Government Operations Committee on Dec. 9th, 2010

[Bernard Côté]

Yes, it was under the name of Avison Young. It's a national company.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

When you say "commercial", you mean just offices?

[Bernard Côté]

I was involved in offices, industrial and commercial buildings and retail businesses.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

How did you come to work for Mr. Fortier?

[Bernard Côté]

I was asked, and the challenge seemed interesting.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

You were responsible for an office. You had some flexibility there? Was the minister often in the office?

[Bernard Côté]

Mr. Fortier had an advantage over you. As the Senate sits three days a week, that gave him a little more freedom.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

He was often with you.

[Bernard Côté]

He was often at the office.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

All right. You had a secretary? How many staff members were there in that office? There was Mr. Fortier, you... Was there a secretary who took calls and messages?

[Bernard Côté]

We're talking here about two people from the department who managed the ministers' regional office.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Those people are in Montreal?

[Bernard Côté]

Yes, they have an office at 400 Place d'Youville, 6th Floor.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

I'm trying to get a clear idea of your role so that we don't make a mistake. Ultimately, you were Mr. Fortier's right-hand man for the Montreal region. Is that correct?

[Bernard Côté]

That's well said.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Côté, did you decide, for example, whether the type of work an individual did might be useful for the House of Commons? Did you make that kind of decision? I'm trying to see.

[Bernard Côté]

It concerned a few of the files I mentioned. We followed them up to ensure they were carried out.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

All right. What were those files about? You mentioned some people. Give me an example.

[Bernard Côté]

The City of Montreal; practically all museums; people in the cultural field—

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Did people come to see you saying they thought their product was better than another for a project that was to be carried out in the City of Montreal? Did people come to see you and tell you about their products, about their projects?

[Bernard Côté]

The people from the City of Montreal told us about the Quartier des spectacles, a project that was to be carried out.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

So they mentioned those needs to you. At the same time, did people go and see you to tell you that they could meet the needs because they had innovative material, for example?

[Bernard Côté]

No.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

No one went to see you to tell you—

[Bernard Côté]

I'll give you an example. The mayor of Montreal, Mr. Tremblay, spoke to Mr. Fortier about the Quartier des spectacles project. He told him that it was going to cost $120 million and that he would like to see the federal government make a financial contribution to the implementation of that project.