The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) announces that it has received an authorization from Fisheries and Oceans Canada prior to the expansion of port facilities in Contrecœur and the continuation of the construction of the new container terminal. This authorization is issued under both the Fisheries Act and the Species at Risk Act as part of the ongoing activities initiated in 2015 to successfully complete this strategic project.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada has issued an authorization in relation to impacts on fish and fish habitat, under both the Fisheries Act and the Species at Risk Act, in relation to the proposed construction of the new port terminal, construction of the wharf, and all the underwater work required to complete the project. This work will be carried out in full compliance with the measures, protocols, practices, conditions, and requirements set out in the authorization.
“Obtaining this authorization builds on the efforts initiated over several years to ensure that the Port of Montreal’s expansion project in Contrecœur becomes a reality. Productive talks with experts from Fisheries and Oceans are central to the project’s development and attest to our commitment to continue implementing it while meeting environmental requirements and the planned offsetting measures already in place,” said Julie Gascon, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority.
This authorization follows the environmental assessment process conducted by the Canadian Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, which resulted in a favourable decision statement in 2021. The entire process included a thorough environmental assessment, comprehensive consultations with Indigenous stakeholders, and a detailed scientific analysis of the impacts on the copper redhorse habitat.
Last October, the MPA also received an authorization to implement the plan for the aquatic grass beds that copper redhorse fish use as feeding areas, developed in compliance with the decision statement, in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, and Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Now that this authorization has been obtained, the MPA will move ahead with the project as planned, in line with the agreed schedule, which remains unchanged. The year 2026 will therefore mark the start of in-water works, along with the continuation of site development work. Commissioning of the new terminal remains scheduled for 2030.
Expansion project update
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 thorough collaborative planning to support the development of the supply chain in Quebec and the rest of Canada. With the support of its public and private partners, including financial support from the governments of Canada and Quebec, the Port of Montreal is developing an advanced new container terminal able to handle 1.15 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) by 2030, when it is expected to be fully operational.
Construction work will generate about 8,000 jobs and cover two berths, a large container handling area, an intermodal rail yard connected to the main network, a truck gate connected to the road network, and support facilities.
Advantageously located in the country’s main pool of consumers and importers, close to major rail and road routes, the Port of Montreal’s Contrecœur expansion will strengthen a world-class logistics hub in the heart of the St. Lawrence Valley.
(MPA image of Contrecoeur project)