Introducing, our new Pilaros Pita! Also available in pie format It’s not a trend, it’s a tradition! www.pilaros.com Suggested presentation. barbiesgrill.com 1.888.PILAROS • 450.681.6900 Laval’s English Paper, Since 1993 Vol. 29 - 29 September 1, 2021 450-978-9999 www.lavalnews.ca [email protected] 120,000 readers Check out our feature on pages 14 - 16 Senator Laval adds $1.2 million to counter Housakos introduces gang-related firearms crisis PC team in Laval Page 8 Shaar Shalom story of parents’ survival Photo: (From the left): Pierre Brochet, director of the Service de police de Laval, and Stéphane Boyer, deputy mayor of Laval and vice-president of the executive-committee, are seen here following last Page 17 week’s $1.2 million anti-gun funding announcement. (Photo credit: Vincent Girard, City of Laval) Page 3 On September 20th re-elect Faycal El Khoury Annie Koutrakis FAYÇAL EL-KHOURY ANNIE KOUTRAKIS LAVAL-LES ÎLES VIMY 351 boul Samson suite 300, Laval QC H7X 2Z7 3870 boul. Notre-Dame, Laval QC H7V 1S1 514 396-9366 [email protected] Authorised and paid by the official agents of Fayçal El-Khoury and Annie Koutrakis 514 778-5423 [email protected] Experience it as a family in museums and movie theatres, and through visual arts, crafts, and the many other artistic disciplines. EXPERIENCE QUÉBEC CULTURE. Québec.ca/NotreCulture • September 1, 2021 The Laval News • 2 septième 2110, rue Drummond, 3e étage 18/08/21_18:17 production Montréal (Québec) H3G 1X1 client : MCE Nº 111172239-3 format PAP : 100 % @ 300 dpi description : Promo de la Culture trim fermé : 9,833’’ x 12,5’’ pièce : Quotidiens - Pleine Page - EN trim ouvert : — version : visible : — infographiste : EV bleed : — nom fichier : MCE_PromoCulture_PP_En_9,833x12,5.indd PMS PMS PMS Check Les sorties laser ne reflètent pas fidèlement les couleurs telles qu’elles paraîtront couleur CMJN 2002 2002 2002 List √ sur le produit fini. Cette épreuve est utilisée à des fins de mise en page seulement.X Laval adds $1.2 million to LPD budget to counter gang-related firearms crisis Action Laval says city is just throwing money at a complex underlying problem MARTIN C. BARRY Local Journalism Initiative Reporter For The Laval News “That’s why we will be [email protected] adding to our team Following a sharp rise in the number of fire- some police officers to arms-related crimes in Laval over the past few months, officials with the city as well as the increase the sustained Laval Police Department announced last week efforts already that $1.2 million in additional funding is being given to the LPD to hire more staff to deal with undertaken by the LPD,” what appears to be an escalating crisis. Not a simple matter the problem. “These urban violence phenomena linked to firearms with which we are now faced “The answer that we are expected to give necessitate an intensification of our actions following such violent acts is never a simple on the ground as well as greater cooperation matter,” Laval Deputy Mayor and execu- with other police forces,” said LPD chief Pierre tive-committee vice-president Stéphane Boyer Brochet. said during a press briefing last week during “That’s why we will be adding to our team some which the additional funding was announced. police officers to increase the sustained efforts “That is why we want to make sure we are already undertaken by the LPD,” he added. taking actions that will have an immediate “These additional personnel will allow us to impact out on the territory, while we continue intensify our interventions, as we counter even to pursue long-term efforts in education and more efficiently and sustainably this scourge prevention,” he continued. “In this way we are that is impacting the sense of security among making sure that all the families and all people Laval residents. I would like at the same time to who live in the greater metropolitan region and single out the devotion and commitment shown in Laval can live in peace and security. Laval is by our police officers out on the territory.” a secure city and intends to remain so.” Quebec might get involved A cooperative approach With the money, the LPD plans to hire eight Continued on page 19 new police officers to be assigned specifically to ► YOUR CITY COUNCILLORS, AT YOUR SERVICE! Michel TROTTIER Claude LAROCHELLE September 1, 2021 • Marc-Aurèle-Fortin Fabreville The Laval News [email protected] 438 884-8942 [email protected] 438 491-7069 • 3 Opinion 120,000 S READER & 3860, boul. Notre-Dame, # 304, Laval, QC H7V 1S1 Editorial Tel: 450-978-9999•Fax: 450-687-6330 E-mail: [email protected] www.lavalnews.ca Between a rock and a hard place… Distributed in Chomedey, Ste-Dorothée, Fabreville, The vaccine conundrum, to vax or not to vax Laval-sur-le-Lac & Val des Brises H7W•H7T•H7V•H7S•H7X Lucky me, I tested positive for covid-19, 72 hours pre-departure from Escalated intensity of governments and pro-vaccine media towards vax H7Y•H7P•H7R•H7E Rome to Montreal. or else measures, might well mobilize the millions of doubters who will Here’s the story. Prior to departure, I underwent in Laval where I reside, proclaim that enough is enough. And the two solitudes will be driven Publishers: the obligatory molecular test for the meagre (ha, ha, lol) cost of only $120. further apart. George Bakoyannis At Trudeau Airport, at check-in, I wasn’t requested any documentations The political/social divide will widen an already systemic ideological George S. Guzmas of my test. chasm; the allegedly subversive right invoking respect for constitutional Here’s more of this pandemic soap-opera that appears to be more fiction freedoms while the left, perceived as naïve lambs to the slaughter uncritically General Director: than science. Oh, yes, science – the new false God that has reduced the applauding governments and their slogans, propped up by major main- George Bakoyannis whole issue of truth to - “It’s what we say, when we say it, where we say it, stream media columnists denouncing dissenters (anti-vaxers) with the and always open to contradicting ourselves whenever we feel (not think) solemn misguided affirmation that “freedom is not arbitrary”. VP Sales & Marketing: in flip-flops that are more numerous than legitimate scientific theory and To date, there’s no obligation to be jabbed. Not yet, anyway. Proposals George S. Guzmas practice should condone. and trial balloons abound. But the door is open to possibilities, even prob- [email protected] Arrive Rome, another Covid test, for only 60 euros ($75 CND). No one abilities, within Constitutional prerogatives under certain conditions, for Graphic Design: was present for the test nor was there a covid-19 testing station set up as both sides of the fence. Costa Hovris stated. Walked right through. Great! Gets better. Rome to Nice by car, Vaccines may be imposed by law in support of the public good. But since the Elena Molter again no one to check for vaccination documents, drove right through. available jabs are still classified experimental with only emergency approval Thomas Bakoyannis 22 euros ($28 CND) for this test from Italy for Nice. by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. and by Health Canada, Another sham. From Nice to Monaco, another test required for entry; I if the vaccine poses risks to the health of the person subjected to vaccination decided not to take. I drove right through, noting only four police officers the Court is likely to grant exemptions to the law, if and when it passes. Advertising Consultants: Peter Stavropoulos in Monte Carlo, no questions asked. The only difference? Mandatory masks Uncertainty persists, despite implementation of very extensive vaccination [email protected] were everywhere, without exception. Everyone took it seriously. On the blitzes. Vaccine efficacy, presently questionable at best in preventing trans- other hand, Nice was a free-for-all. No masks anywhere except in stores, mission, needs a substantial upgrade to render it legitimately protective of Jean Paul Chamberland restaurants, and hospitals of course. Beaches were over-crowded with public health and sufficiently beneficial to the vaccinated, things on which residents, and tourists mainly from Eastern countries. No masks. “I went to the jury is still deliberating. Editorial Staff: Spain by plane and was not checked upon arrival,” confided a Nice resident. Could the strategy of persuasion include obligatory vaccination passports? Martin C. Barry What’s going on? Do governments make up rules as they go along? By allowing access to certain, or eventually, all services and activities only Renata Isopo Hot and cold, one day to next. There is absolutely no credibility in their to those in possession, will the strategy incentivize the uncertain rebellious Maria Diamantis demands world-wide. They’re definitely not on the same page, chapter, skeptics to vax or to entrench in denial? Are there any contradictions to the Savas Fortis or book. In the meantime, since I tested positive, there’s no medication use of this tool? In this regard, there is an unavoidable point of principle. James Ryan for me. Re-scheduled my flight, hoping I’m no longer positive. I have no Strengthening the vaccination campaign is important, but shouldn’t be symptoms, I walk and run like a gazelle. dictatorial. Presently, having tested positive while being fully-vaccinated, Columnist: Although I’m fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca (Covishield), I contracted I deeply question the impact of the vaccine, not certain of its effects. I’m Robert Vairo Covid - a curse since I had to postpone my flight back to Montreal, isolate not on board, with the so-called experts, most of whom are not medical for 10 days, risk being jailed if I step out of my residence, get called four practitioners, who stray not a whit from the tiresome narrative that the Deadline for commercial advertising by Friday at 3 p.m.