“Success!” exclaimed Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer on Facebook after undergoing brain surgery on Tuesday to remove a tumour. On Wednesday at noon, Boyer shared a photo of himself, his face swollen but giving a thumbs-up, following his 13-hour surgery. “Right now, I look like a boxer who lost his match, but it’s quite the opposite. Soon, I’ll be fully recovered and able to look to the future with optimism again,” he wrote on social media. Boyer noted that he will be recovering for two months and will be replaced by the acting mayor, Ray Khalil. “But I’m already looking forward to getting back to the office… talking about public finances and water systems—I love that!” he added. Boyer announced in early September that a tumour had been detected in his brain. He said at the time he would scale back his public activities this fall to take care of himself, but would continue to serve as mayor of Laval. On Tuesday, before his surgery, he explained that the tumour was located between his brain, one of his eyes, and a major artery. - This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 7, 2026.
