Don't forget to vote
School Elections November 4
If you pay school taxes to the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board you have the right to cast your ballot today in elections which will determine the 9 representatives from Laval on the board's Council of Commissioners and 15 representatives in all, for the area covered by the board, considered Quebec's largest (in territory) administrative entity serving the educational needs of the province's English-speaking population; the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Board is one of 9 English school boards serving these needs across Quebec.
While in most other regions of Quebec, both in French and English school boards - the interest from the population, from people opting to run, and from media covering the campaigns has ranged from cold to lukewarm, the people of both the Montreal region and the communities served by the Laurier Board have been truly spoiled by keen interest on the part of many individuals who came forward to declare their candidacy for seats on the these two English school boards – English Montreal and Laurier.
Today, in Laval alone, 21 candidates, 15 men and 6 women, will stand by as voters determine which nine will represent the island on the Laurier Board's Council of Commissioners for the 2007-2011 mandate.
Of the 21 candidates in Laval, six (5 men and one woman) will be identified on the ballot as associated with the Partners For Success electoral ticket, led by Steve Bletas, incumbent commissioner for ward 13 and sitting chairman of the Laurier board, having just completed his second mandate in that capacity. Mr. Bletas was first elected following the 1998 changes which created linguistic school boards, among which is Sir Wilfrid Laurier, serving a vast region extending from the Rivière des Prairies to Mont Laurier, east, west, north, and south.
The six candidates for the Partners for Success team are: Steve Bletas (ward 13), Mario Di Domenico (ward 14), Nazario Facchino (ward 15), Grace Nesi (ward 16), Nick Milas (ward 17), Tom Mouhteros (ward 18).
The other electoral ticket is Partners Actively Committed to Education (PACE), led by Luigi Lapolla, former Parent Commissioner and Elected Commissioner at English Montreal School Board. Three women and 5 men will be identified on the ballot as associated with PACE. They are: Mohammed Aly (ward 11), Maggie Delli Colli (ward 12), Luigi Lapolla (ward 13), Renzo Orzi (ward 14), Diane Sbrissa (ward 15), Tony D'Elia (ward 16), Tina D'Onofrio (ward 17), Vince Maffei (ward 19).
Seven independents are also seeking voter support. They are: Michael Arfanis (ward 11), Albina Pace (ward 11), Steve Kmec (ward 12), Tony De Lauri (ward 14), Franca Celli (ward 18), Manuel Lima (ward 18) and Walter Fogel (ward 19).
At dissolution of the Council of Commissioners in September, the sitting members representing Laval were: Alabina Pace, independent, ward 11; Steve Kmec, independent, ward 12; Steve Bletas, Partners For Success, ward 13; Tony De Lauri, independent, ward 14; Nazario Facchino, Partners For Success, ward 15; Grace Nesi, Partners For Success, ward 16; Nick Milas, Partners For Success, ward 17; Tom Mouhteros, Partners For Success, ward 18; and Walter Fogel, independent, ward 19.
Advanced vote
Returning Officer Robert Vallerand told Courrier Laval Weekly News that 941 voters cast ballots at last Sunday's advanced polling for the 15 wards necessitating elections throughout the school board. (Four seats, all off-island, were filled by acclamation.)
The 941 ballots represent a 3.5% share of the 27,751 eligible voters, a substantial increase over the 1.5 to 2% that showed up in early voting in 2003.
Today, November 4, 2007 is official voting day, with polls open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Eligible voters received information from the returning officer on two occasions in the past couple of weeks, indicating the location of polling stations for each ward.
Photo: pick up, front anglais,
Photo: Bletas
Photo: Lapolla
Météo: Laval, 22 mai 2008 / 12°C
/ Faible averse de pluie
/ Vents: 9 Km/h / Humidité relative: 67 % 
Steven Guilbeault - 
