After a wave of gun violence in Laval, residents and community workers say they want to take back their streets.
Several residents, community workers and politicians gathered at the Raymond Fortin Community Centre in Laval on Saturday. They called it “Together for Peace” – a march against violence.
“Residents of Place St Martin, Domaine Renaud and Laval in general are very worried,” said PLQ MNA for Laval Des Rapides Saul Polo.
Just two weeks ago a 33-year-old man was shot in broad daylight in the city’s Chomedy district. A 28-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting just days before that. A 14-year-old was injured in that same incident.
“With the gun violence everywhere in every neighborhood, it’s scary,” said Lucie Lanthier General Manager of Loisirs Renaud-Coursol, a community centre in Laval.
“People need to know we can be together, we can do something, we can make a difference,” she added.
Polo says more support for youth is need.
“When it comes to supporting them and offering them positive organized activities and events, this is the key to the solution for preventing more and more violence in Laval,” he added.
Community workers agree.
- 2 teens charged with murder in case of 16-year-old killed outside Halifax mall
- 14-year-olds accused in Halifax homicide appear in court, bail hearing set
- Green Party deputy leader given jail sentence for Fairy Creek old growth protests
- Cars torched, explosions heard in suspected arson in Montreal neighbourhood
“Young teenagers, young adults are part of a society,” said Rodney Dorvelus, a community worker at the Bureau de consultation jeunesse. “They have a voice, they have a right to ask for things and we’re here to help them bring their voice to society.”
According Dorvelus, teenagers are very concerned about the accessibility to guns.
“They feel like if they don’t have one or they aren’t part of a group. They are scared about that.”
In December, Quebec announced an investment of $52 million in funding to tackle gun violence and for youth community groups in Montreal, but Polo says Laval needs a piece of that pie.
“When you take the proportion of residents and the number of crimes that have taken place here over the past few years we haven’t received our equal share of funding for our own community groups in Laval,” he added.
He also called the national freeze on handguns announced by the federal government earlier this week a step in the right direction, but he says much more will need to be done.
Comments