Quebec deep water port expansion receives federal funding

The Quebec Port Authority has received $60 million in federal funding to go towards a five-year, $500 million expansion of the Beauport deep water port.

“As a strategic deep water port at the head of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway, the Port of Quebec will use this investment to solidify its competitive position on the North American market and address the concerns at the wharf over congestion and lack of space,” says Mario Girard, President and Chief Executive Officer, Quebec Port Authority.

The funding announcement is the culmination of years of work and planning to provide the Port of Quebec with a new multi-functional, deep water terminal with a depth of 16 metres at low tide, Giard adds. “In the context of market globalization, this project is good not only for Quebec, but also for keeping the St. Lawrence competitive.”

The project, which is part of a five-year $500 million plan, will extend the current wharf line in the Beauport sector by 610 metres and increase the area at the back of the wharf by 18.5 hectares. Extending the wharf line by 610 metres will allow two deep-water berths to be added, which will increase the Port’s efficiency and flexibility in transferring goods. A railway track will be laid and a segment of the Henry-Bourassa Boulevard on the port’s property will be rebuilt. Other facilities are being installed for future port projects, as well as the fish habitat compensation project.

The future construction of a dolphin reserved for liquid bulk will offer the Port of Québec a highly competitive advantage in becoming an exit point for Canadian oil product exports.

“The development of the Port of Quebec and improvements to its existing infrastructure are priorities for the City of Quebec,” says Regis Labeaume, Mayor of Quebec City. “The federal contribution is excellent news which reaffirms the importance of the port as a strategic transshipment point between North America’s industrial and agricultural core and the world.”