour Day weekend, the good news is that all-day sunshine is in the forecast for day two on Sunday.

One of the city’s largest annual outdoor gatherings is taking place at the Centre de la nature over two days instead of one day as is usually the case.

From 10 am to 5 pm on both dates, the city is staging a special two-day celebration to mark the fact that 2025 is the 60th anniversary of the City of Laval’s founding in 1965.

With an emphasis on sports and games, the celebration will include a multitude of activities, shows and hosted activities for children as well as adults.

“This special staging of the Fête de la famille is an occasion to celebrate once again our 60 years of community life in Laval by bringing together young and old around a schedule of programming that is rich and festive,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer.

“These moments of celebration reinforce the link that holds us together with feelings of belonging, nourishing our pride in being from Laval and it makes me happy to see this growing from year to year.”

Over the two days of this year’s Fête de la famille, there will be three zones for activities in the Centre de la nature. The first, the Turbulence Zone, is for those who like to move.

It will feature a big overhead Zip Line, a climbing wall, a dance workshop, sports challenges, an expo of heavy equipment, members of the Laval Rocket hockey team, officers from the Laval Police with their mascot Flair, BMX stunt bike displays and an initiation to pumptrack cycling.

The second zone is dedicated to budding young geniuses. It will feature science workshops, nature talks and exhibits, a mobile library, giant games, digital challenges with the Laval public library’s Espace numérique, an exposition of archeological artifacts, and a section about animal protection.

Finally, the third zone is for the very young. It will feature inflatable games, face painting, a mini-Zip Line, a firefighters’ challenge led by staff from the Laval Fire Dept., a circus village (Opération Bazar), and opportunities to meet unusual characters strolling around the Centre de la nature.

For teens and older persons seeking something a little more exciting, there are two new features at this year’s Fête de la famille: BMX and pumptrack will be filling the bill.

As well, over the two days a number of young performers alone and in teams will be staging shows on the Fête de la famille’s main stage, in the mini-village on the Centre de la nature site, and in front of the main big top tent.

They include Arthur L’Aventurier, the Switch dance group, Zak the challenger, Ariane Deslions, as well as Hiatus, Juju and Marcelle, L’agent Jean, Maddox, Aventurosaure and Les Volk.

Finally, near the Turbulence Zone, there will be an exhibition of equipment used by the Laval Police Dept., whose officers will be on hand to explain what they’re for and how they work.

It’s worth noting that the Fête de la famille will be taking place rain or shine, regardless of the prevailing weather on Saturday and Sunday August 30 and 31.

To ensure the safety of everyone during the event, Avenue du Parc which runs along the west side of the Centre de la nature will be closed to motor vehicle traffic on both days.

Special measures for parking will be in place, and shuttle buses provided by the Société de transport de Laval will help facilitate access to the Fête de la famille site.

City-Watch: Two days of celebrations mark Laval’s 60th birthday at Fête de la famille Read More »

Boyer highlights Laval’s storm preparedness investments a year after Hurricane Debby

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In his opening remarks at the start of the August 12 meeting of Laval city council, Mayor Stéphane Boyer noted that it was nearly a year to the day since the worst weather-related disaster Laval residents ever experienced – Tropical Storm Debby.

After-storm cleanup

The remnant of Hurricane Debby peaked in the Laval region on August 9 last year, impacting up to 15,000 families whose homes in many cases were flooded, forcing a massive cleanup over the following weeks that left piles of debris stacked along streets in neighbourhoods all over Laval.

The mayor maintained that progress has been made towards developing a more effective municipal contingency plan for future weather disasters and that several studies and reports have been issued to help make Laval a safer place to live.

New climate reality

“We also have many infrastructure construction and investment projects underway so that the city can become increasingly resilient,” said Boyer, while noting that it took Laval six decades to develop its infrastructure to the level it’s at now.

“So, it’s going to take a certain amount of time before our infrastructure can be adapted to the new climate reality.”

He said that one of the city’s new projects, along Saint-Martin Blvd., is being designed to absorb rainwater directly from the heavily-trafficked street into the soil, so that the equivalent of two Olympic-size swimming pools of water will be kept out of the stormwater sewer system whenever it rains.

As well, according to Boyer, the city is building a new rainfall reservoir around the Metro station at the intersection of Cartier and des Laurentides boulevards.

Making Laval more resilient

“These are some of the projects that are underway at this time,” he continued. “And we know that worksites can cause momentary inconveniences. But the idea is to make a city that will be more resilient and that can ensure peace and well-being for our residents.”

As August 6 was the official date of the merger 60 years ago of more than a dozen previously independent municipalities on Île Jésus into the City of Laval, Mayor Boyer noted that the main issues in the beginning were better fire protection and better water and sewer infrastructure.

“Thankfully, we have made a lot of headway since then,” he said. “We are now at the stage where we have good services for the population and today Laval is an example among municipalities 60 years after merger.”

Former councillors eulogized

In passing, Mayor Boyer pointed out the recent deaths of two former Laval city councillors: former Laval-les-Îles councillor Jean-Jacques Beldié and former Saint-François councillor Jacques St-Jean, both of whom served for nearly a quarter-century each.

“Being in politics isn’t always easy,” added the mayor, without being specific. (Beldié and St-Jean were both longstanding members of the administration under former Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt.)

“We often face criticism, we are often confronted by many problems and issues,” he said.

“But I think we should always point out the involvement of people who devoted years of their lives to public service. Especially people like Mr. Beldié and Mr. St-Jean who served for around 25 years each.”

Boyer highlights Laval’s storm preparedness investments a year after Hurricane Debby Read More »

Laval Police fail to intercept Sainte-Rose car thief

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Friday August 8, the Laval Police needed the help of several officers as well as the canine squad to try and track down the perpetrator of a car theft near the Sainte-Rose neighbourhood.

Just after 5:30 am, 9-1-1 received a call notifying them that a grey 2024 Lexus had been stolen in nearby Fabreville.

With modern tracking technology being what it is now, it wasn’t long before the LPD were able to locate the vehicle, which was in motion around 6:55 am as it rolled along Autoroute 440 going west near Saint-François.

Although the police made an initial attempt to intercept the vehicle, the driver refused to stop.

Given that the morning rush-hour was coming up, the officers decided not to engage the vehicle in a chase because of the risk to the public.

Two Highland cows get loose in Sainte-Dorothée

A pair of Highland cows that escaped from their owners in Sainte-Dorothée over the weekend hadn’t yet been taken back into captivity as of last Monday morning.

The owners, who had just purchased the livestock, reported to police that the cows, which are longhaired and have prominent horns, escaped from a transport trailer on avenue des Bois.

They were last seen fleeing southward into farm land. The owners, who are from the Quebec City area, said the cows were not bred in Laval, hence they are not familiar with the territory.

The owners warned that, although the animals are not considered dangerous, it would be inadvisable to run after them. They sayd they might respond to offers of apples or carrots to keep them in place until help arrives to recapture them.

String of fires keep Laval’s firefighters busy during vacation period

While many Laval residents may still be in the midst of their annual summer vacation, the city’s firefighters were busy over the past few weeks dealing with fires in households as well as at commercial and industrial locations.

In one of the most recent outbreaks, around 20 minutes after midnight on July 29, some sheds located behind a multi-unit residence on Jubinville St. in Laval’s Pont-Viau sector caught fire and began to spread to the roof of the main building.

The blaze was serious enough to require the firefighters first arriving to call in two more alarms, bringing more LFD personnel to the scene.

For another recent fire, two days earlier on July 27, the LFD were summoned to a one-story mixed-use residential/commercial building on Samson Blvd. at the corner of Côté St. in Chomedey around 4:20 pm.

The building, housing a small bakery business (a familiar landmark for many of those who regularly drive by on the busy artery), appeared to have not sustained major damage, although the firefighters reported seeing smoke after first reaching the scene.

Around 1 am on July 25, a commercial building housing a bank on Montée du Moulin in Laval’s Saint-François district caught fire after flames from a car that had caught fire spread to the building.

The Montreal daily news website La Presse reported that the car caught fire after it rammed the side of the building, possibly after the driver lost control, and that the police later located and questioned the driver.

CTV and other Montreal-area media also reported that the vehicle belonged to an officer from a Montreal-area police force, without specifying which one and whether the officer was at the wheel at the time of the collision.

The firefighters reported on their X feed that they weren’t certain at one point whether the blaze might escalate into something more serious, as there was a risk the flames might spread into the roof of the building.

Another fire in Saint-François, this time on July 21, saw a home on Romain St. damaged heavily when flames spread to a crawl space underneath the roof.

Finally, on July 12, flames from a pair of sheds behind a home on rue des Crocus in Sainte-Dorothée threatened to spread to nearby homes. The LFD didn’t report any serious damage beyond that.

Laval Police fail to intercept Sainte-Rose car thief Read More »

More than 20,000 attended the 29th annual Symposium de Ste-Rose

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Corporation Rose-Art president Oprina-Felicia Dolea was uneasy on the opening day of the 29th annual Symposium de Ste-Rose late last month as she contemplated the days ahead and the quickly-changing weather in Quebec these past few years.

All turned for the best

“We are concerned about tomorrow – they are predicting rain and wind,” she told The Laval News, while gesturing at the tents and canvas shelters the participating artists were using to display their sculptures and paintings.

As things turned out, she needn’t have worried. Compared to some of the arts group’s summertime symposiums in recent years, this year’s went off without a weather-related hitch.

The much-feared rain and wind never really materialized, and hundreds of supporters and patrons of the visual arts were able to enjoy the 2025 symposium over the entire four-day duration.

Highly historic setting

From July 24 to 27, appreciators of quality sculpture and art from all over Quebec, as well as Ontario and other parts of eastern Canada, gathered in Laval’s historic Vieux Sainte Rose for an event that has come to be recognized as one of Quebec’s leading and most prestigious outdoor art shows.

For the second time, the organizers were able to persuade legendary Quebec singer Shirley Théroux to be the official spokesperson for the symposium.

Théroux had a string of song hits in Quebec during the 1960s and 1970s and was also a highly popular late-afternoon program host on French-language television. An accomplished painter in addition to her musical talents, several of Théroux’s art works were featured in a special segment of the show.

Home to great artists

The Sainte-Rose Art Symposium, a popular summertime gathering of artists for decades, has always been a guarantee of enjoyment for thousands of satisfied patrons. In addition to Mrs. Théroux’s support, the event’s honorary president this year was Member of the National Assembly for Sainte-Rose Christopher Skeete.

As always, the symposium took place alongside the Rivière des Mille-Îles in the charming and historic Laval neighbourhood.

The village is renowned as the birthplace of internationally-acclaimed Québécois painter Marc-Aurèle Fortin. Sainte-Rose was also at one time the home of landscape painter Clarence Gagnon. Both influenced generations of artists in Quebec as well as around the world.

Corporation Rose-Art president Oprina-Felicia Dolea. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

Promoting tourism in Laval

After winning a range of awards for excellence over nearly three decades, the symposium’s organizing committee continues to uphold the standards that have established the Sainte-Rose Art Symposium’s reputation for excellence in art circles across eastern Canada.

They have received some significant recognitions for their efforts. In 2019, the Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented them with a Dunamis award for helping to promote tourism in Laval. They were also a finalist for a second Dunamis in 2020 and 2022, as an environmentally-sustainable organization or enterprise.

An estimated 20,000 people attended. Although most are usually from the Laval and greater Montreal regions, the busy vacation season typically also draws in visitors from Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as well as from the U.S. states of Vermont, New York and New Hampshire.

More than 20,000 attended the 29th annual Symposium de Ste-Rose Read More »

‘Laval, le film’ aims to be the first full-length feature shot entirely in Laval

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Noah Trentadue sounded kind of hyped while being interviewed recently about one of his first big film projects. The promising young director had good reason.

It was just a few days before he began location shooting on a full-length feature film dealing with a topic with which Noah is intimately familiar – the city of Laval – which, perhaps not surprisingly, is where he was raised.

Made in Laval

Laval, le film, as Trentadue and producer Alberto Georgian Mihut have titled their independent project, is being billed as the first full-length feature based on fiction to be entirely shot in Laval.

The two are developing the project in conjunction with Média Communautaire Lavallois, which is based in an office building on Saint-Martin Blvd. East in Laval-des-Rapides where a number of co-working entrepreneurs focus on media and communications.

According to a release issued by the production team, work on the film is being done mainly by young volunteers. It was inspired by the notion that a significant number of Laval residents are fed up that their city doesn’t get the respect it deserves.

Film within a film

A “mockumentary” (see the 1984 satirical film ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ for an idea of where the concept first gained traction), Laval, le film contains a “film within a film,” according to its producers, revealing some of their storyline, without giving too much of their script away.

The cast includes some well- and lesser-known Québécois film and TV actors (Diane Marie Racicot, Amilia Ziane, among others). It’s also intergenerational, in that the players range in age from young to much older.

“We wanted to stand out and leave our mark with this first film, making our Laval the focus of attention along with the community,” the film’s producer said in a promotional statement.

Looking beyond Laval

“This isn’t only a niche film about Laval, it’s also an example of community involvement,” he added. “We have no doubt that other cities will be saying, after hearing the news, ‘Hey, what about our film?’”

Noah, who is a film student at Concordia University, said in an interview with The Laval News that, ideally, they would like to see their finished product being as much as 90 minutes in length, although they’d be willing to edit it down to an hour should they sell it to a television network such as Télé-Québec.

“It’s not official yet with Télé-Québec,” he noted. “But obviously with certain local organizations like Culture Laval that have connections there, it’s a very real possibility. It’s just a question of getting execution rights.”

A serious business

In addition to providing audiences with entertainment, filmmaking is also a very serious business, with revenues and profits being front and centre. However, a significant shift in the process in more recent years has been the decline of theatres for in-person film screening (the recent insolvency of Cinémas Guzzo being just one example).

“Between you and me, for distributing the product, we’re trying to get the most eyes we can,” Noah acknowledged, while saying they’re doing their best to navigate the changing distribution landscape. “You have to take into account that in this day and age, streaming services are really where it’s at and as big as it gets. Which is why Télé-Québec is really one of the best places you’d want to have access to in Quebec production.

‘Laval, le film’ director Noah Trentadue was raised in Laval.

‘Someone’s going to buy it’

“Radio-Canada, TVA, those are all great channels for television where we can get our product down to an hour and get it into a nice television spot,” he continued. “But it’s really about the first buyer, if you know what I mean. We’re still shopping. And we know someone’s going to buy it.”

Digital shooting, which got underway a few weeks back, was taking place literally all over Laval, according to Noah, including at the Centropolis mall on the edge of downtown, Espace Montmorency, Place Bell, the Centre de la Nature and other places regarded as icons of Laval.

‘Laval, le film’ aims to be the first full-length feature shot entirely in Laval Read More »

Former MNA Serge Ménard recalled Laval’s rural past on its 40th birthday

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As many as 32 individual municipalities once dotted the countryside of Laval in the decades preceding the formation of the island-wide city in 1965, says former Marc-Aurèle-Fortin MP Serge Ménard. Ménard, who spent his boyhood summers bicycling and swimming at his family’s country home on the Rivière-des-Milles-Îles, recounted some of his memories in view of the City of Laval’s 40th anniversary. The Laval News here republishes an interview conducted with Ménard in 2005.

Serge Ménard has vivid memories of Laval before it was a bustling suburb – a golden age when it was still largely a rural retreat for Montrealers getting away from the oppressive city heat in the summertime.

“I can remember when I was a small boy, Laval was essentially cottages and farms,” the Bloc Québécois MP for Laval’s Marc-Aurèle-Fortin riding recalled recently for The Chomedey News on the occasion of the City of Laval’s 40th anniversary.

“There was a great deal of agricultural activity and a lot of fields,” he said. “Today it still has that agricultural quality. Notably, we are one of the best known flower gardens – not only in Quebec – but in the northeastern region of North America.”

Around 1955, when Ménard was a high-school student in Quebec’s ‘cours classique’ educational system, his father decided to build a summer house in Laval for his family, who were living in Montreal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal district at the time.

“I was 15 when father built a summer house on the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. It was right next to Jacques Cartier Beach, which was right next to Laval’s (public) beach. It’s still inhabited – 1 Val des Bois.

“That’s the house father had built,” said Ménard. “It was a summer cottage which was subsequently redesigned to be a year-around residence. In fact, the people who bought it and live there now live in it all year long, as do most people in that area.”

Ménard, who has never resided in Laval except during the summers of his youth, has represented constituents here since 1993, when he was first elected to the Quebec National Assembly for the Parti Québécois. Although he’s never been a full-time resident, he said his memories of the island during the summer have remained strong.

“I knew Laval during the summer, and I knew it from the vantage point of a bicycle – because, when eventually my father allowed me to get away from the house on two wheels, that was freedom,” he said, laughing. “I must have gone to every corner of Laval.”

Ménard recounted how, when he was a bit older, he worked two summers at the Hôpital du Sacré Coeur just across Rivière des Prairies from Laval in Montreal. He would travel daily from the country home to the hospital on his bike.

“I would do that by bike morning and evening,” he said. “From One Val des Bois, it would take about three-quarters of an hour. We also had a row boat and there was swimming, too. We went swimming and fishing. We were right next to a beach so we would see people who came to swim.”

But if Ménard has mostly happy memories of those bygone days, he also has at least one unpleasant one.

“Because we were beside a beach and saw people regularly who came to swim, among the most traumatic things a boy that age could ever see, I can tell you, was when the priest would arrive to tell children or a wife that their father had probably drowned,” he said.

According to Ménard, there were a lot of drownings off the beaches of Laval in those days.

Former Marc-Aurèle-Fortin MP Serge Ménard.

“I remember there were some every weekend. It was because people weren’t taking precautions. Our parents used to tell us in those days, ‘You see what happens to people who don’t wait three hours after eating before they go swimming.’ They always used to tell us you had to wait three hours.”

Besides his personal recollections, Ménard vividly remembers the political turmoil that surrounded Laval’s beginnings as a city in 1965.

“I can’t help but remember the controversy over the creation of Laval – about the same as the one that surrounded the recent municipal mergers,” he said, referring to the City of Montreal’s controversial amalgamation process recently.

However, he added, once Laval’s amalgamation had been completed, it soon became a “collective success,” with important sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry playing a dominant role.

“It has become a place to live where people have all the advantages of a large metropolitan region, but also the outdoors and lots of room for children to play; a very comfortable and safe place to live.”

In hindsight, Ménard believes that the merger of the 16 small municipalities that were on Laval Island in the early 1960s, into one large city in 1965, succeeded mainly because of the determination of the provincial government, not only to carry it out, but to make sure it would hold long after it was done.

“(The merger of) Laval was done very quickly,” he said. “It was done at the end of (a National Assembly) session. There was a commission of inquiry – the Sylvestre Commission. I remember even at that time, Mayor Jean-Noël Lavoie had already brought about the merger of three towns to create Chomedey.

At one time, according to Ménard, there were as many as 32 independent municipalities on the island.

“But you have to understand that this was relative to the fact it was in an era when villages surrounded a local church. It was a time before the advent of the automobile, or just at its beginning, when that mode of transportation was available only to the wealthy. The main economic activity was farming. For that matter, Laval still has some of the best land of its kind for agriculture.”

Looking towards the future, Ménard sees Laval remaining one of the driving forces in the economic development of the Montreal metropolitan region – somewhat like the relationship the U.S. city of Boston has with its surrounding suburbs.

“And with the arrival of the Metro, that will probably also encourage development, too,” he added. “I think the Metro is going to influence the development of a downtown core in Laval.”

At the same time, he said caution would be necessary to prevent indiscriminate development from allowing uncontrolled high-rise construction.

“I hope we will always be able to have urban development plans that have humane height restrictions – a little like what they have in Washington, D.C,” said Ménard.

Former MNA Serge Ménard recalled Laval’s rural past on its 40th birthday Read More »

First Order of the City of Laval Medals awarded to seven recipients

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Officials with the City of Laval observed the municipality’s 60th anniversary on August 6 with something especially meaningful and that is sure to go on for generations – the awarding of the first Order of the City of Laval Medals.

“The recipients of the Order of the City of Laval embody, each in their own way, the values of pride, excellence and solidarity that define our city,” Mayor Stéphane Boyer said during a ceremony held at Espace Montmorency in the heart of Laval’s rapidly-growing downtown sector.

Optimism for the future

“For 60 years, Laval has been growing thanks to the commitment of the people who live here, work here and dream here. As mayor, I feel profoundly proud of the road that has been travelled, and even more so for the future.

“Laval today is a city affirming itself, while shining within Quebec and Canada,” added the mayor. “In 2025, I invite all Laval residents to take part in this collective celebration celebrating our past, our present and the future we are building together.”

First seven Order members

The city chose seven deserving City of Laval residents, from a range of professional backgrounds, to be the first recipients of the medals. They are:

  • Agriculture and business: Jocelyn Gibouleau (president of Groupe Margiric, as well as a well-known figure in Quebec’s agricultural domain);
  • Culture:Luc De Larochellière(author-composer-performer);
  • Social development:Stéphanie Leblanc(founder of the Maison des enfants le Dauphin);
  • Education:Yves-Michel Volcy (executive-director of the Centre de services scolaires de Laval);
  • Health and social services:Dr. Farid Amer Ouali and Dr. Tasnim Alami-Laroussi (co-founders of the Sourires Solidaires clinic);
  • Sports:Pascal Vincent (head coach of the Laval Rocket)

The city is planning a range of activities over the coming year to continue the celebration of its 60th anniversary. Among the events will be citizen forums, performance events, neighbourhood parties, library events, outdoor theatre, cooking and culinary happenings, musical performances and more.

On August 6, the Laval Symphony Orchestra staged a major anniversary concert, with more than 60 musicians, at Place Bell. It featured cellist Dominique Beauséjour-Ostiguy, the OSL’s first solo violinist Antoine Bareil, vocalist Guylaine Tanguay and the Choeur des jeunes de Laval under the direction of Adam Johnson.

Focused on the future

“It’s now 60 years since Laval was born out of an ambitious vision – that of founding on Île Jésus a strong city, responsive to the issues linked to its growth and focused on the future,” said Vimont city councillor Pierre Brabant, who is responsible to organizing the 60th anniversary celebrations.

“Founders of this unique history, the 14 municipalities today constitute an equal number of distinct living environments, which still have within each the basis for a common identity in constant evolution. While we remember all those who came before us in this great adventure, I invite all Laval residents to celebrate their neighbourhood, their city and everything that awaits us.”

The City of Laval was the result of the merger, ordained by the Quebec government of 14 separate towns and villages on Île Jésus up to early August 1965. The bold decision allowed urban planning for the entire island to take place coherently and in a well-organized mannner for the first time, while also strengthening local institutions and creating a feeling of belonging among the new city’s residents.

Phenomenal growth

Over the course of six decades, what was once a loose scattering of small municipalities, dwarfed in comparison to a good number of larger cities in Quebec in the mid-1960s, managed to grow and assert itself economically, culturally and historically, while taking on an identity of its own at the same time.

Having evolved from a sleepy bedroom suburb to a major city, Laval today is the third most-important municipality in Quebec, with more than 460,000 population. A large part of the growth process has been the will of successive city administrations to offer an exceptional quality of life in all Laval’s neighbourhoods.

It’s worth noting that Laval distinguishes itself with its youthfulness: more than 20 per cent of the population is less than 18 years of age. This can be seen manifested in the sports and cultural programs offered by the City of Laval, as well as many projects led by the City of Laval which are designed to meet the needs of a population undergoing constant evolution.

Mayor’s Facebook comments

On his Facebook page on August 7, Mayor Boyer added the following comments on the anniversary.

“Yesterday, on the occasion of our city’s 60th birthday, we honored exceptional Lavallois citizens,” he wrote.

“In the morning a ceremony was held to salute our retired employees who were already on the job when the merger in 1965. Builders of the first hour, who believed in Laval before our city even took full shape. Their commitment paved the way to the modern city we know today.

“In the afternoon, a moment full of meaning and emotion: the first ever medal ceremony of the Order of the City of Laval. This new award, which will be awarded annually on August 6, aims to recognize those who shape our city through their commitment, passion and dedication.

Role models for community

“We had the great pleasure of highlighting the invaluable contribution of these exceptional Lavalloises and Lavallois: Thank you all for making Laval shine with your commitment and inspiring journey. You are role models for our community!

“The day ended beautifully with a great show by the Laval Symphony Orchestra at the Place Bell, with Guylaine Tanguay and a fantastic choir. More than 6000 Lavallois gathered for an unforgettable evening!

“A magical moment, in the image of a vibrant city, creative and proud of its roots. For this 60th birthday, we honored the builders of yesterday and today. And together, we look resolutely to the future. Happy birthday, and above all: long live Laval!”

First Order of the City of Laval Medals awarded to seven recipients Read More »

Laval unveils major public safety overhaul

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On July 10, the City of Laval and the Laval Police Service (SPL) announced a significant new approach to public safety aimed at strengthening security for all residents.

The new plan includes a greater police presence on the ground, a new intelligence-led policing model, and the use of modern technology to improve efficiency and crime resolution. These measures are supported by the recent opening of the new Western Headquarters and Gendarmerie (PGO) on June 17.

A modernized approach to policing

This new strategy is built on several key pillars: More Police on Patrol: A new collective agreement with the police officers’ brotherhood will allow for a more strategic deployment of resources.

This includes adding specialized officers to combat urban violence and a 34% increase in hours dedicated to road safety.

A New Cadets Program: For the first time in Laval, cadets will be introduced to help with traffic management, freeing up police officers for more urgent duties and improving community relations. Focus on Investigations: The transfer of administrative tasks to civilian staff is expected to recover approximately 20,000 additional investigative hours, allowing detectives to focus on solving crimes.

“The measures we are announcing today, combined with the operational capabilities of our new Western Mounted Police station, are concrete evidence of our commitment to better combat and prevent crimes,” said Stéphane Boyer, Mayor of Laval. “We invest in modern tools and in strengthening our teams so that security is not just a concept, but a reality experienced on a daily basis by everyone in our region.”

Technology and innovation

The new Police western headquarters is a hub for technological innovation, housing the Smart Centre for Integrated Management in Public Safety. This center includes the Smart Operational Monitoring Centre (IOC), which collects and analyzes public safety data in real time.

This allows frontline workers to make faster and more informed decisions, improving the speed and quality of police interventions. In an effort to deter property crimes, such as car theft and extortion, the city is also exploring a pilot project to regulate camera surveillance. This initiative would help monitor specific criminal phenomena and act as a deterrent while protecting the privacy of citizens.

Community partnerships

Beyond police-led initiatives, the city is also focusing on prevention and social intervention through its 2024-2026 Security and Collective Well-Being Action Plan. This plan, developed with community and institutional partners, targets young people aged 12 to 35 to combat juvenile delinquency and urban violence.

Programs like “De la Rue O Ring” and “Being a young person in Chomedey” aim to reduce radicalization and create safer living environments for everyone.

“Thanks to this long-term approach, the SPL is optimizing its operational efficiency, in particular through a more strategic redeployment of police resources and local interventions with the Laval population,” said Pierre Brochet, Chief of the Laval Police Service.

“Our police service is thus reiterating a clear desire to act for the benefit of citizens and to better prepare our organization for current and future public safety issues.”

The new Western Police Headquarters, which is aiming for LEED Gold certification, is located at 2455 Curé-Labelle Boulevard.

The facility’s location in a high-call volume area, combined with a new two-region operational structure, will help improve response times and increase police presence across the territory.

Laval unveils major public safety overhaul Read More »

Laval City-Watch: Auditor-general tables annual report for year 2024

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In her latest annual report on the City of Laval’s overall management and financial practices, municipal auditor-general France Lessard says the city’s plan to develop “active mobility” to encourage the use of bicycles and walking paths lacks organization and proper governance to ensure that is moves forward with success.

“In spite of the continuous development of bicycling and pedestrian networks over the past few years, reaching the plan’s goals should involve the adoption of an approach that is more structured in order to develop, improve and maintain the active transport infrastructures,” said Lessard, who presented the report to Laval city council last month.

More planning needed

Regarding the city’s policy in recent years for acquiring and building up a fleet of “light” vehicles (electric, hybrid and regular fuel-efficient), Lessard said the city’s needs require a revision in order to optimize planning.

“Even though a 10-year plan was put into place, no target was established for the maintenance of the fleet,” said Lessard, while adding that organization of activities for the management of the vehicles “could be optimized, identification of needs could be improved, and accountability could be improved.”

“This report bears witness to our ongoing willingness to contribution to a more rigorous and transparent municipal management focused on continuous improvement,” Lessard said regarding the purpose of her report.

Improve governance, she says

“The conclusions and recommendations we arrived at aim to support the members of the municipal council and the administration in their decision, in the interests of all the citizens of Laval,” she added.

Regarding the maintenance of the city’s water purification infrastructure, Lessard said improvements would also be necessary, most notably as regards data, planning and accountability. Her report recommended better governance methods at the city-owned Place Bell, as well as at the Cité de la culture et du sport de Laval (CCSL).

Efforts must continue, says Lessard

Following up on the city administration’s compliance with recommendations Lessard made in previous reports, she said that 83 per cent of the most recent recommendations were implemented, compared to 61 per cent the previous year.

“The administration is progressing in a satisfactory manner, but must keep up its efforts in order to bring its actions to a final stage,” said Lessard.

“The office of the auditor-general salutes the commitment of the administration and encourages it to keep going along this route,” she added.

On the city’s finances

In addition to her own report, the city’s auditor-general also worked collaboratively with an external auditor on a separate report, this one dealing with the consolidated finances of the city for the period ending December 31, 2024.

According to the auditor-general, an opinion “under reserve” was issued regarding the city’s financial situation.

Regarding previous recommendations on the city’s finances, Lessard’s report stated, “The Bureau carried out the followup to previous recommendations for the financial audit and issued two new recommendations aimed at improving the accounting practices at the Financial Services for the exercise ending December 31, 2024.”

Laval City-Watch: Auditor-general tables annual report for year 2024 Read More »

Laval at age 60: Vision of a city for tomorrow

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Laval was modern and forward-looking from the beginning and has continued to follow that path for the past six decades.

In the summer of 1965 when the Quebec government was pulling the legislative levers that would unify all the towns and villages on Île Jésus into the City of Laval, few people might have imagined that 60 years later the new municipal entity would be the third-largest municipality in the province.

With its high-speed autoroutes and futuristic city hall, the City of Laval was born at a crucial historical moment – during Quebec’s “Quiet Revolution” – setting the tone for an ongoing agenda of innovations from the start.

There’s no denying, however, that prior to this, most of the island was highly rural and that most of its towns and villages could perhaps best be described as quaint.

In each of the small municipalities, urban planning was uneven and spotty, and some remnants of the old ways might still be seen in places like Saint-François, where infrastructure such as sewers was still lacking just a few years ago in isolated areas where septic tanks remained a legacy of the past.

Signs of the City of Laval’s inherent desire from the beginning to embrace the modernism that was overtaking Quebec in the mid-sixties can be seen not only in its strikingly brutalist city hall on Souvenir Blvd. (now undergoing an extensive renovation).

It’s also visible in the high-rise office skyscrapers along Daniel Johnson Blvd. near the Carrefour Laval mall, and, of course, in the city’s expanding downtown sector, including Place Bell, Espace Montmorency and other major projects.

But as the city stated in its strategic planning vision for the future more than a decade ago, what the strategists are aiming for is a blend of the rural elements that characterized Laval at the beginning, along with the urban qualities, to achieve what is likely to truly become an exemplary city of tomorrow that has the potential to stand out in the North American landscape.

It’s for this reason that Laval can be said to be a success that far exceeds even the City of Montreal’s attempts to grow, since Laval’s emergence after the merger of its constituent towns and villages worked from the beginning, while Montreal’s efforts, hampered by the demerger of many municipalities nearly a quarter-century ago, largely failed to achieve the goals.

On the occasion of the City of Laval’s 40th anniversary in 2005, I spoke with former Parti Québécois MNA for Laval-des-Rapides (who later was also the Bloc Québécois MP for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin) Serge Fortin. In the interview (see sidebar for full text), he recalled the political turmoil that surrounded Laval’s beginnings as a city in 1965.

“I can’t help but remember the controversy over the creation of Laval – about the same as the one that surrounded the recent municipal mergers,” he said, referring to the City of Montreal’s controversial amalgamation process.

However, he added, once Laval’s amalgamation had been completed, it soon became a “collective success,” with important sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry playing a dominant role.

“It has become a place to live where people have all the advantages of a large metropolitan region, but also the outdoors and lots of room for children to play; a very comfortable and safe place to live,” he said.

In hindsight, Ménard believed that the merger of the 16 small municipalities that were on Laval Island in the early 1960s, into one large city in 1965, succeeded mainly because of the determination of the provincial government, not only to carry it out, but to make sure it would hold long after it was done.

Laval at age 60: Vision of a city for tomorrow Read More »

Linguistic Policy Task Force gets Bill 21 intervener status at Supreme Court of Canada

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Task Force on Linguistic Policy, one of several interest groups challenging Quebec’s Bill 21, has received word they will be permitted to intervene in the Supreme Court of Canada in the Bill 21 case involving the English Montreal School Board and the Quebec government.

Along with many other interveners, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Quebec Community Groups Network and the attorneys general of six Canadian provinces, the Task Force will be present at the Supreme Court hearing on Bill 21, at a date yet to be determined.

Define Notwithstanding

“The reason that we’re doing this is we want the Notwithstanding Clause to be properly defined,” Task Force president Andrew Caddell said in an interview with The Laval News.

“From our point of view, the Nothwithstanding Clause doesn’t really change the existence of rights. Rights exist in nature and everybody has rights. Because if they don’t exist, then there’s no point in having a Charter of Rights.”

The Task Force on Linguistic Policy was founded in 2021 two years after Bill 21 was passed. It represents thousands of members and depends on volunteers for its operations and public donations for its court challenges.

Since its creation, the Task Force has organized public meetings and rallies, been active in news media across Canada, and continues its legal challenge of Bill 96 (the CAQ government’s update of the Charter of the French Language), as well as the Notwithstanding Clause.

Impact on Muslims

Bill 21 (‘An act respecting the laicity of the State’) was passed in 2019 by Premier François Legault’s CAQ government. It most notably prohibited the wearing of religious symbols by public employees in positions of authority, with a particularly visible impact on Muslim women wearing head and facial coverings.

While Bill 21 was generally upheld in 2021 by the Superior Court of Quebec, the law was deemed to be violating freedom of expression and of religion, although the Quebec government got around this by invoking the Canadian constitution’s Notwithstanding Clause.

The Task Force says it will be an intervener because this case affects its challenge to Bill 96, which was submitted to Quebec Superior Court on May 31, 2023. Its case focuses on the existence of rights prior to the drafting of the Charter of Rights in 1982.

An important legal moment

“This will be one of the most important, if not the most important, cases before the Supreme Court,” says Task Force lawyer Michael Bergman. “This case will determine the definition, scope and application of the Notwithstanding Clause.”

In May, the Task Force applied to intervene at the Supreme Court. The purpose of the intervention is to focus on the use of Section 33, the Notwithstanding Clause of the Canadian Constitution. The clause nullifies key sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms dealing with legal rights, equality rights, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. 

‘Rights are rights are rights’

“Our case will challenge Section 33 in a way other interveners will not,” maintains Caddell. “We argue that rights are rights are rights, and were not nullified with the introduction of the Charter of Rights in 1982. The Charter codifies rights, but we insist it cannot take them away.”

Bergman pointed out that if the Notwithstanding Clause can arbitrarily cancel fundamental rights, “then what remains of the Charter is a mere skeleton,” he said.

“The Task Force is concerned the Supreme Court will allow Section 33 to run roughshod over those rights,” added Caddell. “Hence, we must be present in the Bill 21 case.”

Linguistic Policy Task Force gets Bill 21 intervener status at Supreme Court of Canada Read More »

Parc Exers enjoy a double-celebration of Canada Day

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With their proud multicultural roots from so many nations it would be difficult to list them all here, Parc Exers had not just one, but two celebrations of their adoptive country’s birthday to choose from on July 1, Canada Day.

The larger of the two, sponsored by the National Bangladeshi-Canadian Council (NBCC), took place in Place de la Gare outside Maxi’s on Jean-Talon St. It was the 22nd year the organization staged the celebration for the country’s birthday.

A celebration of nationality

“We are all immigrants,” Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros said in an interview with Nouvelles Parc Extension News, while noting that even she arrived in Canada from another country.

She said Canada Day offers everyone a chance to get out and celebrate the country’s anniversary while getting to know each other.

Monir Hossain, president of the NBCC who coordinates the organization of the group’s Canada Day party each year, had only praise for Canada as a country where he has been able to raise a family while succeeding in business.

Canadian by choice

“I came from a different country, but I always wanted to pay back,” he said. “This is my new nation, my adoptive country. This is where my children grew up, where they were raised. And this now is also their country.”

The Canada Day cakes were ready to be cut and shared during a celebration of the nation’s birthday held at Place de la Gare Jean Talon on July 1. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Nouvelles Parc Extension News)

Niko Karabineris, who was born and raised in Parc Extension but makes his home in Chomedey now, said he continues to spend time here taking care of properties, but never misses an opportunity to return to his home turf each year on Canada Day.

“I’ve been coming here on Canada Day for the celebrations for the past 20 years,” he said. “I’ve lost a few friends along the way, but Mary Deros is still here as always and it’s good to see that. Not too many places in Quebec where you can go to celebrate Canada Day. Bbut Parc Ex is still one of them.”

Another Canada Day party

In the meantime, the Himalaya Seniors of Quebec, in conjunction with the Parc Extension Youth Organization (PEYO) and some other local groups, had organized a Canada Day celebration of their own a few blocks away outside the William Hingston community centre.

Villeray city councillor Martine Musau Muele (left) and François-Perrault councillor Sylvain Ouellet shook hands with Parc Exers attending the Himalaya Seniors of Quebec’s Canada Day celebration outside the William Hingston community centre.

While it didn’t draw quite as much attention as the event at Place de la Gare, several local elected officials, including Councillor Deros, Villeray city councillor Martine Musau Muele and François-Perrault councillor Sylvain Ouellet, made a point of meeting and greeting the guests and organizers.

Parc Exers enjoy a double-celebration of Canada Day Read More »

LPD breaks up car theft ring centered in Laval

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Six people have been charged in connection with a vehicle theft ring that saw stolen cars and SUVs, mostly from Laval, exported out of the country.

The LPD executed several search warrants in June at the climax of an investigation that began a year earlier after a large number of Land Rovers went missing. It is believed that Land Rovers were targeted at parking lots in Laval, the North Shore and in Ontario.

The LPD alleges that GPS tracking devices were placed by the suspects on the targeted vehicles, which would then lead them to the owners’ homes, after which the vehicles were stolen during the night.

After they were stolen, the vehicles would be dropped off at various locations, then moved to a warehouse in Montreal and loaded into shipping containers and exported out of Canada.

The police learned that six people were connected to 20 vehicle thefts, 14 of which took place in Laval. In the end, they were able to recover 18 of the vehicles.

With search warrants, the police were able to find and seize four vehicles, seven phones, brass knuckles, narcotics, $7,305 in Canadian currency, $1,000 in American currency and various other items like jewellery and computers.

Five males between 22 and 31, and a 28-year-old female were taken into custody. All six are facing charges of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and vehicle theft.

Police say that if anyone has useful information, they are asked to contact the LPD at 450-662-4636. The case number is LVL-240718-030.

Photo: The car theft ring suspects. (Photo: Courtesy of Laval Police)

Laval man arrested for alleged sexual offences, after house cleaning request

A Laval man has been arrested as a suspect concerning at least two alleged sexual offences that occurred in Laval between December last year and this past February. Hagop Kachichian, 28, was arrested by the Laval Police on June 25.

The police allege he used the pseudonym Hagop Keshishian on a social media platform to solicit house cleaning services. Offering compensation for travel expenses, he invited victims to his home in Laval.

The LPD alleges that once there, he made inappropriate comments and asked for sexual services in exchange for payment, after which it is alleged he committed sexual assaults.

Kachichian, who was released with conditions, has his next court appearance on September 16. In the meantime, the investigators believe there may be other victims.

Anyone with information is invited to contact the LPD confidentially at 450 662-INFO (4636) or at 911. The file number is LVL-250216-036.

Laval teen gets $1,700 ticket, licence suspended, after going nearly 200 km/h

A Laval teenager is among almost a dozen drivers whose cars were impounded and who are now looking for ways to pay stiff fines after a week-long Sûreté du Québec operation on nearby autoroutes.

In the week leading up to July 1, SQ patrol officers stationed in Laval handed out more than $16,000 in fines for excessive speeding tickets while impounding 11 vehicles.

According to the annual road safety report by the Sûreté du Québec, human behaviour is at the heart of fatal and serious injury collisions.

Over that time, the SQ reported 11 motorists going well beyond the 100 or 70 km/h limits on one of the autoroutes that traverse Laval, with each driver looking at tickets of at least $1,400.

Moving day fire in Laval-des-Rapides

Some tenants who had just moved into a rental flat in Laval-des-Rapides on July 1 came down with more than a case of moving day jitters when their new dwelling caught fire.

The blaze broke out during the early evening in a unit of a duplex located near the corner of Pontmain and Labelle streets in LDR. Four families residing in the two-storey building were forced to flee. One of the families had just moved in when the fire broke out.

While smoke and flames were apparent to Laval Fire Dept. personnel upon their arrival, they were able to contain the damage before the fire spread further.

There were no reported injuries, but the unit where the fire originated sustained the most damage, forcing its occupants to seek temporary lodging.

LPD breaks up car theft ring centered in Laval Read More »

Thousands turn out for 2025 Laval Hellenic Summer Festival

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Mother Nature smiled with warm benevolence onto the grounds outside Holy Cross Church on Souvenir Blvd. in Chomedey for the 2025 Laval Hellenic Summer Festival.

In times like these when the world’s climate has become as unpredictable as the shifting moods of a certain U.S. president, the good weather was a blessing, even though the festival’s organizers took the precaution of erecting an extra tent just in case.

Celebrating culture and values

As it was just a few days to Canada Day, the festival was an occasion, as always, to celebrate the country’s origins and multicultural diversity – although it was primarily a celebration of Hellenic culture and values.

Katerina Hulis, president of the Laval chapter of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, helped lead the committee which organized the festival.

She was especially proud of the efforts put in by volunteers. “It’s always very heartwarming to see everything they do to make this a success every year,” she said.

A Who’s Who of dignitaries

Among the dignitaries who dropped by on the evening of June 28 to enjoy some Hellenic ambience and a piece of Canada Day cake were Chomedey city councillor Aglaia Revelakis, Montreal city councillor Mary Deros, Laval city council president Cecilia Macedo and Saint-Bruno city councillor David De Cotis.

Young Hellenic folk dancers performing on the grounds of Holy Cross Church in Chomedey on June 28 during the Laval Hellenic Summer Festival. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

Also among the guests were Renaud city councillor Seta Topouzian, Saint-Laurent MP Emmanuella Lambropoulos, L’Abord-à-Plouffe councillor Vasilios Karidogiannis, Saint-Martin councillor Aline Dib, Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier and Mille-Îles MNA Virginie Dufour.

Basile Angelopoulos, the newly-elected president of the Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal, was unable to attend this year’s festival as he was travelling in Greece.

‘A beautiful weekend’

Michael Patsatzis, executive vice-president of the HCGM, said they were pleased with the way this year’s festival was organized and that the weather outlook was favorable.

“We’re very grateful for the strong turnout,” he said, noting that the previous day’s negative weather forecast didn’t impact attendance.

“Our annual celebration is a celebration of Hellenism, of our Greek language, our culture and our heritage, and obviously also our Greek gastronomy,” Patsatzis continued. “It all adds up to a beautiful weekend.”

Thousands turn out for 2025 Laval Hellenic Summer Festival Read More »

29th annual Sainte-Rose Art Symposium takes place from July 24 – 27

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For four days later this month, hundreds of appreciators of quality sculpture and art from all over Quebec and parts of eastern Canada will gather in Laval’s historic Vieux Sainte Rose for an annual event that many now recognize as one of Quebec’s most esteemed outdoor art shows – the Sainte-Rose Art Symposium.

For the second time, the organizers (the Corporation Rose-Art) have persuaded legendary Quebec singer Shirley Théroux to be the official spokesperson for the 2025 Sainte-Rose Art Symposium.

Art works by Shirley Théroux

Théroux had a string of song hits in Quebec during the 1960s and 1970s and was also a highly popular late-afternoon program host on French-language television. An accomplished painter in addition to her musical talents, Théroux will have several art works featured in a special segment of the show.

“Music and painting are almost the same,” she said in an interview with The Laval News, while comparing the melody of a song to a color with a variety of shades. “A melody is like a wave, with ups and downs,” she said. “And so, a color is almost the same when you’re painting.”

Popular summer gathering

The Sainte-Rose Art Symposium, a popular summertime gathering of artists for decades, is always a guarantee of enjoyment for thousands of satisfied arts patrons who attend. In addition to Mrs. Théroux’s support, the event’s honorary president this year is Member of the National Assembly for Sainte-Rose Christopher Skeete.

This year’s art exhibition will be taking place from Thursday July 24 to Sunday July 27. Those with a discerning taste for fine sculpture and inspiring visual creation will be arriving from all over Quebec, as well as other parts of eastern Canada, for the 29th symposium.

‘A unique occasion’

“Whether you are an amateur of art, a collector or are simply curious, the Sainte-Rose Symposium of painting and art is a unique occasion to discover 80 talented artists and to live an artistic experience in a truly charming setting,” Oprina-Felicia Dolea, the president of the Corporation Rose-Art, said during a recent press conference to announce this year’s symposium.

From the left, Laval city councillor for Sainte-Rose Flavia Alexandra Novac, Quebec chanteuse Shirley Théroux and Councillor Novac’s daughter during the recent press conference announcing this year’s Sainte-Rose Art Symposium. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

As always, the symposium will be taking place alongside the Rivière des Mille-Îles in the charming and historic Laval neighbourhood known as Vieux Sainte-Rose. The village is renowned as the birthplace of internationally-acclaimed Québécois painter Marc-Aurèle Fortin. Saint-Rose was also at one time the home of landscape painter Clarence Gagnon. Both influenced generations of artists in Quebec as well as around the world.

Recognized by their peers

After winning a range of awards for excellence over nearly three decades, the symposium’s organizing committee continues to uphold the standards that have established the Sainte-Rose Art Symposium’s reputation for excellence in art circles across eastern Canada.

The organizers have received some significant recognitions for their efforts. In 2019, the Laval Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented them with a Dunamis award for helping to promote tourism in Laval. They were also a finalist for a second Dunamis in 2020 and 2022, as a sustainable organization or enterprise.

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend. Although most are usually from the Laval and greater Montreal regions, the busy vacation season is also known to bring in visitors from Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as well as from the U.S. states of Vermont, New York and New Hampshire.

A charming setting

The Symposium will be taking place along a stretch of the main street in downtown Sainte-Rose, next to La Vieille Caserne (216 Ste-Rose Blvd.), a stone’s throw from Sainte-Rose-de-Lima Church, between Filion and Deslaurier-Hotte streets.

All the events are free. The hours are as follows: Thursday and Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Friday, 11 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Additional information is available on the website www.roseart.ca. E-mail: roseart@videotron.ca. Phone: (450) 625-7925.

29th annual Sainte-Rose Art Symposium takes place from July 24 – 27 Read More »

Youth and Parents Agape Association has another productive year

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Youth and Parents Agape Association – known to most people in Laval simply as Agape – “had another productive year,” according to its directors, with a consistent number of English-speaking clients receiving a range of social services in 2024-2025.

5,000 served and climbing

“Over the past 12 months, we have provided services, resources, presentations, referrals, emergency food relief and other essential support to over 5,000 individuals,” the non-profit group’s board of directors stated in their latest Report of Activities.

Tabled during Agape’s annual general meeting on June 26, the document offered a comprehensive overview of Agape’s efforts to improve the lives of the underprivileged English-speaking and multicultural communities in Laval between April last year and this past March.

Founded in 1976 by Cliff and Leo Young in a Chomedey church basement, the organization progressed since then from a food and clothing bank to become a corner stone for the provision of a range of social services directed primarily at English-speaking Chomedey and Laval residents.

Drawing city’s attention

While it’s notable that the City of Laval has tended over the years to overlook Agape when determining its budget priorities, among the guests at this year’s AGM were close to a half-dozen elected officials from the city – although it’s perhaps also worth noting: 2025 is a municipal election year.

They included Chomedey independent councillor Aglaia Revelakis, Saint-Martin Mouvement lavallois councillor Aline Dib, L’Abord-à-Plouffe Mouvement lavallois councillor Vasilios Karidogiannis, Sainte-Dorothée Mouvement lavallois councillor Ray Khalil, and Fabreville Parti Laval councillor Claude Larochelle (who is running for mayor).

According to an audited statement prepared by the accounting firm Leuzzi & Associé, Agape’s financial statements for 2024-2025 “present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Organization as at March 31, 2025, and the results of its operations and cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations (ASNPO).”

Ending year with a surplus

The statement indicates that Agape’s revenues in 2025 were nearly $80,000 higher than the year earlier, and that the organization ended the year with a surplus of revenues over expenditures of $31,785. This compares to a loss last year, largely because of high operating costs for the Senior Wellness Centre.

Agape is projecting revenues of $1,170,346 in 2025-2026, the largest portions of which will be from the Quebec government’s Sécrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d’expression anglaise ($300,00), the Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux ($206,896), and Health Canada ($142,150).

Among other things, the Quebec government is also expected to contribute an additional $70,000 for the operation of the Senior Wellness Centre.

Rising Anglo jobless

Some significant statistics cited during the meeting: In 2021, there were 20,460 English speakers aged 15+ with income under $20k in the Laval region, where they represent 23.7 per cent of the English-speaking population aged 15 and over.

However, nearly 31 per cent of Laval English-speaking seniors aged 65+ were living with a household income below $20k per year. In 2021, there were 6,575 unemployed English speakers in the Laval region who experienced an unemployment rate of 10.8 per cent.

(In May, Quebec’s unemployment rate was 6.2 per cent, according to the Institut de la statistique du Québec, while it was 7 per cent across Canada in the same period, according to Statistics Canada.)

Growing English population

According to Agape executive-director Kevin McLeod, the size of the potential client base served by Agape has climbed significantly since the last federal census four years ago, when there were 104,525 English speakers said to be living in Laval, compared to around 92,000 when the measurement was taken before then.

Laval’s English-speaking population rose from 21.8 per cent to 24 per cent now. “We can only assume that with the next census that it’ll keep on growing some more,” said McLeod.

Youth and Parents Agape Association has another productive year Read More »

City-Watch: Laval pledges to leave no one out during housing shortage

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Although the annual July 1 moving day has passed, the City of Laval is pledging to continue working with partner organizations to provide support to individuals and families facing difficulties finding a place to live because of housing shortages and untenably high apartment rents.

People living in Laval who are currently searching for a place to live and need help doing so are being encouraged by the city to call the municipal housing help hotline (SARL) at 450 505-6025 or by e-mail: sarl@omhlaval.ca.

This is the fifth year the City of Laval has been supporting the operation of the SARL office, which is under the umbrella of the Office municipal d’habitation de Laval (OMHL), with a subsidy of more than $195,000.

“The summer holiday season, and especially all the moving taking place on July 1, represents every year a moment of precarity for some Laval residents,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer.

“In conjunction with our partners, we are reactivating a challenged intervention system to accompany the tenants who are in a vulnerable situation. Housing is a responsibility shared between the various levels of government, and our administration is facing up to its responsibilities and its capacities.”

In as much as the summer season is especially critical, the needs for assistance for finding a place to live actually stretch out over the whole year. The city says tenants should realize that they can count on the support of the SARL at all times.

The SARL office is also closely connected with the city’s emergency social services division, which is mandated to intervene on Laval’s territory during crisis situations deemed compromising to the security of individuals and families.

The division is available to provide support for those finding themselves without shelter, by ensuring their well-being and the safety of their belongings. For example, they are mandated to provide shipping containers for family’s belongings. Temporary shelter can also be provided in nearby motels or hotels.

City of Laval says it’s prepared for summer’s heat waves

The city says it was prepared for a heat wave that settled over the Laval region during the recent Fête nationale du Québec holiday, and will be prepared for any heat waves to come.

The city says it is monitoring the weather regularly for heat warnings. As summer is far from over, here are some of the recommendations the city is making in case there are heat waves in the coming weeks and months.

  • Watch out for vulnerable people in your surroundings and household. Stay in touch with friends and neighbours for the sake of their well-being during periods of extreme heat.
    • Stay hydrated: Don’t wait to be thirsty; drink water before.
    • Focus on activities requiring less energy and spend more time in the shade.
    • Keep a wet cloth on hand to cool your face and other body parts, shower frequently, go swimming or to the water park.
    • Monitor for these key signs of dehydration: extreme thirst, dry mouth and lips, dark urine, rapid pulse and breathing. Call Info-Santé at 811, your doctor or pharmacist if in doubt. In an emergency, call 911.
    • Pay special attention to young children and senior citizens. Particularly children taking medication. Follow any instructions given by doctors or pharmacists for dealing with heat.
    • To protect from the sun, wear light clothing and a hat. 

AG’s report to be tabled at July 8 meeting of council

The City of Laval’s auditor general, who examines the city’s consolidated financial statements, will be releasing her latest report during the monthly public city council meeting on Tuesday July 8.

The report, the second to be issued by auditor general France Lessard since beginning her mandate, will contain an audit of the city’s financial statements, an audit of the overall performance of city departments, and a followup report on whether the city followed recommendations made in previous auditor general’s reports.

City-Watch: Laval pledges to leave no one out during housing shortage Read More »

CBSA probe leads to weapons charges against Laval man

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Scott Shein, 51, a resident of Laval, and John Papadimitriou, 52, a resident of Saint-Eustache, appeared in court on June 19 at the Laval courthouse to face 17 criminal charges related to possession of prohibited weapons and devices.

The CBSA investigation followed the interception of packages by Canada Border Services officers in April last year at the CBSA International Mail Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario.

The investigation identified two individuals in Canada involved in importing a prohibited weapon and devices from the United States.

Weapons seized recently by the CBSA.

Search warrants executed at the residences of the two accused on June 6 last year resulted in the seizure of additional evidence, including several weapons.

SQ leads province-wide crackdown on sexual and violent offenders

The Sûreté du Québec worked closely with the Laval Police and other law enforcers across the province during the first two weeks of June to target nearly 70 individuals who have been identified as at-risk violent offenders, as well as some who committed sexual assault infractions.

According to the provincial police force, the surveillance and verification operation focused on two categories of offenders: those with previous run-ins with the law who had court-imposed conditions to follow, and those who are registered on the national list of sexual offenders.

Among other things, those whose names appear in the sexual offenders’ registry are legally obliged to furnish a DNA sample, and to notify the police of any change in their personal address.

This was the second year the Laval Police took part in the operation.

In Laval, the police deployed several squads of officers to conduct surveillance on six offenders residing in Laval over a period of 10 days.

As a result of the surveillance and verifications, three individuals were arrested after it was determined they weren’t following the conditions imposed on them.

Anyone with information regarding a registered offender they believe may not be following legal conditions is urged to contact the Laval Police’s confidential Info-Line at 450-662-INFO (4636), or call 9-1-1.

Longueuil Police seek help from possible voyeurism victims in Laval

The Longueuil Police are circulating a photo of a suspect accused of acts of sexual voyeurism committed in various areas of Montreal, including Laval, in the hopes that victims may come forward with new evidence to add to the case against him.

34-year-old Sean Guilbeault was placed under arrest on June 6 by the Longueuil Police following complaints he committed voyeurist acts at commercial establishments in Brossard.

In a statement, the Longueuil Police say Guilbeault is accused of taking or trying to take photos of women while they were using public washrooms.

Guilbeault, who was released conditionally on June 10 pending trial procedures, is also facing charges of breach of conditions related to other voyeurism allegations dating from April.

The police believe there could be other victims in the Montreal area, including some in Laval, and are urging anyone who recognizes Guilbeault to come forward to provide information confidentially.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call 450 463 7211.

Laval street gang member makes Canada’s 25 most-wanted list

Dylan Denis, who was raised in the City of Laval’s Laval-des-Rapides district, then gained notoriety as a leading member of the Flamed Head Boys street gang, has made it onto Canada’s 25 most-wanted criminals list with a $50,000 reward posted for information leading to his capture.

The Montreal youth and family services organization Sun Youth posted the reward, with the Montreal Police Dept. delivering the message during a press conference last week.

Dylan Denis, 28, ranks sixth on the list.

The police believe they have connected him to a murder in May 2024 in Montreal’s Ahuntsic-Cartier ville borough. A public billboard campaign is underway, prominently featuring a photo of Denis. He could be easy to recognize as most of his body is densely covered with tattoos.

Laval Fire Dept. investigating Sainte-Dorothée house fire

The Laval Fire Dept. is investigating the cause of a fire that inflicted serious damages on a two-unit dwelling on Principale St. in the City of Laval’s Sainte-Dorothée sector on the morning of Thursday June 12.

Thirty firefighters responded to a 9-1-1 call around 10:30 am to the scene of the blaze near the corner of Hôtel-de-Ville Blvd.

The fire investigators initially believe the cause was either careless disposal of a cigarette or other smoking item, or an electrical malfunction.

CBSA probe leads to weapons charges against Laval man Read More »

City of Laval jumps on the Artificial Intelligence bandwagon

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With an eye on maximizing all sectors of economic activity using every means available, the City of Laval has announced its entry into a strategic partnership with Ivado, Canada’s largest consortium for Artificial Intelligence research, training and development.

Beginning this fall, specialized training will be made available to managers and employees at businesses in Laval through the agreement reached by the city’s economic development arm, Laval économique, with Ivado.

The sectors of the Laval economy expected mostly to take up the offer include the life sciences, manufacturing, information technology (IT), commerce, agro-food, and tourism. The goal, according to the city, is to encourage the digital transformation of companies, to strengthen their ability to compete and to stimulate scientific research.

“In Laval, we believe that innovation is the engine of our economic growth,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “We are clearly determined to make our city the go-to reference for businesses that hope to accelerate their digital transformation, and this partnership with IVADO is another lever being brought to bear to strengthen our commitment.

“It’s by wagering on these technologies that we will be able to strengthen our competitiveness in order to ensure a sustainable growth for our regional economy,” added Boyer.

In a statement, IVADO said the agreement with Laval marks the first time the consortium works collaboratively with a municipality. Led by the University of Montreal, IVADO has four other partners: Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal, Université Laval and McGill University.

Photo IVADO:

New outdoor chalet opens at Laval’s Berge aux Quatre-Vents

Just in time for the vacation period and summer heat-waves, the City of Laval opened a new chalet pavilion at the Berge aux Quatre-Vents along the Rivière des Mille Îles in Laval-Ouest.

The building, costing more than $4 million, was paid for through financial aid provided through the Montreal Metropolitan Community’s “Trame verte et bleue” program, as well as from the Quebec government.

“People will be able from now on to better enjoy the Mille Îles River thanks to this upgrading of the Berge aux Quatre-Vents,” said Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete who helped make the project a reality.

“The construction of this reception building is an enhancement to the wealth of nature to be found in Laval by making it more accessible during the summer as well as in winter. This initiative will improve the quality of life of citizens, while making the region more attractive.”

New outdoor chalet opens at Laval’s Berge aux Quatre-Vents.

The new building includes a multipurpose room, a cloakroom, washrooms, an outside shower, an area for borrowing outdoors equipment, and a halt for cyclists. It’s worth noting that the City of Laval has undertaken to make improvements at the Berge aux Quatre-Vents for several years now.

Photo: New outdoor chalet opens at Laval’s Berge aux Quatre-Vents.

Microbiome project kicked off at Carré Laval

The City of Laval has signed an agreement with a group of scientific research organizations to take part in the Urban Microbiome Network project, from which Laval hopes to obtain precise information to guide some of its future decisions.

Génome Québec, the Fond de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQ) and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) are leading the project which is initially being deployed at Carré Laval, the new multi-purpose development located on city-owned land a short distance from the Palais de Justice.

The researchers hope to learn more about the biodiversity of green spaces located within urban areas, specifically with respect to DNA and genetic composition. The city for its part hopes something might be learned from the data that will be shared by the researchers.

The urban microbiome includes microorganisms present in an urban environment, including the air, water and soil, as well as infrastructure such as buildings, transportation and other amenities. Each city is considered to have its own unique signature in this respect.

Over a period of two years, a vast campaign of sampling will be undertaken in several sectors of Laval, beginning with Carré Laval. Several hundred Laval residents will be helping gather samples.

“With the Urban Microbiome Network project, Laval reaffirms its commitment towards innovation and sustainable development,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer.

“This initiative perfectly illustrates our vision in which science and nature work together in harmony to improve the quality of life of all our citizens.”

City of Laval jumps on the Artificial Intelligence bandwagon Read More »

Chomedey MNA sees Pablo Rodriguez forming a new Liberal government in 2026

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With Pablo Rodriguez now leader of the Quebec Liberals after a hard-fought campaign, Chomedey Liberal MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier says she is optimistic the former federal cabinet minister will be able to return the party to power in the next provincial election in October 2026.

Rodriguez won the race after two rounds of voting with 52.3 per cent support from party members at the June 9-14 leadership convention in Quebec City. His only other close contender was Charles Milliard who finished with 47.7 per cent support.

In his victory speech, Rodriguez talked about his background as an Argentina-born political refugee who arrived in Canada at age eight. His father was a human rights lawyer whose defense of political dissidents made him the target of one of South America’s most brutal regimes.

A Trudeau gov’t vet

Rodriguez was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004, representing the Honoré-Mercier riding in Montreal. As a senior member of former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government, he held various ministerial positions in cabinet, including Heritage and Transport.

He left cabinet and began sitting in the House as an Independent MP in September 2024, after announcing he would be entering provincial politics and becoming a contender for the Quebec Liberal Party’s leadership.

Address convention attendees on June 14, Rodriguez called the new role the “honour of a lifetime,” while saying it was the beginning of new era for the Quebec Liberals and all of Quebec.

“We need to look toward the future, to build tomorrow’s Quebec for our children and grandchildren,” he told journalists.

Won’t run until Oct. 2026

Pablo Rodriguez has said that his intention is to wait until the 2026 election to run for a National Assembly seat, rather than running in a by-election sooner. But he still plans to put in appearances periodically as PLQ leader at the Quebec National Assembly building to give press conferences.

The effect of new leadership at the PLQ was already being felt within days of Rodriguez’s victory.  A Pallas Data poll conducted shortly afterwards showed a rise in voting intentions for the provincial Liberals at the expense of the currently governing Coalition Avenir Québec.

However, the Parti Québécois (PQ) was still leading with 31 per cent of voter intentions even though the Liberals under Rodriguez were not far behind at 26 per cent. The CAQ was in third place at just 15 per cent.

The previous Pallas Data poll, published in March 2025, put the Liberals at 22 per cent.

‘We preferred Pablo’

Chomedey Liberal MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier was among the earliest supporters of Pablo Rodriguez’s campaign to become the PLQ’s leader. In an interview this week with The Laval News, she said that of all the PLQ conventions she’s attended since her late teens when she first joined the Quebec Liberals, this one stood out especially for its positive spirit.

“It was joyful,” she said, while adding that she felt all the candidates were worthy. “But we preferred Pablo, of course. We’re really happy about the outcome because Pablo is going to be able to do a lot of things for Quebec.”

She described him as a “true nationalist Canadian-Quebecer who proved over and over that he’s got the leadership and has the talent of a great communicator. I feel that with his strong communicator skills he’s going to be able to inspire and unite Quebecers around the Quebec Liberal Party.”

Bridging federal and provincial

She believes Rodriguez will be especially well-positioned to build a strong rapport between the provincial and federal governments because of his extensive experience with the latter.

“He’s going to build bridges between Canada, all the provinces and beyond,” she said, noting that Rodriguez gained experience dealing with U.S. officials during Donald Trump’s first term as president, when Rodriguez played a key role in getting key legislation passed supporting Canadian media.

“Pablo Rodriguez was in that government that had to deal with turbulent relations with the U.S. at that time,” said Lakhoyan Olivier. “So, he should be able to find a solution to deal with Trump this time, too, because of his experience. He’s done it before.”

A polarized election?

Some political observers have noted that Pablo Rodriguez’s leadership of the Quebec Liberals may create a polarized political environment leading into next year’s election. They suggest his longtime association with federalism will contrast strongly with the separatist doctrine of the Parti Québécois, which currently leads the polls in Quebec voters’ intentions.

Lakhoyan Olivier sees this as a theme that may emerge next year as a challenge to the province’s voters.

“People have to decide between clinging to ideology – separation referendum and all its negative consequences – or better quality of life by giving the PLQ a majority government,” she said. “That’s the real question we need to ask ourselves.”

Lakhoyan Olivier, who is the PLQ’s official critic for tourism in the party’s most recent shadow cabinet, said Rodriguez had convened a special gathering of the PLQ caucus in the coming weeks, at which time new shadow cabinet appointments will be discussed with all the caucus members.

Chomedey MNA sees Pablo Rodriguez forming a new Liberal government in 2026 Read More »

Parc Exers celebrate ‘Day of Love & Peace’ at William Hingston Centre

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Day of Love and Peace, the Himalaya Seniors of Quebec’s annual ceremony appealing for harmony and peace in Parc Extension and the world, while also marking the birthday of Mohammad, took place on May 25 minus the presence of dignitaries.

Day of Love and Peace has been celebrated at the William Hingston Centre in Parc Ex by the HSQ for decades. In more recent years, organizers decided also to place emphasis on Eid-Milad-Un-Nabi, which is the birthday of the Islamic prophet Mohammad.

Notable absences

Although elected officials from several levels of government were invited, as were representatives of local community groups including the Corporation de Gestion des Loisirs du parc (CGLP), the Park Extension Youth Organization (PEYO), the Pakistan Organization of Quebec (POQ), local city councillor Mary Deros and HSQ president Vathany Srikandarajah were not present.

According to HSQ General Secretary Nizam Uddin, both had to deal with last-minute issues involving family members that forced them to alter their plans.

Sheikh Karim Chahal, spiritual leader at the Salahuddin Mosque on Parc Ave. leads colleagues in chants and prayers at the Day of Love and Peace, which also marked Muhammad’s birthday, at the William Hingston Centre on May 25. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Nouvelles Parc Extension News)

As such, many of the presenters and entertainers were themselves followers of the prophet who was born in the Arabian city of Mecca in 570 and who died in Medina in 632. A group of male singers from the Salahuddin Mosque on Parc Ave. expressed their faith musically as well as in verse.

Praise for Mohammad

While some English and French were spoken, many of the speakers talked in Arabic and Urdu. Sheikh Karim Chahal, spiritual leader at the mosque, animated a session of praise for the founder of Islam, while also speaking about Muhammad’s many virtues.

“Let’s talk about and analyze what peace is all about,” said Chahal, speaking in English as well as Arabic.

“And let’s talk about a man who firmly, deeply understood what peace means. A man whose legacy reshaped the world, who was moral, and yet still so many people don’t know who he really was this great man, the most influential man in history.”

Parc Exers celebrate ‘Day of Love & Peace’ at William Hingston Centre Read More »

Soraya Martinez Ferrada leads Ensemble Montréal’s first congress

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Ensemble Montréal mayoralty candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada was feeling nostalgic during the party’s first congress under her leadership.

As a student, the 53-year-old former federal Liberal cabinet minister and city councillor confided while addressing 300 supporters on June 1 at the Montreal Science Center in Old Montreal, she worked summers at the Old Port, where she emptied trash bins and sanitized washrooms.

A special homecoming

“To be back here as a candidate for the mayoralty is quite an exciting homecoming,” she acknowledged.

Originally from Chile, Martinez Ferrada served as the city councillor for the district of Saint-Michel from 2005 to 2009 when she was defeated.

A hardworking political organizer and insider, she remained active behind the scenes, first as a political attaché for the federal Liberals in Ottawa. She then succeeded in winning the east-end Montreal riding of Hochelaga in 2019 in a close election that saw the Liberals capturing the seat for the first time since 1988.

As an MP, she served as a parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, then served beginning in 2023 in the Trudeau cabinet as Minister of Tourism and Minister for the Economic Development Agency of Canada Quebec Region.

Willing to listen

“Listening is a form of respect,” she said at one point in her address, setting the tone for the type of administration she might hope to oversee if she prevails in the municipal elections taking place on November 2.

With that thought in mind, Martinez Ferrada used the City of Montreal’s 3-1-1 phone central access number for municipal services as an example of how communication between residents and the city appears to have broken down.

“Who here has ever called 3-1-1?” she asked, precipitaing a murmur of derisive laughter from the crowd. “Have you ever had a call returned? Communicating with this city has become an uphill battle. And this has to change.”

‘Right to a roof’

Martinez Ferrada suggested the party could be placing considerable emphasis on findings ways to resolve the city’s homelessness situation. “Everbody deserves and is entitled to have a roof over their head,” she said, echoing words used frequently by the former Trudeau Liberal government while addressing the same problem.

“Housing provides dignity, stability, security,” she continued. “Everybody has a right to a roof, because when a family is living in security, it allows children to dream and for everybody to rise and have autonomy. And so, yes, something must be done. But more quickly and more intelligently.”

In a statement of pre-campaign policy positions issued by Ensemble Montréal, the party is pledging to establish a register of abandoned and dangerous buildings in Montreal during their first 100 days in office.

Ensemble Montréal leader and mayoralty candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada and Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros, who is running for another term under the party’s banner. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Nouvelles Parc Extension News)

As well, they would take additional measures that would allow young families to purchase a first home more easily so they wouldn’t find themselves forced to move to the suburbs.

Improving with AI

Ensemble Montréal would also implement the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve municipal services, including faster delivery of construction and renovation permits to developers.

The Ensemble Montréal congress was also an opportunity for the party to unveil its new logo. According to a press release from the party, the graphic visually represents their principal ambition, “to make Montreal a clean, secure, affordable and efficient city.”

“This change of image reflects who we are: a team that is deeply rooted in Montreal, listening to citizens, and representative of the richness and diversity of our metropolis,” Martinez Ferrada commented on the logo, noting that the multicolor design is also meant to reflect Montreal’s multicultural diversity.

Soraya Martinez Ferrada leads Ensemble Montréal’s first congress Read More »

Will ‘Futur Montréal’ be on the ballot in municipal elections this November?

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Is it a social movement with political aspirations and overtones? Or a full-fledged party in waiting?

Those are questions the organizers of a one-day roundtable seminar held in Côte des Neiges last weekend hope to have an answer to when they find out whether their application for official recognition as a political party has been accepted by the Quebec election registrar’s office.

The gathering, Citizen Power in Action, was sponsored by Futur Montréal, whose co-founder is Joël DeBellefeuille.

Was racially profiled

DeBellefeuille, a black Canadian, was involved in a controversial legal battle that began in 2009 when his car was pulled over (for the fourth time within days) by the Longueuil Police who singled him out because they found his name didn’t seem to match his racial profile.

After DeBellefeuille was fined in court when found guilty of not cooperating with the officers, he filed a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission. Three years later, the conviction was dismissed and the officers were reprimanded.

DeBellefeuille is also the founder of the Red Coalition, a Montreal-based lobby group that seeks to eliminate racial profiling and systemic racism. “We’re here today because we consider civic engagement to be very important,” he said in an interview with Nouvelles Parc Extension News regarding last Saturday’s event.

A party or a movement?

Although he referred to Futur Montréal as a political movement, DeBellefeuille said they had an application in for political party status and expected to have an answer within two weeks at most.

A panel of presenters who spoke from morning to early afternoon included former Ahuntsic Liberal Member of Parliament Eleni Bakopanos, Montreal constitutional lawyer Julius Grey, former Quebec Liberal MNA David Heurtel and Montreal criminal defence lawyer Ralph Mastromonaco.

They shared their views and expertise on citizen engagement, each according to their area of action. A moderated question period followed the presentations to allow thoughtful exchanges between the presenters and the public.

Another party welcome

Bakopanos said she was mostly unaware of the forum organizers’ efforts to form a political party. “If that’s where it’s going to go, it’s up to Joël and the people around him who want to create another political party, although I think there is room in Montreal for another political party,” she told NPEN.

She said she was asked to speak about the involvement of women in politics. “From the time that I worked for the Quebec Liberal Party or as a Member of Parliament, I always believed in encouraging more women, especially those who are members of the ethnic communities, to participate,” she said.

Bakopanos mentored a number of women who entered politics, including former Liberal Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, who was a potential candidate for the Liberal leadership after the departure of Justin Trudeau.

Ralph Mastromonaco and Eleni Bakopanos. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Nouvelles Parc Extension News)

Lawyer criticizes system

In line with the values promoted by the Red Coalition, Ralph Mastromonaco’s presentation focused on his efforts to defend many clients who found themselves in trouble with the law with racial profiling as a significant factor.

Among other things, he was critical of the notorious slowness of Quebec’s court and legal system, saying it is still operating largely on paper-based documentation, rather than adapting to a more practical and modern digital system.

He was also critical of the overall actions of the police, saying they lacked the basic training to recognize the cultural differences of minorities.

“I don’t think police are taught enough about de-escalating and walking away from conflict, because they feel if they walk away from conflict, they’re giving up their power,” he said.

Will ‘Futur Montréal’ be on the ballot in municipal elections this November? Read More »

Parc Ex councillor Mary Deros to seek eighth council term in November 2 elections

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Parc Extension city councillor Mary Deros, who is considered the “dean” of Montreal City Council after seven electoral victories, is tossing her hat in for yet another run. She confirms to Nouvelles Parc Extension News that she will a candidate in the November 2 municipal elections.

First elected in 1998 with Mayor Pierre Bourque’s Vision Montreal party, Deros served as an executive-committee member under Bourque.

Proven track record

As well, she served in the administration of Mayor Gérald Tremblay under the Union Montreal party. In more recent years, she ran under the banner of Équipe Denis Coderre, eventually becoming a member of Ensemble Montréal.

During an official announcement last week in Parc Extension’s Centennial Park, Ensemble Montréal mayoralty candidate Soraya Martinez Ferrada said she felt privileged to have Deros run with her party.

“I’m very, very honored and proud that Mary, who I’ve known for twenty years now from the borough and city councils, accepted to run again,” said Martinez Ferrada.

New blood and experience

“She is somebody who knows the city very well – Mary knows every single street in this district – and we need people like that,” she added.

“Not only do we need new people, like Sylvain Gariépy who is running for borough mayor, but we need people with experience who know how to try and make the city great again,” said Martinez Ferrada.

“She’s seen a lot. She’s seen what works and what doesn’t work, and it’s important to have that perspective when you’re working in a city. Having somebody like that on board puts us in the right place. And that’s why I’m so happy that she’s here.”

In an interview, Deros described her last four years of dealing with an administration dominated by Projet Montréal as “extremely difficult,” involving contentious local issues such as the creation of bike paths and loss of street parking, as well as the failure of Projet Montréal to build more social housing in Parc Extension.

Critical of Projet Montréal

“We’ve been trying to work with an administration and a party that doesn’t care, doesn’t listen,” she said. “I’ve been asking for certain improvements. Nothing’s been done. Although they claim they’re putting in the effort, the effort is not there. We have no results. And when you don’t have results, it means they’re not doing the proper management.”

Deros said she felt very confident knowing that Soraya Martinez Ferrada could be taking over the reins at Montreal City Hall. “Having Soraya taking this leap into city politics, I feel very secure that we’re going to have an administration that cares for people, that listens to people,” she said.

At the same time, Deros welcomed Sylvain Gariépy, who is running under the Ensemble Montréal banner for mayor of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc Extension.

Restoring Montreal

“Having worked with the number of people I have over the last twenty-seven years, I feel very confident in this partnership we’re forming under Ensemble Montréal with Soraya, Sylvain and all the candidates,” said Deros. “It’s very encouraging to see that people care and want to put Montreal back on the map. Because we’re not a village, we’re a metropolis. And for the last eight years, Montreal has been going down.”

Gariépy’s professional background is in urban planning, having been a partner in two urban planning firms. In that capacity, he worked closely with officials from the City of Montreal, as well as with suburban municipalities.

“I think I can bring good ideas from my experience to the borough, including Parc Extension,” he said.

Parc Ex councillor Mary Deros to seek eighth council term in November 2 elections Read More »

Laval among cities where police lead extortion crackdown

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Laval was among several Montreal-area municipalities and districts where police arrested 13 suspects while seizing illicit drugs and firearms during a major police crackdown on extortion against restaurants.

More than 150 officers were involved in the operation led by the Montreal Police last week, which was carried out with assistance from the Sûreté du Québec.

This was after several restaurants in the Greater Montreal area, including some in Laval, were targeted by arsonists and other violent acts over the last few months.

In all, searches were carried out in Laval, Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Châteauguay, as well as in the Montreal boroughs of Lachine, LaSalle, Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Sud-Ouest, Verdun and Ville-Marie.

Police say three main suspects, men aged 25, 34 and 39, were directly involved in a shooting at a restaurant on Sainte-Catherine Street in Montreal on Feb. 12.

During the searches, officers seized three firearms, one pound of cocaine, one pound of crystal meth, thousands of speed pills and nearly $120,000 in cash.

Judge goes easy on Laval ‘grandparent’ fraudster who stole nearly $90,000

A judge at the Palais de Justice de Laval went easy last week on a woman convicted of defrauding 11 senior citizens out of almost $90,000 in a grandparent fraud scheme.

Hajar Benbouhoud, 24, a former flight attendant who took part in the fraud scheme in July 2021, won’t have a criminal record after Judge Simon B. Dolci granted her a legal discharge.

In grandparent fraud, criminals posing as bank employees or as legal representatives tell the victim (a senior citizen) a false scenario to get them to pay out large sums or to give up their bank debit card.

Benbouhoud played the role of the person who goes to the home of the victim to pick up the cash or banking card.

By the time the police caught up with Benbouhoud, she had personally made around $4,000 in three weeks taking part in the scheme. After searching her car, they found an electric taser gun and 24 pieces of false ID.

She managed to convince the judge that she turned her life around since first being charged. She is on probation for two years, must complete 240 hours of community work and must reimburse $4,015 to victims.

Recent LFD fire calls

The Laval Fire Dept. was called upon to provide assistance at a fire that broke out at a well-known health spa located on Curé Labelle Blvd. just north of Laval’s territory along Route 117 in Rosemère.

LFD firefighters were asked to assist firefighters from Blainville, Sainte-Thérèse and Boisbriand at Le Finlandais during the early morning of June 3.

The source of the blaze is believed to have been a Canada Goose that collided with overhead electrical wiring and then plummeted onto the roof of the spa, sparking a fire.

An arsonist is believed to be responsible for a fire that broke out in the early morning hours on June 3 at a home on Edmond St. in Fabreville near the corner of Dagenais Blvd.

Fabreville fire. (Photo: Courtesy of APL)

A hedge as well as a vehicle were set on fire, after which the flames spread to a house. In the end, the firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading over the roof to the rest of the dwelling.

A fire that broke out on June 7 at a home on Louis St. in Chomedey did extensive damage. An image furnished by the Association des Pompiers de Laval showed the one-storey home in a heavily-damaged state. The LFD didn’t furnish any additional information as to the monetary value of the damage.

Two homeless after fire on Galarneau St. in Sainte-Rose

A fire on May 26 at a home on Galarneau St. south of de la Renaissance Blvd. in Sainte-Rose left two residents homeless temporarily.

The blaze, called in to 9-1-1 around 8:55 pm, is tentatively being blamed on a piece of ventilation equipment that malfunctioned. A total of 22 firefighters in six units responded.

Laval among cities where police lead extortion crackdown Read More »

Laval Firemen’s Festival a hit with firefighting visitors from the U.S.A

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For a while at least at the Laval Firemen’s Festival outside Collège Montmorency on May 31, things were going quite smoothly at the outset.

People were arriving, acrobats were drawing enthusiastic oohs and aahs from a growing crowd, and the firefighters themselves were getting into the swing of what seemed like a promising day.

Then came the rain. Not a lot, mind you. But just enough to drive off at least a few of the hundreds of moms, dads and kids who arrived early to see firsthand several dozen firetrucks and other emergency vehicles on parade.

They ranged from vintage pumpers that had seen better days, to shining new high-tech and high-reach ladder trucks in service with fire departments all over the Montreal region.

The festival is a mainstay on the City of Laval’s annual calendar of family-oriented activities and traditionally marks the beginning of summer in Laval each year.

This year’s parade, which started in the east and wound its way along de la Concorde Blvd. before arriving at the college campus, appeared to draw a record number of fire departments as well as collectors of vintage fire vehicles – including two reps from an organization based in Watertown NY, about 50 kilometres south of Kingston ON.

Dave Hall and Tim Jones made the three-and-a-half-hour trip to Laval through Ontario along Highway 401 in a 1923 Ford Model T fire truck, notwithstanding the loud backfiring and foggy diesel fumes the vintage yet still reliable vehicle spewed out along the way.

Seems that Ford Model T’s weren’t conceived to travel at modern highway speeds. “It overheated from going so slow,” said Hall, a retired fireman with 50 years experience, who still serves with a volunteer firefighting service in his hometown.

Kids got a chance to find out what it’s like to handle a high-pressure fire hose while assisted by members of the Laval Fire Dept. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Laval News)

They attend similar vintage fire truck gatherings all over the U.S. and Canada throughout the year. Some forthcoming events on their schedule are in Michigan as well as in Kansas.

This was their fourth time at the Laval Firemen’s Festival. However, according to Hall, the event in Laval is the biggest they go to anywhere in Canada or the USA.

Quebec-based Transport Robert, one of the continent’s largest providers of truck transportation logistics, sent along several vintage fire trucks that are part of a collection of heavy-duty vehicles started by former company president Claude Robert.

One of them, a yellow, late 1950s American-LaFrance pumper with an open canopy, was the sort of classic fire truck that set children of a certain generation to dreaming romantically of one day becoming firefighters themselves.

Laval Firemen’s Festival a hit with firefighting visitors from the U.S.A Read More »

City-Watch: City and Laval Police union sign new collective agreement

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Laval and its unionized police officers signed a new collective agreement last week, leading Mayor Stéphane Boyer to declare himself highly satisfied by the outcome.

The agreement was ratified by 78 per cent of the police brotherhood’s members. It includes a provision to transfer some administrative duties to civilian staff, resulting in lower costs for the city.

The new agreement includes an overall 22.2 per cent salary increase over five years. It will also provide for the deployment of police cadets to manage traffic, representing another cost-saving measure.

“What we were looking for was greater efficiency and more officers on the streets,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer, adding that the agreement allows the city to achieve that. “We’re really pleased with the outcome, and I think it’s going to be a win-win, both for the officers and for the public.”

“The new contract offers working conditions that reflect the growing responsibilities of our officers, who work in a complex environment and are facing an evolving and increasingly sophisticated criminal landscape,” said union president Sylvain Tardif. The agreement is in effect retroactively from Jan. 1, 2024 until Dec. 31, 2028.

Laval Firemen’s Footrace takes in a record $100,000 in donations

For its 13th annual run, the Laval Firemen’s Footrace (Course des pompiers) on Sunday June 1 had a record number of enrolled participants. Nearly 12,000 runners of both sexes and of all ages took part in the event, which drew 2,800 more people than last year.

The participants raised $102,000 for the Fondation des pompiers du Québec. The sum was expected to grow in the following days as additional donations came in.

William Simon took first place in the marathon in the men’s category with an impressive time of 2 hours, 39 minutes and 55 seconds. For the second year, Florence Thibodeau was the first woman to cross the finish line after 3 hours, 4 minutes and 56 seconds.

In the half-marathon, Victor Boisvert finished in 1 hour, 13 minutes and 53 seconds, while Joëlle White finished in 1 hour, 25 minutes and four seconds. (It was the second consecutive win for Joëlle White in her category.) The event also included 10, 5, 2.5 and 1-kilometre segments.

Laval scales up efforts to recuperate funds through BIEL agency

The City of Laval’s Bureau de l’intégrité et de l’éthique de Laval (BIEL) recently released an overview report of its activities for the year 2024, maintaining that progress was made to render the city’s administration more transparent, while also preventing corrupt practices from taking root.

Pierre Brochet, director of the Laval Police Dept. which is mandated to run the BIEL, said the agency was called upon more than ever to offer advice and make recommendations to city employees dealing with issues involving ethical dilemmas

“In 2024, the BIEL’s integrity was solicited more than ever,” he said. “The increase in requests, notices and recommendations bears witness to the importance of the role it plays in ethics and integrity for the members of the City of Laval’s staff.

“This enduring culture of integrity makes the BIEL something to look up to in this regard,” added Brochet. “On several occasions, it was invited to share its expertise with the academic milieu as well as other organizations internationally. This goes beyond our borders, reflecting the excellence of our practices and our leadership in matters of organization integrity.”

According to the 2024 report, the BIEL carried out several integrity audits last year involving sub-contractors of  services to the municipality, including five investigations currently still underway. Thirteen interventions were made with respect to seven municipal infrastructure projects.

In addition to its investigative work, the BIEL also continued efforts last year to recuperate funds believed to have been misappropriated to sub-contractors in past years.

According to the BIEL’s report, the city reclaimed $1.7 million in 2024, bringing the total to $60 million. As well, three civil suits remain underway, representing $17 million in funds which might potentially also be recuperated.

City-Watch: City and Laval Police union sign new collective agreement Read More »

Laval mayor Boyer pledges action to save Vieux Sainte-Rose heritage home

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Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer pledged during the June 3 meeting of Laval city council to take whatever action is possible to prevent the demolition of an early 20th century heritage house located on du Mont-Royal Street in the city’s Vieux Sainte-Rose neighborhood.

A petition was started by Sainte-Rose city councillor Flavia Alexandra Novac opposing the redevelopment of the house and land – dating from as early as 1911 and vacant since last November – into a rental project with as many as two dozen individual units.

‘Why here?’

During the public question period, Louise Labrie, a concerned resident, asked the mayor why the city approved a high-density project like this on a narrow street where there are pre-existing traffic issues.

“Did you consider that the number of renters doesn’t fit in on a quiet street with beautiful old homes and mature trees?” said Labrie.

Another resident pointed out that there are close to a dozen heritage properties on du Mont-Royal St., and Laval’s current urban planning and zoning regulations allow developers to demolish heritage houses and sub-divide the land into smaller units.

Right construction date?

Councillor Novac maintained that the property in question actually consists of eight smaller lots, although somehow the city failed to accord it with a heritage property designation.

According to one of the residents, the date of the house’s construction was incorrectly recorded in city property records as 1937, which may have prevented it from being accorded a protected status.

Novac tabled a motion for the city administration to conduct a new inventory of heritage homes built in Vieux Sainte-Rose before 1940, which are not yet on the City of Laval’s official list, and that they be protected from demolition like those already safeguarded by the city.

Will look into it, says Boyer

While maintaining that Laval has made great strides in recent years to safeguard the heritage homes and properties on its territory, Mayor Boyer said he agreed with the residents that there is something not right about the situation involving 133 du Mont-Royal St.

“Was there an oversight by the firm that conducted the heritage inventory?” he asked, referring to an outsourced contractor that was hired by the city to create an inventory of properties that should be protected.

“Is there something that should be corrected? We will definitely be looking into it. I agree with you that it’s a very beautiful home on a very beautiful piece of land next to a sector that’s already protected for heritage value. And so certainly, if there is something we can do legally to protect the house we will do it.”

Injunction may be issued

He said the city will be looking into the possibility of obtaining a 30-day injunction ordering the developer to cease all activity on this particular project, particularly the demolition, which would allow a consultant working for the city to study the property’s heritage value.

The mayor said he was as surprised as anyone to find out that such a large number of individual units could be built on that particular property. “So, we will definitely be looking into whether there is a way to adjust the zoning for the sector where you live,” he told the residents.

Gay sex on de Lisbonne

One of the City of Laval’s “roads less traveled,” boulevard de Lisbonne, which is an unpaved and unimproved road in the Fabreville/Sainte-Rose area, was the suject of complaints from some local residents.

They maintain that, apart from the road’s dilapidated state, it has also become a popular gathering place for gay men seeking out anonymous sex.

During the June 3 meeting’s question period, several residents as well as the city councillor for the area acknowledged that a spot on de Lisbonne near the end of the gravel has become well-known for gay sex acts openly taking place.

Children and families

“All year long, day and night, homosexuals gather to have man-to-man sexual relations in public,” said one woman, noting that the activity often takes place in full view of families with children who are clients of an outdoor activities camp located at the end of the road.

She claimed the City of Laval and the Laval Police are “perfectly aware” of what’s going on, “but do nothing at all” to intervene. At the same time, she noted that boulevard de Lisbonne has been described as the worst street in Laval for roadway maintenance, with some potholes nearly two feet deep.

‘In front of you’

A spokesman for the Centre de Golf Fabreville, which is located on large tract of land at the corner of de Lisbonne and boulevard Sainte-Rose, said de Lisbonne has become a place for “meet-ups” and prostitution by “grown men who give each other fellation, who engage in sexual activities just like that – in front of you.”

Parti Laval city councillor for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin Louise Lortie said she had personally witnessed sex acts being committed on de Lisbonne.

“I’m telling you now frankly, it’s disgusting,” she said emphatically, while adding that the last time she was there in her car, she found herself being followed afterwards “as if to let me know that I had no business being there.”

Laval mayor Boyer pledges action to save Vieux Sainte-Rose heritage home Read More »

LPD Blue: Former camp councillor sentenced for sex assaults on minors

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A former day camp councillor has been sentenced in Laval to two years of home confinement for deceiving a teenager and sexually assaulting two young men while they were intoxicated.

Alexis Plourde-Dinelle had become friends with his victims in their early teens.

The 33-year-old Montrealer pleaded guilty on May 12 at the Laval courthouse to two counts of sexual assault and one of luring.

He worked with young people for years. He was a day camp counselor in Mauricie, and worked at a Maison des jeunes in Quebec’s Estrie region.

At the end of his home confinement sentence, Plourde-Dinelle will be placed on probation for three years, including two years with supervision.

Man accused of father’s premeditated murder in Laval

A young man has been charged with the premeditated murder of his 71-year-old father in Laval, marking the city’s first homicide of the year.

Facing a charge of first-degree murder, 26-year-old Thomas Erik Eyelom appeared in court last week.

First-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years upon conviction.

According to the Laval Police, the body of the 71-year-old was discovered at his residence on Dumouchel Street in Chomedey by a family member.

The LPD initially treated it as a “suspicious death.” The LPD’s Crimes Against Persons Unit took charge of the case to try to clarify the cause and circumstances of death.

A scene analysis, conducted in collaboration with the LPD’s forensic identification squad and the forensic sciences and legal medicine laboratory, as well as information gathered by the LPD’s crimes against persons squad, allowed investigators to determine that the case was murder, said a spokesperson for the LPD.

Family of three homeless after electrical fire in Duvernay

A family of three from Duvernay is temporarily homeless after a fire believed to be caused by a freak electrical accident seriously damaged their home on du Genévrier St. around noon on May 12.

Laval Fire Dept. investigators suspect that high winds around half past noon that day may have damaged aluminum cladding on the house, bringing it into contact with an electrical power line.

Current from the line may have flowed into metal rain gutters outside the house, spreading in and setting off a fire, according to the LFD.

Damage was estimated at $100,000, with an additional $40,000 in damages to interior furnishings.

Driver in deadly 2019 Laval autoroute truck crash gets 10-year sentence

The truck driver found responsible for the August 2019 fiery multi-vehicle pile-up on Autoroute 440 near the A-15 in Laval which killed four people has been sentenced to a decade in prison.

On Aug. 5, 2019, Jagmeet Grewal was driving a transport truck and a 53-foot trailer without a valid license, when he crashed into stopped traffic as he was travelling around 100 km/h, causing a major fire, while trapping some occupants in their cars.

The crash killed Robert Tanguay-Plante, Sylvain Pouliot, Michèle Bernier and Gilles Marsolais, while injuring 15 others.

Surveillance camera images used in a subsequent investigation showed him not holding the steering wheel leading up to the crash.

Grewal’s license was also suspended at the time of the crash, and he was convicted three times for impaired driving in the 1990s

“Innocent victims that were at the wrong place at the wrong time perished and others were severely injured and are still carrying their pain and sufferings,” Superior Court Justice Yanick Laramée wrote in a ruling prior to imposing the sentence.

Laval mall subject of anti-theft operation

MATTHEW DALDALIAN Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Carrefour Laval was at the center of a significant national anti-shoplifting operation last week, as law enforcement and retail security teams joined forces to combat rising retail theft across Canada.

The two-day initiative, conducted on May 15 and 16, was part of a broader campaign led by the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), in collaboration with the Service de police de Laval (SPL) and CF Carrefour Laval. Similar “Blitz” operations were carried out in shopping centers nationwide between May 2 and 19.

Retail theft has become a pressing issue, with Canadian businesses reporting losses exceeding $9 billion in 2024. “Retailers can’t tackle this growing issue alone. It requires both staffing and effective tools,” said Michel Rochette, president of the RCC’s Quebec division.

“Retailers are hit twice: they suffer direct financial losses and risk losing their customers’ trust—not to mention the security concerns for everyone in the store. Retail crime needs to become a true public priority.”

During the operation, Laval police officers were deployed during peak hours to monitor and intervene directly with offenders, working alongside mall security to increase visibility and deter repeat offenses. “Store security is one of our key priorities,” said SPL spokesperson Sgt. Laurent Arsenault.

“Operations like this allow us to act quickly with offenders, reassure the public, and reaffirm our commitment to Laval’s business community. We’re proud to take part in this initiative, which serves as a model for collaboration.”

The SPL’s Azimut unit—a specialized squad trained to intervene in commercial areas— was involved in a similar blitz at Carrefour Laval in December 2024, during which several arrests were made. The RCC emphasized that the campaign isn’t just about enforcement. The initiative also aims to raise public awareness about the real cost of shoplifting.

“Blitz” operations are designed to deliver concentrated results within a short time frame by deploying officers and security staff during strategic hours to focus on high-risk periods and known offenders. Carrefour Laval was selected due to its status as a major commercial hub in Quebec and its history of cooperation with authorities.

The RCC described the center as a “nerve center of retail activity.” The recent operation also comes weeks after an armed robbery at a jewelry store inside Carrefour Laval on March 31. While no injuries were reported and the suspect remains at large, the incident reflects the broader security challenges facing one of Quebec’s busiest malls. A vehicle from the SPL’s Azimut unit, parked outside Carrefour Laval during the two-day anti-theft operation on May 16.

LPD Blue: Former camp councillor sentenced for sex assaults on minors Read More »

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