Locked away, just north of Montreal, sits the Laval Immigration Holding Centre. It’s a place most people never see, a place shrouded in mystery. The Laval Immigration Holding Centre isn’t a prison in the traditional sense. It’s a holding centre for individuals facing immigration challenges. This could be anything from difficulty verifying their identity to awaiting deportation. Originally adapted for use by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in 1996, the Laval Immigration Holding Centre stands on the grounds of a facility constructed way back in the mid-1950s. Inside its walls, up to 153 detainees can be housed at any given time. Life inside isn’t exactly a vacation. But the CBSA makes efforts to provide certain amenities. Detainees have access to three outdoor recreational areas, separate spaces for men, women, and families. They can gather in large common rooms, play computer games, watch TV, read books, and even exercise. There’s a multi-faith room for prayer and designated spaces for legal counsel and immigration hearings. Medical and mental health services are available, with nursing staff on-site 24/7. For families detained together, the Laval Immigration Holding Centre offers a special family living unit, a children’s schooling room, and a dedicated play area. Visitors are allowed, but only during specific hours: 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm daily. They must present proper identification and undergo a security screening before entering. The Laval Immigration Holding Centre has undergone significant upgrades as part of the National Immigration Detention Framework (NIDF). This included improvements such as video conferencing capabilities and dedicated hearing rooms to avoid unnecessary off-site transport for detainees. Despite these efforts, it’s still a place of confinement, a stark reminder of the complex and often challenging realities of immigration. The Laval Immigration Holding Centre remains a hidden world within our city.
Parc Dickie-Moore
Who needs a time machine when you’ve got Parc Dickie-Moore? This little slice of Parc-Extension holds a century of Montreal