Vaudreuil-Dorion

Quebec Liberals present petition on WI flood map opposition

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Beryl Wajsman,Editor
The Suburban

Provincial Liberals and the Mayor of the Vaudreuil-Dorion have added their voices to that of Pierrefonds-Roxboro’s Mayor Jim Beis against the new provincial flood map. That map, as The Suburban has reported, is resulting in thousands of homes being uninsurable. They had not been listed on any flood zone maps before.

The mayor of Vaudreuil-Dorion Guy Pilon said, “I find it absolutely stupid because they did the same thing in 2019.” He said about 2,000 homes would find themselves in a flood zone. Those living in high-risk areas would no longer be able to rebuild if their house is ever flooded. “You cannot rebuild, so what’s your land worth? No one would buy a land where you cannot build!” The mayor wants more done such as building another dike, but the province has turned him down. “They’re telling us they’re going to pay every year, every two years, three years for flooding, but don’t want to invest in a little dike,” Pilon said.

In the National Assembly, Quebec Liberal housing critic Virginie Dufour has presented a citizens petition on the same issue. It calls on the government to delay the adoption of the new regulations and extend consultations. and also asks for a simplified and accessible process to review and update flood zone maps. The petition also highlights complaints received by the Quebec Ombudsman, alleging errors in the new flood zone mapping.

Petitioners have the same concerns that the municipalities and Mayors do. The flood map changes could have major consequences on property values, the insurability of homes, and the ability to renew mortgages for many affected individuals.

Dufour told The Suburban said that, “Given the far-reaching implications of this regulatory change, both economically and socially, I believe it is important to shed light on the concerns being voiced by citizens.” Anyone wishing to sign the petition can go to the following link.

https://m.assnat.qc.ca/fr/exprimez-votre-opinion/petition/Petition-11045/index.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawF_lgBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHWV7nUGvvMX7R6fpJiROFKWJ3H16rrmPj5mrfmcdT10JwzkWy2t77wmRVA_aem_7zDGiv7z8il8uN8IN_5TvQ n

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Complete closure of Île-aux-Tourtes September 6-9

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By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The Île-aux-Tourtes bridge, connecting Senneville and Vaudreuil-Dorion along Highway 40, will be completely closed to traffic throughout the weekend of September 6 to 9.

According to the Quebec Transport Ministry (MTQ), the complete closure is required in order for construction work to be carried out on the drainage network for the new bridge and implement a new traffic configuration on Highway 40 Eastbound. Continued maintenance work will be carried out simultaneously, including the installation of a membrane and asphalting on the bridge structure.

Traffic management from Friday, September 6, at 11:59 p.m., to Monday, September 9, at 5 a.m. will include a complete closure of Highway 40 Westbound between Exit No. 41 – Ste Anne-de-Bellevue and the entrance from Saint-Charles Avenue in Vaudreuil as well as the complete closure of Highway 40 Eastbound between Exit No. 35 –Saint-Charles (Vaudreuil) and the entrance from Boulevard des Anciens-Combattants.

The ramp leading from Highway 40 Eastbound to the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge will be closed at the Highway 30 interchange. Westbound, access to Senneville Road will be maintained for users who need to go to this area.

According to the MTQ, when the bridge reopens on Monday, September 9, a total of three lanes are expected to be available on the bridge, including two in the direction of traffic flow, Eastbound in the morning and Westbound in the afternoon.

Detour routes will be marked with temporary signage.

“During this closure, the public is invited to use public transit and take advantage of the mitigation measures in place due to the obstructions at the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge. In addition, the toll will be suspended in both directions on Highway 30 to offer an additional alternative,” he Ministry stated.

A second complete closure of the bridge is also planned for the weekend of September 20. n

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Vaudreuil man convicted of pornographic filming of wife and daughter

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A 50-year old man who pled guilty and was convicted of production and possession of child pornography and voyeurism was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for secretly filming his daughter, her friends and his wife at their Vaudreuil-Dorion home.

A publication ban was placed on the name of the accused at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse in order to protect the identity of the victims, with the youngest discovered on the seized footage being only nine years old at the time. The man, with no prior criminal record, was known as a respected and trusted family man and “the fun dad,” according to the testimony of one of the nine identified victims. “We could not imagine that meanwhile (appearing to be that person), you were installing cameras to see us going to the toilet, changing and taking our showers,” she stated to the court at sentencing.

The actions of the convicted man went on for six years. He filmed his wife unknowingly in their bedroom having sex and his daughter and her friends in the bathroom while appearing, according to the victims of his crimes, as a normal and even very likeable family man.

A USB stick originally discovered in the garage of the family unit by the man’s daughter and her friend last spring revealed this disturbing side of the “family man”.

The footage on the originally discovered USB stick revealed clips captured by hidden cameras in the bathrooms of the family unit between 2015 and 2021.

Quebec Provincial Police (SQ) arrested the defendant at his home shortly after the footage was discovered by the two girls. He remained detained until the trial and will serve out the remaining two years of his sentence.

The convicted man is banned from being in the presence of minors for 10 years following his release and will remain on the sex offender registry for 20 years. He is also banned from internet access or social media networks for 10 years.

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MTQ’s parking expansion for Ile-aux-Tourtes chaos “won’t work”

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By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Quebec’s Transport Ministry (MTQ) announced a new mitigation measure related to the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge work causing traffic constraints. An additional 300 temporary parking spaces near the Vaudreuil train station and the central Vaudreuil bus station, funded by the MTQ in collaboration with the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion and the Regional Metropolitain Transport Authority, will be made available as of mid-May until the end of 2024.

The Quebec government has also guaranteed temporary free access to certain public transportation services to help alleviate some of the road congestion caused by the bridge work. The current parking lot is regularly at its maximum capacity. Signage to indicate the location of additional spaces will be put in place.

Comments from road users suggest that the MTQ is playing whack a mole with a blindfold on, covering their eyes to the realities that affect the surrounding community members. With over 40 responses from road users on the new temporary parking lot topic alone in addition to earlier interviews, The Suburban noted a few important points.

Lack of coordination in mitigation measures is by far the most prominent issue that was raised in discussions concerning the temporary parking lot. “They reduced the number of A-40 buses. What will more parking spaces do to help?” Chantal B. said in a response to The Suburban’s request for community reactions in an online discussion group. “We need more trains and synchronicity for buses and buses that run more frequently. Adding more parking space doesn’t help otherwise,” Pascale M. added to the conversation.

One of the common trajectories used by drivers to circumvent the Ile-aux-Tourtes bridge is the Oka-Hudson ferry that runs from mid-April to mid-November. “A gratuity for the Oka-Hudson ferry, with some kind of proof that you have something (to do) other than wander, would be very useful,” Peter A. from Vaudreuil told The Suburban. According to Peter and other commenters, the ferry route does not cut very much of the travel time, but for some it helps to reduce their feelings of stress.

Train users who need to reach the station by car were certainly pleased with the announcement as finding parking has been an issue for many. “It’s a hunt for a spot at certain times, so this would probably help many people,” says Nadine B, a regular user who points out that she and her husband take their two cars to the station regularly as they have different travelling schedules.

Young families that need to travel by car for drop-offs is another challenge that The Suburban noted throughout discussions and interviews with local bridge users. As a result of the ongoing traffic constraints, some families with toddlers have switched to child care services on-Island closer to their work to avoid any potential of late pick-ups, however they need to keep their toddlers in the car with them throughout hours of traffic. “I would have opted for the train before I moved my kid closer to work, but there was no guaranteed spot each day and I can’t risk missing work even if that means listening to Coco Melon in the car for an hour in the car each morning,” Sabrina L. said to The Suburban. “It’s great that they are adding parking, but it’s too late, I already moved my kid to the West Island and I can’t bring her and carry all her things and my things onto the train.” n

MTQ’s parking expansion for Ile-aux-Tourtes chaos “won’t work” Read More »

Vaudreuil Walmart set to reopen mid-May

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The Vaudreuil-Dorion Walmart on de la Gare Boulevard is set to re-open May 16 following an alleged arson attack that took place last February, forcing the department store to shut down for major repairs. On February 20, shortly after opening its doors to the public, shoppers and employees were evacuated after a fire broke out near the BBQ sale section of the store. One person was treated for smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.

Luciano Minisini-Burke was arrested by Quebec provincial police officers shortly after the fire was reported. After undergoing a psychological evaluation at the Phillippe-Pinel institute, he was deemed fit to stand trial.

Walmart Canada has worked diligently to ensure the reopening of the store and took an optimistic approach by using the opportunity to coordinate the restoration work with other renovations that were originally planned to expand the grocery department at a later date.The store will undergo an inspection by Montreal’s authority on sanitary and safety conditions, MAPAQ, prior to the opening date.

As the warehouse starts taking in orders for restock items, Walmart employees will restock the shelves while continuing efforts to clean up in order to welcome shoppers as of mid-May. This is not the first time the store needed to undergo a major clean up and renovations due to arson. A similar incident took place at the same location in October 2020. n

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Puglisi deemed unfit to stand trial in Vaudreuil double murder

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Fabio Puglisi has been deemed unfit to stand trial following his arrest last week at the crime scene where two women were stabbed to death in a residential condo building in Vaudreuil-Dorion. The 44-year old accused underwent a psychiatric assessment at the Philippe-Pinel institute that was made public Thursday at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse. Puglisi will remain detained at the institute where he will receive pharmacological treatment for 30 days.

“This 30-day treatment aims to stabilize Puglisi’s mental state,” Judge Bertrand St-Arnaud stated. Puglisi is scheduled to return to court on March 25. He faces two counts of second degree murder in the death of his mother Elisabetta Caucci-Puglisi, 68, and a neighbour, Manon Blanchard, 53 as well as one count of attempted murder and aggravated assault for the alleged attack on an elderly neighbour who was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and has since stabilized.

The accused has been found not criminally responsible on two previous occasions due to his mental health condition. He was also accused of assaulting a complete stranger in front of his residence last fall and was scheduled to face charges one week prior to the most recent attack.

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