Turning the page: Laval mayor says last $60 million recovered from corruption
Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer brought out a paper shredder at a press conference Tuesday to symbolically end a dark chapter of the city's history.
It came with the announcement that after 10 years, the city was "able to recuperate $60 million for the citizens of Laval, all money that was stolen from our citizens".
It took a specialized team of investigators and lawyers eight years to recuperate the money, including a large sum from former mayor Gilles Vaillancourt. He was convicted and, in December 2016, sentenced to six years for fraud, breach of trust and conspiracy to commit fraud.
Laval legal affairs director Simon Tremblay says the work went relatively fast considering the scope of the crimes.
"We only had one judgment, all of them, all the others were for settlement out of court, and we took the guarantee, we took security to make sure we got paid," he said.
Boyer says some had tried to discourage him from pursuing the lawsuits, saying the city would lose too much on lawyer fees. He says not only did they recuperate $60 million, but they sent a message that City Hall can't be bought.
The city plans to reinvest the money back into the community through infrastructure and a foundation to help young people. The opposition says the money should go back to taxpayers dealing with a property tax hike and inflation.
"We just recuperated all this money," Paolo Galati said. "There could have been a way to balance the budget and make sure that, you know, less money comes out of our taxpayer's pockets.
Boyer says he wants to stop talking about the past and focus on the future, restoring the city's reputation as a good place to live.
"We want to turn the page," he said, "and we want to say that Laval is not what only happened under Gilles Vaillancourt."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.