www.pilaros.com 3,/$526450.681.6900 Laval’s English Paper, Since 1993 Vol. 26 • No. 01 • January 10, 2018 • Tel.: 450-978-9999 • www.lavalnews.ca • e-mail: [email protected] • 34, 200 copies Remembering How tax and other fees the will affect 1998 your wallet Ice in 2018 See papagege 5 Storm... January 7, 1998. A surreal veil of ice on trees turns Laval streets into a waste- 2017 land of arctic weeping willows. The Year in REVIEW SEE STORY PAGE 15 See pages 6, 7, 8, 13 HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA WITH DISTANCE EDUCATION Can’t come to school during the day? EARN YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AT HOME Earn your prerequisites for CEGEP and DEP (credits from the Ministère de l’Éducation) Easy registration - Open 12 months a year - Flexible hours - Individualized learning Personal tutor support : CALL NOW - TOLL FREE • www.distanceeducation-etsb.com Working in partnership with the following: Education, the key to success! 1 877 463-3775 $&$//)25&223(5$7,21726$9( 285&20081,7<2)),&,$//$1*8$*(0(',$ Ms. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage Ms. Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement $V\RXNQRZFRPPXQLW\PHGLDSOD\DYLWDOUROHLQWKHGHYHORSPHQWDQGYLWDOLW\RIR൶FLDOODQJXDJHPLQRULW\SRSXODWLRQV7KH\DUHERWKD UHÀHFWLRQDQGHYHQDQLPSRUWDQWGULYHURIWKHODQJXDJHDQGFXOWXUHRIWKHFRPPXQLWLHVWKH\VHUYH7KHUHSRUWSXEOLVKHGLQ-XQHE\ WKH6WDQGLQJ&RPPLWWHHRQ&DQDGLDQ+HULWDJHLVHORTXHQWO\DXWKRULWDWLYHDQGWKH¿QGLQJVRIWKH¿QDOUHSRUWRIWKH2൶FHRIWKH&RPPLV- VLRQHURI2൶FLDO/DQJXDJHVDOVRUHOHDVHGLQ-XQHDUHFOHDUO\LQOLQHZLWKWKLV However, it is clear that there is a disengagement by the federal government from community media in minority situations, which results in DGUDVWLFUHGXFWLRQLQIHGHUDODGYHUWLVLQJLQYHVWPHQWV$OUHDG\LQWKHIDOORIPDQ\RUJDQL]DWLRQVLQFOXGLQJO¶$VVRFLDWLRQGHODSUHVVH IUDQFRSKRQH $3) O¶$OOLDQFHGHVUDGLRVFRPPXQDXWDLUHVGX&DQDGD $5&& DQGWKH4XHEHF&RPPXQLW\1HZVSDSHUV$VVRFLDWLRQKDYH FRPSODLQHGWRWKH&RPPLVVLRQHURI2൶FLDO/DQJXDJHVEXWWKHIHGHUDOJRYHUQPHQW¶VSHUVLVWHQWLQDFWLRQLQWKLVDUHD7KLVKDVWKHH൵HFWRI seriously undermining the dynamism of community media to the point of now threatening their survival. *LYHQWKHDEVROXWHXUJHQF\RIWKHVLWXDWLRQ$5&&$3)DQGWKH4&1$XUJHWKH2൶FHRIWKH&RPPLVVLRQHURI2൶FLDO/DQJXDJHVWRKROG DPHHWLQJZLWKDOONH\VWDNHKROGHUVDQGWKHIHGHUDOJRYHUQPHQWWRGHYHORSDQGLPSOHPHQWHPLQHQWO\DKDUPRQL]HGDFWLRQSODQWKDWZLOO WXUQWKHWLGHLQWKLVDUHD:HKRSHZHFDQFRXQWRQ\RXUIXOOVXSSRUWVRWKDWWKHDXWKRUL]HGR൶FLDOVRI\RXUPLQLVWULHVFDQWDNHSDUWLQWKLV meeting. ,WLVLPSRUWDQWWRDFWZLWKRXWGHOD\VLQFHWKHUHSRUWRIWKH&RPPLVVLRQHURI2൶FLDO/DQJXDJHVFRQ¿UPVWKDWEHWZHHQDQG DQQXDOIHGHUDODGYHUWLVLQJVSHQGLQJGHFUHDVHGIURPQHDUO\PLOOLRQWRIRUFRPPXQLW\QHZVSDSHUVDQGWR IRUFRPPXQLW\UDGLRZKLFKHTXDWHVWRDWRWDOORVVRIPRUHWKDQPLOOLRQRYHU\HDUV ,QUHVSRQVHWRWKLV¿QGLQJLQKLVDIRUHPHQWLRQHGUHSRUWWKH&RPPLVVLRQHUUHFRPPHQGHGWKDW3XEOLF6HUYLFHVDQG3URFXUHPHQW&DQDGD 363& UHYLHZLWVPHFKDQLVPVWRHQVXUHWKDWWKHUHTXLUHPHQWVRI3DUW9,,RIWKH2൶FLDO/DQJXDJHV$FWZKLFKLVLQWHQGHGWRVXSSRUWWKH development of Francophone and Anglophone minority communities are well understood and respected by federal institutions: “the re- quirements of the Act remain, and federal institutions must continue to ensure compliance with its provisions, in particular [...] the taking of positive measures and the obligation not to harm the development of linguistic communities in a minority situation.” ,QDGGLWLRQWKH6WDQGLQJ&RPPLWWHHRQ*RYHUQPHQW2SHUDWLRQVDQG(VWLPDWHVLQLWV'HFHPEHUUHSRUWLGHQWL¿HGDQXPEHURI DQRPDOLHVLQWKHZD\3&3&KDVPDQDJHGWKHJRYHUQPHQWDGYHUWLVLQJ¿OH7KHFRPPLWWHHKDVLVVXHGDVHULHVRIWHQPRVWFRQYLQFLQJ recommendations. 6HYHUDOPRQWKVKDYHSDVVHGVLQFHWKHUHFRPPHQGDWLRQVRIWKH&RPPLVVLRQHURI2൶FLDO/DQJXDJHVZHUHWDEOHGDQGQRSRVLWLYHDFWLRQKDV EHHQDGRSWHGRUHYHQFRQVLGHUHGE\WKHJRYHUQPHQWDXWKRULWLHVTXHVWLRQHGLQLWV¿QDOUHSRUWH[FHSWE\&DQDGLDQ+HULWDJH However, the urgency of action is very real and the status quo is not an option since community media are about to be unable to serve their )UHQFKDQG(QJOLVKVSHDNLQJPLQRULWLHV,QDVSDUWRIDFURVV&DQDGDFRQVXOWDWLRQWRXU&DQDGLDQ+HULWDJHR൶FLDOVDQGFHUWDLQ IHGHUDOR൶FLDOVZHQWWRWKH¿HOGZKHUHWKH\VDZWKHJODULQJQHHGVWKHSUHVVLQJH[SHFWDWLRQVDQGWKHGL൶FXOWUHDOLW\RIWKHVHXQLTXHPHGLD which are often the only source of local information. 7KHUHSRUWRIWKH&RPPLVVLRQHURI2൶FLDO/DQJXDJHVLVFOHDU³$GYHUWLVLQJSODQVDQGFDPSDLJQVPXVWWDNHLQWRDFFRXQWWKHQHHGVFRQ- cerns and linguistic preferences of these communities. Space or time purchases in the media must include the purchase of space and time in news outlets serving the Francophone or Anglophone minority in a community. “ &RPPXQLW\PHGLDUHFRJQL]HWKHWUHQGWRZDUGVGLJLWDO%XWLWJRHVZLWKRXWVD\LQJWKDWWKHVLWXDWLRQRIPLQRULW\ODQJXDJHFRPPXQLWLHV cannot be compared to that of other communities. It is unthinkable that, in the short and medium term, community media can generate enough revenues from a digital platform to be able to survive and continue to inform their communities. For all these reasons, we dare to believe that you understand the seriousness of the situation and that you will encourage all government stakeholders to participate in the meeting we have requested so that community media in minority situations can put all their energy to VHUYH&DQDGD¶VR൶FLDOODQJXDJHSRSXODWLRQVLQVWHDGRIVWUXJJOLQJIRUZKDWWKH\GHVHUYH • January 10, 2018 )5$1&,6621,(5 3$8/'(0(56 67(9(%2163,(/ 3UpVLGHQW$3) 3UpVLGHQW$5&& 3UpVLGHQW4&1$ The Laval News • 2 /DYDOUHDFKHVÀQDOVWDJHVIRU 5HPHPEHULQJ,FH6WRUP¶ new master urban plan A look back at an ice-bound calamity 20 years later The inescapable cold Will help define urban planning decisions and zoning by-laws MARTIN C. BARRY Where were you in January 1998 when the I remember, for example, at the height of the cri- MARTIN C. BARRY North American Ice Storm – also known Ice sis, in my basement apartment, where it was pitch black – because outside there were no street lights The final steps in a long series of procedures Storm ‘98 – rolled through eastern Canada, taking out electric power all over Quebec, Ontario, the to provide their perpetual illumination – there was leading towards the implementation of the City a sense of complete peace and stillness, with my of Laval’s revised master plan for urban devel- Maritime provinces as well as parts of the eastern U.S.? bewildered Maine coon cat’s fur bristling in the opment and management was recently com- omnipresent cold, a single candle to light the en- pleted, according to Laval officials. Among other things, the ice storm led to the largest mobilization of Canadian military per- tire apartment, and the sound of K103.7 FM Kahn- Approval from Quebec sonnel since the Korean War, with more than awake on the radio – the only station at that point that was still broadcasting. Following the adoption of a by-law for the 16,000 troops deployed at the height. At least 35 And then, just like that, on a day nearly a week plan last August, the City of Laval received people died from things like carbon monoxide poi- after the crisis started, suddenly the power came word in December that the Quebec Ministry soning, trauma, fire and hypothermia. back on. Within a few minutes the radiators were of Municipal Affairs had officially approved it, rameters for several elements that are key in the Massive tree damage beginning to give off precious warmth, as they meaning the plan is now officially in effect. The city’s future development over more than 15 As well, the storm caused massive damage to hadn’t for so long. It was then that I truly began to plan contains overall guidelines as well as spe- years in the future. They include: Densification trees and electrical infrastructure all over east- fully appreciate the benefits of the basic things we cific details to define the urban development of of construction in areas of the city near pub- ern Canada and the north-eastern U.S. In Quebec enjoy in life, such as reliable heat during the winter, Laval up to the year 2035. lic transit services; maximum building heights alone, 30,000 utility poles fell and 1,000 metal lighting, and the generally reliable electrical ser- “We are very proud of this accomplishment,” (with 82 per cent of Laval’s territory zoned for transmission towers collapsed under the weight of vice we get from Hydro Quebec. Mayor Marc Demers said in a statement. “This six storeys maximum); protection of wooded the thick ice. At the peak of the five-day storm, 3.5 is the fruit of considerable efforts made by the Lessons from Ice Storm ‘98 areas; protection of agricultural zones; protec- million Quebecers were left in the cold and dark – City of Laval and by many other partners and And yet, today two decades after Ice Storm ’98, tion of heritage sites and buildings; identifica- some for weeks. citizens. This important endeavour involving some are warning that we haven’t learned enough tion of strategic areas where special planning If you were a child then, chances are you have reflection and concerted efforts, which was from the calamity and that another ice storm could may be necessary; proposals for special mea- at least some memories of the storm which came initiated in 2014, required the mobilization of a reduce us again to the same state. Although Hydro sures to promote the City of Laval’s economic roaring through Laval and the Montreal region, large number of interveners. paralyzing transportation and most people’s abil- Quebec maintains today that it has learned from development. the past and that an ice storm now would have a far Tool for urban planning ity to get around, while shutting off electric power Revision of specific by-laws throughout most of the area for anywhere from a