CAD$55m has been granted for the development of a new container terminal in Canada as construction begins.
The government of Quebec said it would give CAD$55m to Montreal Port Authority (MPA) towards its Contrecoeur container terminal project. When fully up and running, the container terminal in Contrecœur will make it possible to handle 1.15m TEUs per year.
Martin Imbleau, president and CEO of MPA, said: “The Government of Quebec’s backing is an important signal for the MPA and reflects a shared commitment to provide local businesses with a highly efficient supply chain.
"This funding will enable us to undertake the work necessary to develop the new container terminal in Contrecœur and to participate fully in the economic recovery.”
Start-up phase
This funding will be used to carry out the start-up phase of the Contrecoeur project, making it possible to undertake site preparation and earthworks, and to build a visual and sound barrier.
The container terminal will include two berths and a container handling area, an intermodal marshalling yard connected to the main rail network, a truck gate connected to the road network, and secondary facilities for port activities.
Commissioning of the terminal and start of port operations is scheduled for 2024.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) committed up to CAD$300m to the project in December.
The Port of Montreal, which was rocked by strike action last year, already has four container terminals. Maisonneuve and Viau are operated by Termont Montréal Inc., while Cast and Racine are operated by the Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership.
