PORT OF QUÉBEC 2013 REPORT - BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE PORT

05/14/2014

Québec, May 14, 2014 – Mario Girard, President and CEO of the Québec Port Authority (QPA), held its annual public meeting today to present the 2013 report on port activities and to give the outlook for the current year.

The Port of Québec has continued to play a strategic role as a deep-water port at the head of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway. The Québec Port Authority’s 2013 results are consistent with those of recent years. The tonnage handled in 2013 was close to previous years (with the exception of 2012, which was a record year), with a total of 27 million tonnes. We saw sustained growth for several products including cement, iron ore and certain bulk liquids such as gas and kerosene.

As for capital investments, the Port and its partners invested $55 million in 2013 to improve infrastructure and equipment on port territory. It was the fourth most profitable year in the history of the Port of Québec; the Port is no longer holding any long-term debt and is in excellent financial health.

A unique urban recreational and tourist space

The Port set a record in terms of cruise ships, with the passage of 103 ships and 164,000 visitors. The Terminal helped us reach new heights in 2013: we hosted 73,000 guests, a 30% increase from 2012. The Marina ended the season with visits from a total of 1,000 boats, for the equivalent of 3,000 nights.

For Mario Girard, these results demonstrate the important role the Port of Québec plays in its community. “When we add up the economic benefits, the recreation and tourism activities and the urban projects that are underway, it’s clear that the Port of Québec makes a valuable contribution to the community’s quality of life.”

Concrete environmental measures

The Port of Québec set itself apart in the area of sustainable development and the environment last year. Numerous investments allowed the Port and its partners to raise the level of alert and to improve response capability for environmental issues on port territory.

The Port installed dust collecting stations at the edges of its territory so it can control air quality in real time. The Port also further developed its camera monitoring system and increased patrol visits on the ground during vessel loading/unloading operations. The sustainable development approach initiated in May 2013 has been successful, allowing us to deliver, early in 2014, the first sustainable development action plan in the Port of Québec’s history.

Terminal operator partners also made significant investments in terms of the environment. In total, nearly $20 million was invested in the environment in 2013 alone on port territory.

“I’m proud of the results we achieved last year. We faced challenges, and we acted as a responsible administration. With our partners, we addressed the issues and brought in concrete solutions to build a sustainable port for the future,” said Mr. Girard.

Major projects for the community

The Port will continue to develop its major projects in 2014 and to establish opportunities for consultation regarding these projects. The projects include the expansion of facilities at Beauport, the development of the Bassin Louise, the revision of the land-use plan, and the design of the Promenade Samuel-De-Champlain 3B in the Anse au Foulon sector.

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For additional information:

Marie-Andrée Blanchet
Advisor, Public Relations and Events
Québec Port Authority
418-648-3640, ext. 1156