Port of Québec’s gives back to the community :Laurentia to help community organizations in La Cité-Limoilou

03/12/2021

Québec City, March 10, 2021 – Each year, the Port of Québec conducts initiatives to help improve quality of life. In addition to contributing to the national, provincial, and regional economy, our organization is dedicated to making sure its presence and operations also benefit the local community. The Québec Port Authority (QPA) gives back to the Québec City–Lévis region in many ways, financial contributions and community initiatives of all kinds to recreational spaces for the public to enjoy. Extensive talks with nearby residents and organizations have inspired another targeted initiative we’re rolling out for our neighbours in the community.

Today we are pleased to announce our plan to leverage the Laurentia project and take additional concrete steps to improve quality of life for our surrounding areas. The Port of Québec wants to create a fund tied to Laurentia’s anticipated success that will finance projects for community and social organizations that operate in La Cité-Limoilou.

The plan announced today is to create a fund that will be financed annually with revenues from the Laurentia terminal. The Port of Québec will contribute at least $50,000 a year, with an additional $200 for each direct job generated by Laurentia up to a maximum of $150,000 a year. It is worth noting that Laurentia is expected to create some 500 direct jobs per year, and that the estimated number of direct jobs created will be verified every two years by an outside firm. This new initiative will take effect once Laurentia is up and running.

The proceeds of this fund, which will be administered by a committee of La Cité-Limoilou residents, community representatives, and port employees who live in La Cité-Limoilou, will go directly to organizations that play a key role in the everyday life of neighbourhoods around the Port of Québec.

Every year, Port of Québec facilities generate more than 8,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs in the Québec City–Lévis area. These jobs have had a positive impact on many families, and thousands of residents can benefit from the region’s numerous public spaces and the periodic investments made to improve and upgrade them. The Port gives back to the community every year by funding local causes and organizations dedicated to helping young people succeed, fighting poverty and its causes, advocating for the inclusion of persons with physical disabilities, building quality living environments, and more. More recently, in response to the pandemic, port employees have provided ongoing support to many community organizations. The wide variety of contributions they have made have been instrumental in helping improve quality of life for many families.

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“As we’ve said from the outset, Laurentia is a good project that will benefit residents all throughout the greater Québec City area. The community and social initiative announced today will help us give back to our community even more, and is another example of the many benefits Laurentia will bring to our region.”
—    Mario Girard, President and CEO of the Québec Port Authority

About Laurentia

With a joint $775 million investment from Hutchison Ports, CN, and the Port of Québec, Laurentia will be the greenest deepwater container terminal in North America. It will provide the fastest and most cost-effective access to North American markets by opening a new marine highway between Southeast Asia and the Port of Québec as of 2024.

The Laurentia project will create 7,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs (equal to 1,750 full-time jobs per year) in Canada during the 2021–2024 construction phase and another 1,000 indirect, induced, and high-paid direct jobs in Canada once commissioned. It will also improve and secure the supply chain and create export opportunities for Quebec and Canada.

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Source:
Frédéric Lagacé
Québec Port Authority
418-929-5031
[email protected]