The news came during the municipal council meeting on Wednesday, October 1: starting in November, the City of Laval will launch a pilot project in partnership with the SPCA Lanaudière Basses-Laurentides to help manage the stray cat population in the area.

It took the Municipality more than three years to develop this long-awaited and repeatedly requested Trap-Neuter-Release-Maintain (TNRM) program, advocated by volunteers concerned about animal welfare.

Christine Péron, a Laval-des-Rapides resident, attended the last eight municipal council meetings to raise awareness for this cause. On October 1, she finally saw her wish come true: by amending by-law L-12430 on animals, Laval made it possible to implement such a program.

“This is very good news for Laval’s stray cats and for those who do everything they can to help them,” said Ms. Péron with delight. “We will now have access to a wonderful organization that will allow us to help even more cats. It’s unfortunate that it took so long and that we had to fight so hard to get here […]. I look forward to learning more about the details of the program.”

Pilot Project

The SPCA Lanaudière Basses-Laurentides won the public tender issued by the City of Laval earlier this summer and will deploy the TNRM program in the region.

In addition to controlling births through sterilization and deworming rescued animals, the program will also support the adoption of social cats, as well as relocating semi-social or non-adoptable cats to farms, barns, or stables.

After a behavioral and medical evaluation, cats deemed adoptable will be placed in foster homes.

Laval will invest $70,000 annually in this pilot project, initially set to last one year. The funding may be renewed for a second year depending on the results. The investment would allow the sterilization of more than 300 cats per year, with the help of citizen volunteers.

“We have listened to you,” said Christine Poirier, municipal councillor for Duvernay–Pont-Viau and responsible for animal management, during the October 1 council meeting. “This project is a great example of a thoughtful approach to setting up an effective solution, one that ensures Laval taxpayers’ dollars are used efficiently, with animal welfare in mind, of course.”

The official agreement with the SPCA is currently being drafted and is expected to be signed by the end of the month.

“The SPCA’s role will be limited to implementing the TNRM program for stray cats,” explained Carolanne L. Gagnon, public affairs advisor for the City of Laval. “[Le Berger Blanc] will continue to provide the full range of animal services covered by its contract with the City, including intake, adoption, patrol, animal pickup, and 24/7 emergency services.”

The pilot project is expected to launch in November in neighborhoods where stray cat issues have been reported in complaints received by the City over the past five years. These areas have not yet been confirmed, but selection will be based on “the volume of requests related to stray cats, the presence of physical or natural barriers (highways, rivers), the predominance of residential versus agricultural areas, and the feasibility of field follow-up.”

“By concentrating efforts in these neighborhoods, it will be possible to measure the project’s impact before considering its expansion,” the Municipality noted in its media communication.

Volunteer Involvement

The City emphasizes that citizen involvement is essential to the project’s success, whether through caring for colonies or reporting sites where cats gather. Capture traps may only be installed with authorization from those in charge.

After a resident expressed her interest in volunteering for the cause during the council meeting, the councillor for Duvernay–Pont-Viau mentioned that “the volunteer component [was] not yet determined,” but details would be shared soon.

What is known, however, is that the pilot project will be coordinated by a City employee, in collaboration with the nonprofit, and that volunteers can express their interest by contacting 311 or through the MonDossier platform.

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L’article Stray Cats: Laval Announces Pilot Project est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Against all odds, Laval experienced the most prolific month in its history in June in terms of new housing starts.
This achievement is all the more remarkable considering the first 18 days of the month were affected by a labor dispute in the residential construction sector.It’s important to note that the strike launched at the end of May by the Construction Union Alliance targeted only construction sites for single-family homes, row houses, and apartment buildings of six stories or fewer.
Why? Simply because in Quebec, projects of seven stories and above fall under the commercial sector, not residential construction.

Laval… and the Others
Last month, foundations were poured in Laval for 1,000 housing units, including 974 rental units.
That’s four times more than on the Island of Montreal, where the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recorded just 260 new housing starts.
In total, four out of every ten new units — 37% of the 2,729 units started in June across the broader Montreal Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) — were launched in Laval. An unprecedented milestone!
According to the latest monthly report from the federal housing agency, 748 new units were started on the North Shore and 534 on the South Shore, while the Vaudreuil-Soulanges RCM trailed with 187 new homes.

Half-Year Summary
Laval closed out the first half of 2025 with 2,803 new housing units — another all-time high since CMHC began tracking these statistics for the Laval area.
In fact, the first six months of the year alone surpassed the total of 2,023 units started during all of the previous 12 months.
In Laval, the all-time record of 3,234 new housing starts, set in 2008, could be broken this month — only 432 units away from setting a new benchmark.
Let’s recall that last fall, during a real estate summit, Mayor Stéphane Boyer projected the construction of 42,000 housing units over the next 10 years — more than double what was built in Laval over the past decade.

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L’article Record Month with 1000 New Housing Starts… Despite the Strike est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Ten months after the August 9, 2024, deluge that flooded approximately 7,200 private properties in Laval, the Boyer administration has released two reports produced by the Municipal Resilience Office and the Engineering Department.
One of them, the strategic report on crisis management, aimed in particular to identify the lessons learned from this painful experience and to propose recommendations to improve risk management and make the city more resilient.
The technical report on the performance of municipal infrastructure focused on analyzing the impact of this historic rainfall on the city’s drainage and sewer systems.

“This assessment demonstrates our willingness to learn, adapt, and above all, take action,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer in a statement issued on June 2. “We must ensure that our citizens are met with a level of preparedness and response that reflects the new climate challenges.”
He reiterated that the City will invest $350 million by the end of 2027 to strengthen its water infrastructure—$100 million more than what had been budgeted in the previous Three-Year Capital Investment Program (PTI).

Aging Infrastructure
The engineering report notes that most of the buildings flooded by Storm Debby are located in areas served by combined and pseudo-separated sewer systems.
Built up to around 1965, the combined system collects both sanitary and stormwater in the same pipe. Notably, this type of system serves a quarter (24%) of the Île Jésus territory.
The pseudo-separated sanitary system, on the other hand, was mostly built during the 1970s and early 1980s. Made up of a sewer line dedicated exclusively to transporting stormwater collected from street catch basins, this network channels wastewater and runoff from buildings to the treatment plant.

However, these older systems—which make up 60% of Laval’s sewer network—become overloaded during heavy rainfall, causing sewer backups and wastewater overflows into the environment.
Still, “replacing a vast proportion of Laval’s sewer network would likely not be a socially, temporally, or financially acceptable solution,” the Engineering Department concludes.

Natural Basins
It is also learned that the runoff generated by Storm Debby would have exceeded by about double the capacity of the retention structures, whose protection recurrence is 100 years. In plain terms, this means that these basins were designed to withstand a rainfall event likely to occur only once a century.
Unsurprisingly, the areas where the most damages were reported are, for the most part, located in these natural basins into which surface water and overflows from the overloaded sewer system flow by gravity.

Furthermore, during the August 9, 2024, deluge, the team at the pumping stations of the Water Management Department had to deal with power outages in addition to noting that some pumping stations had reached their mechanical pumping capacity.
That being said, the authors of the report note that the “operation of gravity overflows” at certain pumping stations “made it possible to evacuate the water despite power outages or reaching pumping capacities.”

Measures Put Forward
In light of the observations and recommendations made by internal teams, the City will deploy in the short term a series of measures, including “the addition of generators to pumping stations, the improvement of stormwater network maintenance, especially in vulnerable areas, as well as the implementation of innovative infrastructures such as sponge streets, rain gardens, and an underground basin” to strengthen overflow management.
An integrated stormwater management plan is underway to optimize the entire water cycle in Laval, it is also stated.

Risk Management
On the other hand, the strategic report on crisis management, written by the Municipal Resilience Office, provides a precise assessment of the interventions carried out in the wake of Hurricane Debby. It highlights in passing the “proactive response” in civil security and the 25,000 hours of work provided by municipal staff in support of affected households.
In terms of improvements to be made, it notes nonetheless “a difficulty in quickly estimating the number of victims and issues in the collection and analysis of real-time data,” summarizes the press release published by the municipal administration, which also commits “to implementing additional mechanisms to correct the identified vulnerabilities, strengthen governance in civil security, increase the territory’s adaptive capacity, and ensure rigorous follow-up of actions.”

Shared Responsibility
While acknowledging its “crucial role in sustainable urban planning [and] the implementation of resilient infrastructure,” the City emphasizes that “the engagement and mobilization of citizens is just as important in achieving greater municipal resilience.”

In this regard, the engineering report illustrates that when an extreme weather event exceeds the capacity of the sewer networks, reliance must be placed on the “internal plumbing protection devices of buildings” to avoid the worst.
“Property owners must ensure that their plumbing system complies with the various current standards and must perform regular maintenance on protective devices.”

The drainage of private land is also part of the equation.
“Gradients must direct runoff water away from foundation walls, and mitigation measures should be implemented in cases where there is low-permeability soil (such as clay soil, for example),” suggests the Engineering Department in the conclusions of a 50-page report.

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L’article Storm Debby: Laval Releases Its Reports est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

New real estate

During the inauguration of the new real estate project Mostra Centropolis, which took place on Thursday, September 19, in Chomedey, the group of developers announced the addition of 187 more doors, bringing the total number of new housing units in their new residential complex to 550.

Nearly 200 additional housing units will be built

The 193 units of Phase A, inaugurated on September 19, are already 80% rented. Those in the second phase, which includes 170 units and is set to open in January 2025, are currently being leased.

Cogir Immobilier, Cominar, and Divco took advantage of the Phase A inauguration to announce a third phase that will feature 187 units. This third building is expected to open in June 2026.

“The demand for housing in the area is increasing, and we are responding by offering turnkey apartments connected to a network of shops to make life easier for our tenants. This project advances our ambitions to deliver apartments quickly while providing a unique and differentiated rental experience for the Laval region,” said Jean-Marc Bélanger, head of operations for the multi-residential division of Cogir Immobilier, in a statement.

Living in one of the three buildings of the Mostra Centropolis complex comes with a host of advantages, the developers explain.

Located just steps away from Centropolis, the new neighborhood benefits from a variety of shops. Residents, by signing a lease with Mostra Centropolis, will have privileged access.

“Just like the commercial tenants and employees working at Centropolis, they have access to the Cominar Privileges program. They will fully enjoy their new neighborhood thanks to benefits, exclusive discounts, and first dibs on our community events,” said Marie-Andrée Boutin, head of development and operations at Cominar.

The new neighborhood will include a shared workspace, green spaces, a pool, and a gym. A shared kitchen, a dog park, and terraces will also be added. (G.Q.)

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L’article Nearly 200 additional housing units will be built in downtown Laval est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Investigation into Paolo Galati’s Unjustified Expenses: Quebec Municipal Commission Takes Action

The Quebec Municipal Commission (CMQ) has launched a thorough investigation into the expenses reimbursed to Paolo Galati, a councilor from Action Laval, over the past eight years. According to an investigation published by the Journal de Montréal, Galati allegedly used public funds for personal purchases such as groceries at Costco, a sofa bed, and a luxury $1,000 Apple watch.

Reimbursement Claims and Use of Public Funds

The questioned expenses were reimbursed through the research and support fund available to municipal officials. The report reveals a total reimbursement of $16,000 for Apple equipment since 2017, as well as grocery items including Nutella, cereal, chewing gum, moisturizing cream, and even an auto-watering planter.

Action Laval’s Response and Paolo Galati’s Withdrawal

Action Laval did not respond to our request for an interview with Mr. Galati. However, the party leader, Achille Cifelli, issued a statement emphasizing that expenses are reviewed by City employees and that the City Treasurer has the authority to reject non-compliant expenses. Shortly afterward, at 9:44 PM, a statement announced Paolo Galati’s withdrawal from the Action Laval caucus while the CMQ conducts its investigation.

City Comments and Political Impact

Mayor Stéphane Boyer criticized Galati for a lack of judgment, highlighting that the amounts and nature of the expenses raise serious questions about their relevance to the councilor’s duties. Acting Leader of the Laval Party, Claude Larochelle, called for a swift investigation and immediate reimbursement of non-compliant expenses, asserting that the integrity of elected officials is crucial for public trust.

Regulation of Municipal Officials’ Expenses

According to Philippe Déry, Chief of Public Affairs, the reimbursement of officials’ expenses is governed by the Act Respecting Municipal Elected Officials’ Remuneration and the Administrative Guide of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. This regulatory framework defines eligibility criteria and reimbursement thresholds, as well as outlining the City’s verification processes.

The Guide allows for the purchase of furniture and office equipment, as well as reimbursement for purchases made in the context of meetings with citizens. However, it is crucial that expenses comply with the criteria and application terms, and that officials are accountable for the justifications and explanations related to each reimbursement request.

L’article Québec Municipal Commission (CMQ) Investigates Paolo Galati’s Expenses est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

Every week, on Monday, Nov. 28, Dec. 5-12-19, 2022, we’ll publish inside the Courrier Laval a full-page ad for the contest entitled LE CALENDRIER DE L’AVENT.

How to Participate: Digital Participation Method

Anyone looking to enter the contest must register on the Courrier Laval’s Facebook page, and/or our Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter and Tik Tok pages, and tag a friend in the post.

In addition, increase your chances of winning by subscribing to the Courrier Laval’s newsletter https://courrierlaval.com/infolettre/

25 prizes to be won! One draw per day on our Facebook page!

Subscribe and enter every day, from Dec. 1 to 25, 2022, between midnight and 11:59 p.m. for a chance to win a free gift from one of the participating merchants.

The winners will be contacted daily by Messenger, and will be able to claim the prizes by appointment only, at the Courrier Laval’s office (2584, boul. Le Corbusier, Laval H7S 2K8).

The contest is open to all residents of Quebec, except for Courrier Laval/2M.Media employees, participating merchants, and their families. The person for whose benefit a publicity contest is held, his/her employee, his/her representative, his/her agent or a member of the jury, and the persons with whom they are domiciled can’t participate in this contest.

No purchase needed, 18 years and over. Not redeemable for cash and not exchangeable in store.

Deadline to claim the prizes: Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023

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L’article Advent Calendar Contest est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

The man, who lives in Sainte-Thérèse, was first diagnosed with lymphoma in 2012. He underwent treatment at the Centre intégré de cancérologie de Laval (CICL) until the end of the year. That period was very difficult for the whole family, including his wife Suzie.

Three years later, she decided to participate in the 300 kilomètres pour la vie (300 kilometers for life), organized by the Fondation Cité de la Santé, in order to give back to the CICL.

“You have to know that we were completely strangers to cycling,” Fonseca specified. “Suzie and her friend, Nancy, decided to sign up for the event after a spin-a-thon they attended. Me and Virginio [Nancy’s spouse] were wondering what they were getting into. We thought it was a bubble, but they did it in 2015.”

Recidivism

The following winter, another hard news came: Fonseca had a recurrence of cancer. This was one more reason to encourage Suzie and Nancy to participate again in Laval’s foundation challenge. This time, Virginio and several other family friends joined them to create the Braves team.

Fonseca also wanted to participate in the event, but he was weakened due to the treatments.

“I had my new bike and I wanted to pedal,” he said. “Our usual route is 40 to 50 kilometers between Blainville and Saint-Jérôme. I cycled 14 kilometers, then I returned home with difficulty and misery. I slept the rest of the day. I was burned, I wasn’t able.”

He had to resign himself to supporting his team aboard a vehicle that followed them on the round trip between Laval and Trois-Rivières.

“In 2016, they all decided to do the challenge for me,” Fonseca noted, emotionally. “That was really it that year. It wasn’t the Portuguese dinners or Boston Pizza for fundraisers, but the dinners for Normand.”

2017

After more treatments and a bone marrow transplant at the end of 2016, Fonseca came out weakened from his second battle with cancer. However, he had only one goal in mind, which was to participate in the next edition of the 300 kilometers for life.

After many training sessions and preparatory team outings, he felt ready.

“It’s a psychological challenge,” he says. “You don’t know how it will go, just like when your oncologist tells you he’s going to try a specific protocol to beat cancer. The first time is the unknown, like when you arrive at the cancer centre.”

He added that although the last 50 kilometers can be difficult and uncomfortable, it’s still much more comfortable than being in a chemotherapy chair. “By saying that, everyone stops talking for the end of the ride, endures the pain and focuses on finishing the challenge,” he said.

Giving Back

Since his first participation in 2017, Fonseca has cycled in all the following editions. The Braves team is still very present, being even the one that has collected the most donations for the 2022 edition, which will take place on Sept. 10–11.

“In 2012, the doctor told me I had a 70-75 per cent chance of fighting cancer,” he mentioned. “It was already good. Then, the chances were up to 80-85 per cent when I did it again. This is thanks to medical advancement. All funds are for something. The more we give, the more resources we can bring.”

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article Giving Back with Cycling after Two Fights Against Cancer est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

The 2021 National Physician Health Survey, conducted in November 2021, reports that the medical workforce is struggling with a weakened healthcare system, and many challenges created by the pandemic.

Nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) tested positive for depression, a higher proportion than that of the 2017 CMA survey (33 per cent).

A quarter of practicing physicians are suffering from severe (10 per cent) or moderate (15 per cent) anxiety.

Preliminary data from this year are indicating that 53 per cent of respondents have reported experiencing high levels of burnout.

“Every day, physicians are expressing despair about the state of our health care system, the pressure that all health care workers are under and the suffering of their patients,” said via press release Dr. Alika Lafontaine, president of the CMA. “Since the survey was conducted, the workload has kept getting heavier with no sign of respite on the horizon. They need help to continue to provide quality care.” (J.B./IJL)

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article A Quarter of Physicians Are Suffering From Moderate to Severe Anxiety est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

This will take place between Saint-Saëns Street (east) and Dagenais Boulevard (east) from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

That hindrance is required in order to continue the necessary work for the construction of the Saint-Saëns interchange, as part of Highway 19’s extension project.

Road users going southbound will have access to a detour by taking des Laurentides Boulevard, westbound, as well as Dagenais Boulevard (east), eastbound, to return to Route 335.

Conversely, those going northbound can take des Grands-Maîtres Boulevard on the right, followed by Rang Saint-Elzéar on the left, and des Perron Avenue to return to their initial route.

Another possible detour is possible for people, when going through Dagenais Boulevard (east), heading west. Drivers would then need to take des Laurentides Boulevard northbound, and des Perron Avenue.

Trucks

Another detour is offered to truckers. When going southbound, truckers must take des Laurentides Boulevard, westbound, up to Highway 440 (east) in order to return to Route 335, southbound.

Northbound, trucks will be intercepted at the intersection of Route 335 and des Grands-Maîtres/Dagenais Boulevard (east). They’ll have to take des Grands-Maîtres and Robert-Bourassa boulevards, followed by the service road of Highway 440, westbound. This will allow truckers to get to des Laurentides Boulevard, northbound, and then up to Route 335. (N.P.)

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article A-19 Extension: Upcoming Complete Closure of the 335 est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

It was approximately 10:35 a.m. when the fatal event occurred at the corner of rue de Genève and Boulevard des Laurentides.

A young 17-year-old driver was driving on rue de Genève and would never have seen the pedestrian when entering Boulevard des Laurentides, by crossing the two lanes at this point.

At that moment, the 70-year-old woman remained alive, but in critical condition. However, his death was sadly noted when arriving at the hospital.

The Boulevard des Laurentides was closed in both directions for many hours in order to let investigators from the Service de police de Laval (SPL) try to elucidate the circumstances of this fatal accident.

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article Pedestrian Fatally Hit in Vimont est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.