The bus driver who ran into a daycare center in the Sainte-Rose district, at the start of the day on Wednesday in Laval, illustrates once again that municipalities must do more to fight against mental health issues, said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
What there is to know
- At around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a Société de transport de Laval bus drove into a daycare center in the Sainte-Rose district.
- The driver was reportedly arrested shortly after the event
- Laval police confirmed that two young children died. Six others were taken to hospital, but there is no fear for their lives.
- The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, the Minister of Families, Suzanne Roy, and the deputy for the riding of Sainte-Rose, Christopher Skeete, left the Parliament of Quebec on Wednesday in the direction of Laval.
Saying deeply “upset”, the 35-year-old elected went there at the end of the morning to meet the affected families. During a press scrum, the mayor clearly stated that “mental health is an extremely important issue” and that “unfortunately, Laval has been the scene of several tragedies in recent months”. “It is an issue that must be taken seriously,” he insisted.
In interview with The Press, he specifies that the phenomenon “is not unique to Laval”. “Right now, we are experiencing a lot of crises: there was the pandemic, we talk a lot about inflation, the context of the war in Europe. All this puts a lot of psychological pressure on individuals, ”he says.
It’s very complex, what is happening, but it is clear that many families feel under pressure, and that unfortunately, there are human tragedies that are experienced. It worries me a lot.
Stéphane Boyer, Mayor of Laval
In his view, “there is no magic or easy solution to resolve the issue”, but it is up to the cities to invest more in prevention. “At home, in the last budget, we put about three million to better support our organizations in social development, family support, homelessness, precisely to act more in prevention. Too often, these organizations cannot fund their activities to meet the needs,” Mr. Boyer persists.
Two young children died and six others were injured on Wednesday morning after an STL bus driver ran into a daycare center in the Sainte-Rose district early in the day.
The elected official says he finds it “difficult to put words to this tragedy”, but expects to have “more answers in the coming days”, as the investigation progresses. “For me, today, it is above all to tell families in Laval that we are going to be there for them, that we are going to do everything to offer them the necessary support,” insists Mr. Boyer.
“Laval is wholeheartedly with you and will be there for you”, he also assured on his Twitter account, saying he was generally “upset” by the file. “I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. The Laval community is in mourning and sticking together in this unimaginable tragedy, ”he insisted shortly after.
In a press release, the municipal councilor for the Val-des-Arbres district and interim leader of the Laval official opposition, Achille Cifelli, also offered his support and his thoughts to the families affected. “I am a father myself, and I cannot imagine the extent of the distress of these fathers and mothers. We are happy to learn that support services are dispatched to the scene for families and employees, ”he said in writing.