In 2016, the Associate Director of the Service des loisirs was mandated by the Director of the Service des loisirs with handling senior issues.

The Service des loisirs began its programming during the development of the family policy. On April 8, 2015, it presented a conference on Parkinson’s Disease and deep brain stimulation – conferences will he held on an ongoing basis (themes for 2017 include arthrosis and back pain). In 2017, the department plans to hold conferences in both French and English.

The Service des loisirs offered free low-impact fitness courses for individuals 50 years of age or older from September 19 to December 19, 2016.

Several ideas were developed during the Elder Council meetings (senior soccer club, senior Olympiads, museum outings, walking club, etc.) and the MFP/SFMA follow-up committee (horseshoe club, etc.)

The Service des loisirs analyzed the possibility of including free swim time for seniors at Parc nature les Forestiers-de-Saint-Lazare. Water temperature will be adjusted for this purpose. Intergenerational (parents-babies and seniors) free swimming slots will be suggested for the 2017 summer season.

The Service des loisirs assessed the possibility of offering free aquafitness courses for seniors at Parc nature Les-Forestiers-de-Saint-Lazare. Programming will be presented in 2017.

On September 22, 2016, the Service des loisirs offered a conference on hearing health at the community centre.

On October 27, 2016, the Service des loisirs offered a conference entitled Archives: our memoirs.

An Elder Council was created in April 2016 (resolution 04-118-16). The members of the Elder Council are mandated with supporting and advising the Municipal Family Policy and SFM approach follow-up committee concerning the advancement of the 2016–2018 three-year action plan specific to seniors which centres around four (4) areas of intervention. Composed of 2 elected officials, 1 representative from the Service des loisirs et de la vie communautaire, 2 representatives from the Service des communications, and 6 seniors, the Elder Council provides recommendations and solutions to deal with the everyday issues faced by seniors and foster their physical, psychological, emotional and social autonomy; their involvement; and support vulnerable seniors.

This action will be reviewed with the members of the Elder Council in 2017. A web site (Lessagesbranchés.com has been chosen as a domain name) or Facebook page is expected to be created.

The page devoted to seniors http://www.ville.saint-lazare.qc.ca/en/aines on the Town’s 2016 web site is regularly updated and maintained. Other improvements are expected to be made in 2017–2018.

The Town has planned for a communal room for community use in the new town hall. Construction of the room is currently underway and will be completed in 2017. The room’s designated purpose and use will be defined by the Service des loisirs in 2017 (resolution 07-295-16).

The companion program has been in existence since 1999 and was renewed in 2016. The camp is offered to young people who are between 5 and 12 years of age on September 30. A rest area for children with special needs is provided at the day camp. A person lift will be rented for the 2017 summer season in order to facilitate the provision of personal hygiene care.

The Service des communications continuously promotes adapted book and film loan services through social media, its newsletter and its web site. In 2017, the department wishes to add a section to its newsletter dedicated to accessibility and those living with disabilities.

In September 2015, when the family policy was being developed, the Service des loisirs took the lead by purchasing a Hippocampe wheelchair for use in hiking trails. This chair can be used by residents free of charge. A procedure for use of the chair will be established in 2017.

The Service des loisirs also purchased 2 all-terrain wheelchairs for residents who wish to explore and enjoy the grounds at Parc nature Les-Forestiers (resolution 12-450-16).

The purchase of 6 wheelchairs (three 16-inch wheelchairs for children and three 20-inch wheelchairs for adults) will give residents access to municipal buildings including the community centre, Parc Nature and town hall (when construction is finished in 2017) (resolution 12-450-16). A borrowing procedure will be established in 2017.

In 2015, the Service des loisirs acquired an access ramp (step-in stairs) that allows users with reduced mobility gradual entry into the pool.

The department also purchased an adapted picnic table for the pool (resolution 03-116-16); 4 adapted floatation vests of different sizes and Ski-vels (special skis that attach onto the bottom of wheelchairs) that can provide access to winter trails (resolution 12-450-16).

In 2016, the Service des infrastructures widened the access path for Parc Équestre by 3 metres in order to ensure the safety of pedestrians and golf karts transporting individuals with reduced mobility during Saint-Lazare’s Au Galop Festival (resolution 06-252-16).

A person lift will be included as part of the 2017 budget so that individuals with reduced mobility may access the pool. This represents an investment of $9,500.

The directory of persons requiring special consideration during interventions by firefighters or public safety workers in the event of emergency situations will be used to target areas where play structures and adapted are required, by order of priority.

An adapted sled will be acquired in 2017 for tubing at Parc Nature.

A swing for children with physical disabilities was added in Saddlebrook Park in 2015.

Adapted chemical toilets will be rented from April 25 to October 31, 2017 and made available in the following parks: Vallée-Chaline Park, Frontenac Park, Grand-Pré Park, Brazeau Park, Bédard Park, Cedarbrook Park, Westwood 1 and 2 parks, Saddlebrook Park, St-Robert Park and Parc Nature Les-Forestiers-de-Saint-Lazare.

The Service des loisirs is reserving over forty spaces in the first rows of the stands at Saint-Lazare’s Au Galop Festival for individuals with reduced mobility. It is also reserving spaces next to emergency exits for wheelchairs both during the Au Galop Festival and other events. Working in collaboration with the Service de la sécurité incendie and the Sécurité publique, it will also ensure there are adequate handicapped parking spaces located near the event sites.

The Service des loisirs ensures access to adapted chemical toilets and sinks during the following events: the Cyclo-Tour, the Au Galop Festival, the soap box races, Saint-LazARTS in the park, the Fête Nationale (parade), Canada Day and other events during the year (such as the launch of the Municipal Family Policy and the Senior-Friendly Initiative on June 12, 2016, Walk with My Doc in 2017, etc.)

04-175-16 – pool building renovations – toilets accessible to individuals with reduced mobility.

In 2017, the Service des loisirs will evaluate the possibility of installing adapted dry toilets in parks where ice rinks are available to the public.

As part of the Town’s new fee policy, free access is provided to anyone 14 years of age or older who, as a volunteer, is providing assistance to individuals with reduced mobility during a visit to Parc Nature les Forestiers-de-Saint-Lazare or Complexe Sportif St-Lazare (for activities such as drop-in skating, hockey and soccer).

The Service des loisirs and the Service des infrastructures consulted the swimming pool and artificial basin operation guide and will take into account the recommended temperatures for infants and seniors for the classes and free swim time slots currently being offered.

Implementation of 4 elevated garden beds for individuals with reduced mobility in the community centre’s garden in 2017. Paths to the garden, garden accessories and access to the garden shed will also be revamped.

In December 2012, with a view to the municipal elections in 2013, the Town of Saint-Lazare responded favourably to the appeal made by provincial authorities to offer home voting to those who are home bound for health reasons. Saint-Lazare was the only town or city within the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges to provide this option. The Town is currently awaiting guidelines from the provincial government for the 2017 elections.

The Service des communications promoted the anti-idling campaign through the newsletter and social media during key seasons (late fall and winter).

The Service des communications promoted composting as part of Earth Day (April 22) as well as through social media and the newsletter (the Wednesday before April 22). It also promotes composting during the Semaine québécoise de réduction des déchets (in October).

The Service des communications promotes subsidies (later defined) during:

• Semaine québécoise de réduction des déchets (in October)
• Treasure hunts in the spring and fall
• In the Environment booklet (12-page document delivered to 7,000 households)
• As part of Earth Day (April 22)
• In its newsletter
• On social media
• On the financial assistance page of the Town’s web site http://www.ville.saint-lazare.qc.ca/en/aidefinanciere
• The Town also promotes registration to Fonds éco IGA (rainwater barrels and compost bins). Reforestation $100/household – 48 owners took advantage
• Compost bins ($50 per household) – 8 homeowners took advantage
• Rainwater barrels ($50 per household) – 13 homeowners took advantage
• Mulching blades ($25) –  22 homeowners took advantage
• Ecological lawnmower ($50 per household) – 1 homeowner took advantage
• Cloth diapers ($100 per residence) – 6 homeowners took advantage
• Low-flow toilets ($50/toilet, maximum 2 toilets/household) – 50 homeowners took advantage
• The Town is once again taking part in the Changez d’air program (resolution 02-063-16) in order to provide grants to its residents ($150). In 2016, 12 homeowners took advantage of the program, representing the maximum number of grants available. http://www.changezdair.org/partenaires#municipalitesparticipantes
• Close to $9,500 in grants was provided to residents in 2016.

The Town offered two (2) branch collections in the spring of 2016, including the regular collection in August and one following the windstorm of July 15 in addition to a regular collection in the fall.

The Service des communications dedicates a section of the Town’s web site to the environment and good practices including grass cycling and leaf cycling. Several videos are available to help residents reach their environmental goals (http://ville.saint-lazare.qc.ca/entretien and https://ville.saint-lazare.qc.ca/feuilles).

The Town has a dedicated link for local recyclers https://ville.saint-lazare.qc.ca/en/recuperateurslocaux. The MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges will create a portal in 2017 where residents can find information on resources involved in the recycling and recovery of residual and organic materials, including ecocentres.

The Town promotes the MRC’s ecocentres through its web site at http://www.ville.saint-lazare.qc.ca/en/ecocentre, a link that also re-directs residents to the MRC’s web site at http://www.mrcvs.ca/fr/ecocentre, its weekly newsletters and social media. In 2017, the Town made residents more aware of returning materials to suppliers to whom they have already paid an eco-fee (electronics, tires, etc.) before bringing them to ecocentres (thereby avoiding having to pay twice for recycling costs – since taxpayers ultimately help pay for the ecocentre processing costs).

The Town has held the Plantons ensemble event with the provincial MP since 2010. In 2016, the event was held on Saturday, August 20 at St-Robert Park (resolution 02-070-16). The Service des communications promotes the event in its newsletter.

The Service des communications promoted:

• Arbour Day, the distribution of seeds/seedlings and the sharing of perennials at the Saint-Lazare public market through its regular communication tools (May 24, 2016)
• grants for the purchase of trees through the Environment booklet distributed to households (April 11, 2016)
• the conference on food from the forest (November 19) through its regular communication tools
• and published virtual Green Files:
  • Green File No. 10 – Tree and Woodland Conservation http://bit.ly/2gJUlj1
  • Green File No. 8 – Planting Trees – http://bit.ly/2gLYscv

Postponed until a later date

Electrical requirements for adding 2 electric charging stations is planned as part of construction of the new Town Hall (resolution).

2 electric charging stations are expected to be installed in 2017.

An agreement was entered into with Nature-Action in 2016 in order to raise farmers’ awareness of good environmental practices with regard to agriculture (resolution 02-114-16)

50 homeowners took advantage of the refund covering part of the purchase price of low-flow toilets ($50/toilet – maximum of 2 toilets/residence)

The Town has proceeded with planting 60 new species of trees at the new fire station in order to reduce heat islands in 2016.   

The Service des communications has continued publishing its Pensons EAU besoins essentiels and Respectons l’horaire d’arrEAUsage  awareness messages aimed at responsible use of water.

A safe school transportation plan (Nature-Action) for Forest Hill Senior, Evergreen and Des Étriers schools (March-April) is anticipated to be created in 2017 and implemented in the Fall of 2017 and 2018.

With a view to improving safety at the new intersection of Frontenac, Des Libellules and Chemin Sainte-Angélique, which leads to the Cité-des-Champs residential development and the new Des Étriers school located at 990 Des Abeilles Street, the Town has requested and obtained authorization from the Ministère des Transports, de la Mobilité durable et de l’Électrification des transports (MTMDET) to lower the speed limit from 70 km/h to 50 km/h on Chemin Sainte-Angélique over a distance of 540 metres starting at Cité-des-Jeunes towards the north; a stop sign was added at the intersection; a pedestrian crossing was added; the crossing was secured by adding a crossing guard to help the children across the intersection in the morning and at the end of the school day and thereby prevent traffic accidents.

The speed limit was also set to 40 km/h on new streets for the Cité-des-Champs and Cité-des-Papillons developments: Des Abeilles, Place des Argus, Des Chenilles, Des Coccinelles, Des Coliades, Des Libellules, Des Lucioles,  Des Monarques, Des Moirés, Des Nacrés and Des Saturnies.

And for the following new streets: Germain-Pilon, Des Hostas, Ivor-McLeod, De la Récolte and De la Violoncelle (resolutions 10-373-16 and 10-378-16).

Redevelopment of the Chemin Sainte-Angélique, Daniel and Des Cèdres intersection is expected to be completed in 2017 in order to ensure safe access to Auclair school (pedestrian crossing, addition of a crossing guard and reduction of entrances for the Blais Garage and La Belle Province restaurant).

Other improvements are currently being assessed to ensure the safety of students at bus drop-off locations.

The bike path was extended on Côte Saint-Charles and Chemin Sainte-Angélique (resolution 03-101-16).

Bike lane sections were developed along Les Cèdres Street to provide access to Auclair school and along Chemin Sainte-Angélique between Les Cèdres and Des Marguerites streets leading to Bédard Park (resolution 02-254-16).

A bike path was also implemented along Chemin Sainte-Angélique between Des Libellules and Des Lucioles streets up to Des Abeilles all the way to the new Des Étriers school (resolution 07-301-16).

A bike path was also implemented along Chemin Lotbinière from Montée St-Robert all the way to Parc nature Les-Forestiers-de-Saint-Lazare in order to allow young people to safely bike to day camp (resolution 09-347-16).

The snowshoeing trail was extended from 3 km to 4 km.

The outdoor cardio trail was resurfaced with rock dust over 1.3 km in order to improve the surface.

A contract was entered into for the maintenance and snow removal of recreational trails from November 1, 2016 to October 31, 2021 ($72,000 tax incl.) in order to facilitate travel through active transportation over 20 km (resolution 11-443-16).

See the Transportation section (Objectives 1.2 and 2.2 – pedestrian crossings and bike paths – http://www.velo.qc.ca/active-transportation/On-the-Move-in-the-Community/)