A lighthouse in stormy weather

As the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and from the way the entire supply chain reacted in the wake of recent events, we can add that the health crisis we are going through has definitely made all of us grow collectively!

Over the last few months, we’ve seen the entire supply chain mobilize to keep smoothing the way for companies to do business and find storage space; we have seen organizations reinvent the way they work to ensure maximum safety for their employees who had to stay in the field. Teleworking has been deployed on a large scale, and we have even launched artificial intelligence projects to more efficiently route goods deemed essential by the authorities to where those goods are needed most, with the goal of avoiding supply shortages and slowdowns. And more than ever, the Port of Montreal has been maintaining its financial support for community organizations in our neighbouring community. A fine example of responsiveness and collaboration from our transport and logistics industry!

What’s more, if Montreal is so attractive internationally, so economically dynamic, so creative and pleasant to live in, it’s thanks to the spirit of engagement and solidarity that unites the region’s economic players, and fuels their great habit of working together and finding solutions. In the current context, the spirit of adaptation of all those involved in the port industry has been a vital asset in keeping many key jobs.

And even though we are not yet back on our feet, facing an inevitable drop in cargo traffic in 2020 and with the cruise season cancelled, we’re already seeing that port activities will play a vital role in the economic recovery. Our construction sites have resumed, and that means that we are moving ahead with our major projects, including the future observation tower at the Grand Quay. We also want to continue more than ever with our major port terminal project in Contrecœur, a project that will create 5,000 jobs during construction and generate economic benefits of $470 million per year.

We’re forward looking, together!

Sylvie Vachon
President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority