Cargo Business Newswire

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Quebec to launch $9B maritime strategy

Quebec hopes to attract billions in private investment to develop its maritime infrastructure and create 30,000 jobs by 2030, according to Premier Philippe Couillard.

Couillard said his government's $9-billion maritime strategy is a core initiative of his plan to boost Quebec's economy and make it a primary international point of entry into eastern North America.

A major part of the plan calls for the creation of a maritime transportation logistics hub in Contrecoeur, about 60 kilometers north of Montreal, and another one in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, just west of the city.

"Quebec has a unique opportunity to establish itself as the international door of entry into eastern North America with regard to goods and transit," he said.

Couillard said he hopes $4 billion will come from private-sector companies that will invest in projects along the St. Lawrence River relating to industries such as tourism, fishing and transportation.

It is unclear what part the federal government will play in Quebec's maritime plan, as the country's ports fall under federal jurisdiction.

For more of the CBC News story: www.cbc.ca