Laval

Laval

A dynamic city

Laval is Quebec’s third-most populated city. Located on an island called Île Jésus just north of Montreal, it is delimited by the Rivière des Prairies (the Back River) to the south and the Mille Îles (Thousand Islands) river to the north.

Laval features all the services and infrastructure essential to the economic development of a large and dynamic city. A Métro line now connects this administrative region to Montreal. Laval has been found to be one of the most entrepreneurial areas of Canada, and as such, it takes an active part in worldwide trade talks. Laval is also Quebec’s horticultural capital, where a number of agricultural producers generate substantial annual spinoffs every year. Animal welfare is very important in Laval, which is why the city is building its own animal service centre. Scheduled to open in 2019, the centre will centralize the coordination of all animal-management activities.

The Nature Centre, a green space especially designed for families, was set up partly on the site of a former quarry and partly where a dump once stood. In fact, it’s a rare example of this type of land reclamation in North America. La Route Verte (the green trail) is the largest network of bike paths in North America. Extending more than 4,300 kilometres and linking Laval to over 300 municipalities, it is your passport to the province’s most luxuriant scenery. Laval resonates with the pulse of culture. It features a number of cultural organizations that reflect Quebec’s social and artistic variety. The city of Laval is very engaged in this respect. It provides artists with a host of possibilities they can leverage to advance their careers. The plan is working; some Laval artists are known nationally and internationally.

The city of Laval is home to a variety of activities, both indoors and out. Astronautics enthusiasts can visit the Cosmodome, Canada’s only world-class museum establishment entirely devoted to astronautics and space exploration. This is the place to come and learn something about the science of space, about scientific lore or about the possibility of a career in aeronautics. As for the Centropolis, it’s the ideal place to go for entertainment, shopping and many of the city’s can’t-miss events. Centropolis is in fact the place to go for thousands of people. In addition to pedestrian walkways, its main feature is a central plaza lit up in warm weather by an illuminated fountain and a most original vegetable garden. In the winter, you can skate on the refrigerated rink for that big-city feel. Why not drop in at the AeroSim Experience? You’ll find yourself at the controls of Canada’s first professional-grade flight simulator open to the public. And for an unparallelled shopping experience, Carrefour Laval is renowned for its trendy stores, popular brands and relaxing garden.

A welcoming and open urban centre, Laval strikes a perfect balance among green spaces, commercial centres and residential neighbourhoods. Laval lives up to its reputation as a dynamic city by constantly renewing itself. You may well be bowled over by its quality of life and its readiness to develop major projects to improve the lot of its citizenry.