With the arrival of the winter season, officials with the City of Laval say they are for whatever Mother Nature will be throwing at them over the next five months.
According to the city, more than 740 trucks and equipment (including street plows, snow blowers, road graders and Bombardier sidewalk clearers) are ready to be deployed whenever the weather turns nasty.
“Laval’s territory is vast, and so the snow clearing operations are sometimes complex and unpredictable,” says city councillor for Sainte-Dorothée Ray Khalil, who is responsible for public works issues on the executive-committee.
“Citizens can make a difference by working proactively with the city,” he adds. “Every little gesture counts in order to improve the quickness and quality of snow clearing.”
From the moment a snowfall is announced, residents are asked to respect and follow the winter-time parking regulations on Laval’s residential streets, which have been in force since Oct. 1. When snow removal ops aren’t underway, parking is allowed on the street, depending on the parking rules shown on posted signage.
Until the next snowfall, residents are encouraged to adopt some of the following advice to help maximize snow removal operations:
- Always shovel snow onto your own property, rather than into the street;
- Place recycling and trash bins on your own property, near the property line, rather than on the street or on the sidewalk;
- If possible, park in your own driveway on snow removal days. When parked on the street, keep 30 cm from the sidewalk so the sidewalk tractor can pass more easily, while making sure at the same time there’s enough space on the street for emergency vehicles to drive through.
- Each fall, install driveway snow shelters 60 cm (2 ft) from the sidewalk or 1,2 m (4 ft) from the street.
Photo: Vincent Girard
Up to $35,000 available to homeowners with damaged foundations
The City of Laval is reminding homeowners with damaged foundations from collapsing soil that the provincial government has renewed a program of subsidies, of which Laval has been allotted $1 million.
Homeowners wishing to apply for some of the funding have until March 17 next year to fill out an application, while submitting necessary documentation.
“Since 2019, through this subsidy, the city supported more than 40 owners from Laval who were impacted by building foundations with cracks in them,” said Duvernay-Pont Viau city councillor Christiane Poirier, who also sits on the executive-committee.
To be eligible, here are some of the criteria:
- You must own a residence with one to eight units, while residing in it up to the time when the subsidy is paid;
- You must wait for the arrival of a certificate of admissibility, as well as a construction/renovation permit, before starting work;
- The work to be done must be worth at least $5,000;
- At least one piling must be installed;
The total amount of each subsidy will be two-thirds of the total cost of the work, to a maximum of $35,000 per residence. The cause of the failure of the foundation must be attributable to condition of the soil, rather than a defect in foundation construction.
A new accessible and inclusive nature trail opens in the bois de l’Équerre
A new one-kilometre-long nature trail opened recently in Laval’s bois de l’Équerre woods, which are located in the city’s north-central area a short distance from the Champfleury neighbourhood.
The pathway, which includes a 32-metre section with bridges mounted on pylons, is an addition to the 2.65 kilometres of trails in the forested green space.
The trail has been modestly landscaped so that there are small hills. As well, large tree roots and other potential obstacles have been removed to make walking safer for persons with limited mobility.
The new path was created with financial support ($212,500) provided by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) and its Trame verte et bleue project.
“Laval is replete with exceptional natural areas, and we are truly spoiled as citizens to be able to enjoy this,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “To this end, we made a commitment to develop them, while also making them more accessible to the largest number of people.
“This new trail offers to users of all ages, regardless of their physical condition, a means to be able to fully appreciate the outdoors, while becoming aware of the magnificent urban forest which is the bois de l’Équerre.” The new trail was established over an old agricultural roadway that was being used by visitors to the woods. Since the trail includes bridge sections on pylons, the installers respected the fact the area is a wetland needing to be protected.
