In a global context where supply chain resilience, economic security, and the acceleration of trade diversification have become priorities, QSL welcomes the designation of the Port of Quebec as an international container port by the Government of Canada.
This long-awaited milestone underscores the strategic importance of developing modern, sustainable, and resilient port infrastructure to meet growing international market demand.
The announcement represents a defining step in the development of the Quebec City container terminal project.
Robert Bellisle, QSL President and Chief Executive Officer, declared: “Today, we are reaching a key milestone. The St. Lawrence River is a major economic lever, and the development of modern, sustainable, and resilient facilities is essential to secure our supply chain and support business competitiveness.
“With this milestone reached, QSL will be able to finalize and submit its notice of project to the Port of Quebec. The project will then be subject to the Port of Quebec’s impact assessment and mitigation process, including public consultations. The QSL team intends to propose an ambitious project that will generate benefits for stakeholders across the greater Quebec City region and throughout Canada.”
Responding to questions from Maritime Magazine, Marie B. Deschamps, Senior Director, Communications, stated: “We are talking about an investment of tens of millions for QSL. As for the timeframe, the process of assessing and mitigating the Port’s environmental impact takes between 9 and 12 months.”
At a time when containerized cargo transport is becoming the global standard, QSL believes economic development depends on fully leveraging the potential of maritime corridors, notably by enabling entrepreneurs to export their products to global markets.
The Beauport sector of the Port of Quebec offers several significant advantages, including a water depth of 15 metres at low tide and logistics servicing that supports intermodality.
Ultimately, the facilities could handle up to 200,000 containers (TEUs) annually.
The project is based on optimizing existing infrastructure without encroaching on the river. By promoting marine transportation via vessels travelling to and from Montreal, the project would also help reduce land-based freight traffic and greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation.
(Photo from QSL of Robert Bellisle)