Underprivileged children in Laval will benefit from a new $10 million fund, the bulk of which was recovered from the city’s corrupt former mayor.
Of the $10 million, $8.5 comes from the coffers of Gilles Vaillancourt, the longtime municipal leader who came to be known as “The King of Laval.” Vaillancourt served as mayor between 1989 and 2012, when he resigned after allegations of fraud and corruption.
Vaillancourt pled guilty in December and was sentenced to six years in prison. As part of his plea deal, he agreed to pay the city back for money that was illegally pocketed.
He will be eligible for parole in December after serving one-sixth of his sentence.
“It’s good news,” said current mayor Marc Demers. “It’s in our hands and it’s going to generate interest for our children.”
Demers estimated the money will earn a six per cent annual return, totaling $600,000 per year that will be used to benefit children through organizations such as Moisson Laval.
Moisson Laval feeds 20,000 people through food banks and the city’s schoolboards, 30 per cent of which are children.
Other organizations and causes will be selected by an independent committee which includes former Olympic diver Roseline Filion.
“It’s to help them grown into adults, into a good person and develop their full potential as young kids,” she said. “What’s not good about that?”
Not everyone is as enthused by the plan. Jean-Claude Gobe, leader of the opposition party Action Laval, said the money belongs to Laval’s taxpayers and should be distributed as such.
“Freeze taxes and then, one part of the money Vaillancourt stole, we give you that money back,” he said.
