Laval QC ☕ The morning chat
Good morning,
With two days to go before the vote, the election campaign is in full swing, and Laval is no exception: the City is tightening its demolition rules, the Rocket is opening its season, and Highway 13 is finally reopening. Plenty to start the weekend with the news that matters to you.
What to know this morning
- Laval tightens demolition rules: Starting October 6, buildings with 10 or more units will be subject to the Demolition of Buildings Regulation, a measure to preserve affordable rental housing.
- Rocket de Laval lose 2-0 in season opener: The Syracuse Crunch shut out the Rocket at Place Bell, despite 29 saves from Jacob Fowler.
- Highway 13 reopens Sunday in Laval: The southbound stretch between boulevard Sainte-Rose and Autoroute 440 will be accessible again after 20 weeks of work.
- Maison des arts de Laval celebrates 40 years: The Espace muséal Alfred-Pellan presents the exhibition “Une île n’est pas l’autre” until January 3, 2027.
In our community
- TCVCASL urges against trivializing domestic violence: After the death of a 77-year-old woman in Laval, the organization calls for concrete action to better support victims.
- Englobe, a Laval firm, acquires an Ontario company: The deal with C.F. Crozier & Associates involves 200 professionals and aims to strengthen its national presence.
Across Canada
- CRTC creates reporting standard for cell coverage: Providers will have to report network quality to help Canadians compare and report dead zones.
- Carney government launches AI Council: The council will bring together 13 experts, including Quebec’s Yoshua Bengio, a pioneer in artificial intelligence.
Main story
Laval tightens demolition rules to protect affordable housing
Starting Tuesday, October 6, buildings with 10 or more units in Laval will be subject to the Demolition of Buildings Regulation. The city council is thus expanding a regulation that has governed the demolition of heritage buildings since 2019.
Mayor Stéphane Boyer’s administration wants to preserve the supply of affordable rental housing and protect the most vulnerable tenants. The decision follows a gap in the rules highlighted in winter 2025, after dozens of low-income households on boulevard Cartier fell victim to a “renoviction” in Laval-des-Rapides.
Four buildings with 16 units each have since been demolished to make way for two six-storey buildings that will eventually total 162 units, with an investment of at least $30 million.
Over the past year, the urban planning department has seen an increase in requests to replace mid-rise residential buildings with larger projects. These demolitions add pressure on the affordable rental market and on organizations helping displaced tenants.
“The goal is not to systematically prevent the demolition of these buildings, but to analyze requests according to the objectives and criteria set out in the law,” reads a decision summary sent to the executive committee last August.
In detail
Rocket de Laval lose 2-0 to Syracuse Crunch in opener
The Rocket de Laval opened their 2026-2027 season with a 2-0 loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Friday night at Place Bell. The start was tough for the Laval squad, which had eight new players in the lineup, combined with a shortened training camp and no preseason games.
Goaltender Jacob Fowler made 29 saves, keeping the Rocket in the game. “You could see it was really cohesion and execution [that was the problem],” said Daniel Jacob, who coached his first game as head coach. “We were really east-west instead of north-south. I would have been really angry if it was a lack of effort, but it wasn’t, and we saw things start to come together in the third.”
Despite a pre-game ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the club’s arrival in Laval, the Crunch set the pace from the first period. Sam O’Reilly stripped Alex Belzile of the puck in the offensive zone, then fed Nick Abruzzese, left alone in the slot, who only had to slide it behind Fowler.
Veteran Laurent Dauphin summed up the night: “For sure it wasn’t a good game for us. We have a lot of new guys and the other team had pretty much the same squad. We expected it to be tough, but we didn’t deliver.”
Highway 13 reopens Sunday after 20 weeks of work in Laval
The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility announces the planned reopening this Sunday, October 4, of a stretch of Highway 13 in Laval. It’s the southbound section between boulevard Sainte-Rose and Autoroute 440 (Jean-Noël-Lavoie).
Since June 13, southbound traffic has been using the service road, with an extra lane available during the morning rush hour on the opposite carriageway. This closure was needed to rebuild the concrete slab of the highway in that area. The project, which began on May 18, will soon be complete.
Some temporary closures may still be needed during the day until full completion, expected around the end of October, such as partial closures of the southbound service road.
Maison des arts de Laval celebrates 40 years with anniversary exhibition
The Espace muséal Alfred-Pellan marked its 40th anniversary on September 27 with the exhibition “Une île n’est pas l’autre,” on view until January 3, 2027, at the Maison des arts de Laval, in Laval-des-Rapides. The public was invited to discover the exhibition in the presence of several visual artists, followed by a tribute show at the Théâtre des Muses.
“The event was magical, very moving,” says Jasmine Colizza, artistic director of the Espace muséal Alfred-Pellan, who has worked there since 2009. “I have a talented team that I thank.”
This anniversary year also marks a name change: the Alfred-Pellan room becomes the Espace muséal Alfred-Pellan, a name that better reflects its scientific vocation. Each year, the Maison des arts welcomes more than 45,000 visitors around six exhibitions. “There have been more than 300 exhibitions in 40 years,” says Ms. Colizza. “The museum space is 400 square metres, which is very rare. It’s an incredible playground for artists.”
The exhibition brings together five artists: Pierre Bourgault, Andréanne Godin, Yen-Chao Lin, Fatima Zohra Ouardani, and Yann Pocreau. “This exhibition revisits the founding idea of insularity in forms that are as poetic as they are surprising,” says the artistic director. “The 33 new or rarely shown works offer as many ways to inhabit, dream, and represent the island.”
Coup de Cœur
The gesture of Malek Alphonse, an 18-year-old Laval resident, reminds us that local talent deserves to be celebrated. Recipient of a $2,500 scholarship from the Maizon Dort Foundation, he embodies this next generation that combines sport and studies with determination. A great example for the community.
To close
We wish you a pleasant weekend, with a touch of local pride, whether by supporting the Rocket or visiting an exhibition. And don’t forget: on Sunday, Highway 13 reopens, but the work might still cause a few surprises. Safe travels! ☕