Preventionists Guillaume St-Jacques, Noémie Bonneau, Catherine Miljours and Mattéo Delli Colli and mayor Marlene Cordato
The City of Boisbriand is expanding its fleet of electric vehicles with the acquisition of four mobipods. Halfway between the scooter and the scooter, and commonly called “GEEBEE”, mobipods are designed and manufactured in Quebec. “I am very happy with this further step towards sustainable mobility. The electrification of transport is a priority objective. It is our way of innovating and transforming the use of fossil fuels. Our employees are also an integral part of the change, since they are the users of all these electric vehicles,” says Mayor Marlene Cordato. The new “GEEBEEs” are added to the fleet of electric vehicles already used by several municipal employees and will be used by prevention specialists from the Recreation Department who crisscross the territory daily during the summer season. Equipped with an electric motor and a battery allowing it a range of 50 km, the “GEEBEE” can drive up to a maximum speed of 32 km / h. This ecological vehicle can therefore circulate as much on cycle paths as on streets. The mobipod acquisition project is the result of an initial collaboration with IVÉO, a non-profit organization whose mandate is to support municipalities in the deployment of innovative solutions. A member of this organization since 2020, the City of Boisbriand wishes to continue optimizing its travel by implementing new technologies in its territory.
Rosemère is once more showing that it is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to nature preservation and green fun and educational activities. Its is welcoming the Montréal Space for Life squad to the Forêt des Frères du Sacré-Cœur—woodlands located behind the Externat Sacré-Cœur on August 28 and 29th. The goal is to celebrate the nature and biodiversity of this place. Like the guides in art museums, the activity leaders of the Nature near you event will invite participants to focus on the natural life that surrounds them. Plants, mammals, birds, insects, minerals, atmospheric phenomena and stars will be the works of art at this open-air museum, shifting from scientific observation to poetic inspiration. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with nature in this place abounding in life. All the senses will be involved By listening, breathing in the scents and opening their eyes wide, it’s a safe bet that the participants will discover the Forêt des Frères du Sacré-Coeur in a new light. On tour throughout the summer in various public spaces in the Greater Montréal area, the Space for Life team has transformed the constraints of the pandemic into an opportunity to pursue its mission outside of its museums in order to continue reconnecting humans with nature. This connection is all the more important in these difficult times, as many studies show the positive impact of contact with nature on our health. By reaching out to people in their own living environments, Space for Life is consolidating its social role. Now, in addition to its many scientific education, mobilization and popular science activities, this organization is committed to offering a unique experience that inspires and brings humans closer to nature in their own backyard! “The Forêt des Frères du Sacré-Cœur is the perfect place to host this open-air museum, as these grounds boast a maple grove with a wealth of unique forest features, which is why our Council recently adopted a resolution to preserve this natural jewel of Rosemère forever. It is therefore a real privilege to host the Nature near you event at this location so that everyone can go from passive to active observation of this genuine treasure chest of biodiversity,” stated Rosemère Mayor Eric Westram. Montréal Space for Life Space for Life brings together the Biodôme, the Insectarium, the Botanical Garden and the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium on the same site. These four prestigious Montréal institutions form the largest natural science complex in all of Canada. In the original Nature near you tour, which will showcase nature in urban environments, the team’s activities will provide an opportunity to explore the close interconnections between organisms –including humans – on the dynamics of ecosystems, and to appreciate the resilience and adaptability of our planet as well as the life we find on it.
Boisbriand man arrested for allegedly trying to recruit a 13year old into prostitution
An 18-year-old young man who allegedly tried to force a teenage girl of only 13 years old into prostitution was pinned down by the Sûreté du Québec police officers on Wednesday in Boisbriand.
Simon Fortin, 18, appeared at the Saint-Jérôme courthouse on Thursday on charges of carrying a weapon for a dangerous purpose and for trying to recruit the alleged victim to induce her to offer sexual services for money.
A search was also carried out in his home in Boisbriand in order to seize materials which could flesh out the evidence against him in the file.
“It should be noted that this type of intervention aims to come to the aid of victims under the yoke of pimps and to target the latter with a view to bringing them to justice”, indicated Sergeant Éloïse Cossette, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec.
Simon Fortin could have had other victims, according to the authorities. Anyone who could have been a victim of this individual is invited to contact 911 or the local police station in order to file an official complaint.
The current issue of The North Shore News volume 16-19 published August 7th, 2020. Covering North Shore local news, politics, sports and other newsworthy events. (Click HERE to read the paper.)
Front page of The North Shore News, August 7th, 2020 issue.
Some 700 children’s drawings, letters and cards offered to seniors
Children of employees of Integrated Health and the Laurentian Social Services Center (CISSS) and young people in their twenties as well as elementary schools in the region have voluntarily responded to a call inviting them to express on paper words of encouragement to share with seniors in different residences in the current context of the pandemic COVID-19.
Seniors received loving drawings, letters and cards as gifts some700 children. Their enthusiasm and appreciation were great. The initiative was born from the direction of the CISSS which, last May, as it invited all its staff to involve their children in the creation of drawings which would then be given to senior residents in the CISSS territory. “We were also happy to request the collaboration of school boards and schools, open to this intergenerational project,” said Rosemonde Landry, president and CEO of the CISSS des Laurentides.
“Such a project is first and foremost an activity of sharing, empathy and generosity, which involves the little ones and thereby develops their sensitivity towards the elderly who were very isolated at certain times of the pandemic. “. Thus, each of the 765 inhabitants of 24 residences was given a drawing (plasticized for reasons of infection prevention and control). Each of the moments of sharing generated a lot of happiness, both for the residents and for the staff members of the various facilities. “This distribution has been a balm on heavy hearts and a glimmer of hope in this difficult period for the elders, showing them solidarity and a presence in thought on the part of the community. A sincere thank you is offered to all those who took part in this unifying project,” concluded Ms. Landry.
The RIPTB (Régie intermunicipale de police Thérèse-De Blainville) welcomed officer Chantal Larrivée who is joining the team of neighborhood agents. With 25 years of experience in the police environment, Chantal Larrivée therefore becomes the first woman to join this unit. “It is so positive to work with people and to be able to contribute to the community approach in the police environment” Agent Larrivée is keen to offer a compassionate and adapted service approach to the population. She is recognized as a police officer who is attentive, courteous, rigorous and proud of the work she does. Neighborhood officers are called upon to strategically patrol the various sectors; they participate in interventions linked to the objectives of rapprochement, partnership, problem solving and prevention.
COVID-19 cases increasing at Saint-Eustache Hospital
Covid-19 virus has hit the Saint-Eustache Hospital hard with a rising number of cases. At least 33 patients and 47 staff for a total of 80 people, have tested positive for COVID-19 following an outbreak of the coronavirus in four of the 13 hospital units of the Saint-Eustache Hospital. These figures, dated July 31, were delivered by the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) des Laurentides last Monday afternoon. As of July 30, the CISSS revealed, in a press release, that the Saint-Eustache Hospital was then facing, since the previous Monday, COVID-19 outbreaks in three of its 13 hospitalization units. At that time, 14 patients and 11 employees, total 25 people, had already been affected by COVID-19. To this figure, 55 more must now be added. The affected patients were all transferred to the Saint-Jérôme Regional Hospital, this being the designated establishment in the Laurentians to receive patients affected by COVID-19. The employees concerned were taken off work and replaced while they isolated. “We take the situation very seriously and are working hard to stop these outbreaks as quickly as possible. The health and safety of our patients and staff is at stake. Additional protective measures have been put in place in the care units concerned in order to eliminate the presence of the virus. Massive screening of all staff and physicians at the Saint-Eustache Hospital is still underway in order to have an accurate picture of the situation and to prevent further contamination,” was announced from the CISSS des Laurentides communications and public relations team. Obviously, the CISSS des Laurentides has suspended visits to units affected by these outbreaks for the moment. However, exceptional measures may apply for visitors from humanitarian causes, including users in palliative care or children. In the press release issued on July 30, the President and CEO of the CISSS des Laurentides, Rosemonde Landry, also asked for the collaboration of the population to prevent the spread of the virus. “I call on all the people who come to our facilities, whether they be our hospitals or our CLSCs, rehabilitation centers or CHSLDs. It is crucial that protective measures such as wearing a mask, washing hands and respecting the two-meter distance are strictly observed. This is fundamental to help us defeat this invisible enemy. We must not give up! ” she said.
New mobile app to help notify Canadians of potential COVID-19 exposure
Over the past several months, Canadians have been following public health advice and doing their part to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now, as the government is taking steps to ease restrictions and safely restart the economy, it needs to continue to work with Canadians to contain the virus and keep Canadians safe and healthy.
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, today announced that COVID Alert, a new national mobile app, is now available to Canadians for free download. The app, first developed in Ontario, helps notify users if they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Use of COVID Alert is voluntary, and serves as another tool to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Once the app is fully functioning in their province or territory, users who test positive for COVID-19 will receive a one-time key from their health authority that they can enter into the app. When the key is entered, COVID Alert will notify other users who may have come in close contact with that person for at least 15 minutes in the past 14 days, so they can contact their local public health authority for guidance.
To safeguard the confidentiality and privacy of all Canadians, the app uses strong measures to protect any data it collects, and does not track a user’s location or collect personally identifiable information. The Privacy Commissioners of Canada and Ontario were consulted on the development of COVID Alert, to ensure the highest level of privacy for Canadians using the app.
The Government of Canada has been working in close partnership with the Province of Ontario to launch the COVID Alert app. Health authorities in Ontario will be the first to begin distributing one-time keys. The Government of Canada is also working with the other provinces and territories to bring their jurisdictions on board in the coming weeks and months.
An expert Advisory Council will ensure the app meets the highest standards in public health outcomes, privacy, and technology. The members of the Council reflect Canada’s regional and cultural diversity, and cover a wide range of expertise, including health, privacy, data governance, science, and innovation. Their advice will inform the implementation and rollout phases of the app. The app has undergone a security assessment by BlackBerry and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. All data provided to the app will be securely stored and protected.
The Government of Canada has taken extensive steps to ensure that citizens’ privacy and data are protected. Given the importance the government assigns to these issues, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has been consulted on this initiative. COVID Alert is a collaboration between Health Canada, the Canadian Digital Service, the Province of Ontario, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. It builds upon an exposure notification solution developed by Shopify volunteers in coordination with the nonprofit Linux Foundation Public Health. It is also the work of a team of developers from across the country.
If in doubt, the CISSS des Laurentides encourages the population to take a screening test
Now that the vacation period in full swing, the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) of Laurentides encourages the population to not hesitate to take a screening test in screening clinics, if in doubt about their state of health. Holidays are often an opportunity to do more activities and therefore meet more people, which can increase the risk of being infected with COVID-19. The CISSS des Laurentides reiterates the importance of practicing frequent hand hygiene, maintaining a distance of two meters and wearing a mask indoors and when the situation necessitates it. “On vacation, people tend to adopt more festive behaviors that make it easier to loosen the rules. It is therefore more time than ever to continue to be vigilant,” said Dr. Éric Goyer, Director of Public Health for the Laurentians. When in doubt, get tested. Whether it is because a person is showing symptoms or because they have been in possible contact with infected or potentially infected people, testing is encouraged even if it is does not replace measures recognized as effective. How to get tested? The Laurentides region has four designated assessment clinics performing screening in addition to a mobile screening clinic. The designated assessment clinics offer screening 7 days a week. As for the mobile walk-in screening clinic, the schedule is also online. Residents have to be aware that that the mobile walk-in screening clinic has the capacity to perform 100 screenings per day. The four designated assessment clinics welcome the population with and without an appointment. The CISSS des Laurentides still recommends making an appointment to avoid possible lineups outside. Usually, people get an appointment in less than 24 hours.
More likely to get struck by lightning than contract it
Dimitris Ilias Living close to nature is for many people the ideal situation. After the urban explosion, it has never gone out of style for nature lovers to want to be close to the mother. For most of us living in the North Shore, one of the many appeals of our towns is exactly this proximity to open spaces, or lakes, forests and the wide green. That means coming into contact with wildlife, and mice are certainly part of it. This article is not a fearmongering piece! Personally, I despise it when media overdo it to gain a few clicks or reads causing fear. The virus covered in this article is dangerous but rare. It is more likely to get struck by lightning than contract the disease. The chance of getting infected is 1 in 13,000,000. The main goal here is to inform our NSN readers about the proper ways to avoid infection. In Canada there have only been 109 confirmed cases of hantavirus and 27 deaths according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. What is Hantavirus Orthohantavirus is a genus of single-stranded, enveloped, negative-sense RNA viruses in the family Hantaviridae of the order Bunyavirales. It causes the Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome which is a viral disease carried by wild rodents especially deer mice. They are the principal animal reservoirs of the virus in Canada. Mice themselves don’t appear to get sick from the virus. But if they are infected, they excrete the virus in their feces, urine and saliva. Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause severe illness in humans. Transmission People can become infected with a hantavirus when they inhale virus particles from rodent urine, droppings or saliva that have been released into the air. This can happen when rodent waste is stirred up from vacuuming or sweeping or touch objects or eat food contaminated with the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents The virus is also transmitted if people are bitten by a rodent infected with a hantavirus which is rare. The virus that is present in Canada does not spread through person-to-person contact. The disease has a 50% mortality rate if contracted.
How are hantaviruses spread? People get the virus from infected mice, rats and other rodents. Different types of rodent carry different types of hantaviruses. In North America, 5 rodents are known to carry hantaviruses. These include: the deer mouse, the cotton rat, the rice rat, the white-footed mouse and the red-backed vole. The deer mouse, white-footed mouse and red-backed vole are widespread in parts of Canada. Other rodents around the world are also carriers of a variety of hantaviruses. For this reason, it is best to avoid close contact with rodents in Canada and abroad. Rodent infestation in and around the home is still the main risk for exposure to a hantavirus. But infestations and possible exposures can happen wherever rodents are present. This includes cottages, trailers and garden sheds. There are no vaccines available to prevent a hantavirus infection. Procedure to properly clean Mouse Droppings Since the illness is dangerous to humans when the urine or feces of an infected rodent become airborne anyone who disturbs areas of mice or mice droppings, such as when cleaning, can be at risk. Reduce your risk of illness by following this procedure:
Open doors and windows and allow the area to ventilate for at least 30 minutes prior to starting your clean-up. Keep out of the area while you let it ventilate.
Wearing rubber gloves, thoroughly soak droppings, nests and dead mice with a bleach/ water solution (one-part bleach to nine parts water) or a household disinfectant.
Let the bleach water solution sit on the droppings/nests/mice, for five minutes. Do not disturb any droppings, nests or dead mice, prior to soaking with this bleach solution (for the full five minutes).
Mop up bleach-soaked droppings, nests and/or dead mice, or pick up with paper towels, placing immediately into a plastic bag. Seal the plastic bag completely. Put sealed plastic bag directly into a garbage container with a tight-fitting lid.
Wash your gloves before removing, and then wash your hands thoroughly (with warm soap and water). Important notes: never vacuum or sweep droppings, nests or dead mice. This can create dust that can be inhaled. The dust may contain Hantavirus.
Individuals infected with Hantavirus generally show symptoms one or two weeks after exposure, however, symptoms have been known to appear up to five weeks after exposure. Symptoms resemble severe influenza, including fever, body aches, chills, and severe breathing problems. If you have recently been in an area contaminated by mice, and have developed severe influenzalike symptoms (including difficulty breathing), it is important that you see a doctor immediately.
