Impact Assessment Agency of Canada releases its draft report

 

 Montreal, November 18, 2020 — Following an exhaustive analysis process that began in 2015, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has released its draft report on the Montreal Port Authority’s (MPA) Contrecœur container terminal project. The MPA proceeds with the analysis of the report and reiterates its commitment to implement exemplary mitigation and compensation measures. It will also remain attentive to Agency requests from start to finish of the project’s design, construction and operation in order to foster harmonious integration into the community.

A long-term project

In planning for over 30 years, the expansion of the Port of Montreal in Contrecoeur is now needed because Canadian importers and exporters continue to increase their level of activity, particularly in Quebec and Ontario. The new terminal project will support the growth of the container market over the next few decades and consolidate the competitiveness of Eastern Canada’s logistics and industrial ecosystem. This project was developed in conjunction with a host of local, regional and national partners, starting in 2014. Hundreds of citizens, numerous provincial and federal stakeholders, scientific experts and First Nations representatives took part in both the MPA’s pre-consultation process and the Agency’s independent process. 

An anticipated report

The MPA is analyzing the Agency’s draft report, which includes advice on proposed mitigation measures to ensure harmonious cohabitation. In addition to the comprehensive plan of compensation and mitigation measures submitted to the Agency, the MPA pledges to keep working closely with the Agency and the various authorities concerned, as well as the First Nations, to ensure a minimal impact on human, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. 

 

About the Port of Montreal’s Contrecœur expansion 

Located in an industrial zone, the Contrecœur land reserve was acquired over 30 years ago by the Montreal Port Authority and has been the focus of careful collaborative planning to support the development of the supply chain in Quebec and Eastern Canada. By 2024, with the support of Canada Infrastructure Bank and private partners, the Port of Montreal intends to develop a new state-of-the-art container terminal to handle 1.15 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Advantageously located in the main pool of consumers, importers and exporters in Quebec and Eastern Canada, close to major rail and road routes, the Port of Montreal’s Contrecœur expansion will consolidate local strengths to effectively meet future needs and provide a global logistics hub in the heart of the St. Lawrence Valley.  

 

About the Port of Montreal

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is the second largest port in Canada and a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The only container port in Quebec, it is a destination port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. It is also an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada’s two national rail networks. The MPA also operates a Cruise Terminal and a Port Centre.

The MPA factors economic, social and environmental components into its corporate initiatives. This commitment is governed by a sustainable development policy whose guiding principles focus on involvement, cooperation and accountability. Port activity supports 19,000 jobs and generates $2.6 billion in economic benefits annually.