Government Operations Committee on June 16th, 2026

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

It also has limits. There are barriers that prevent major railway projects from including more Canadian content, aren't there?

[Olivier Marcil]

I'll use the example of the Montreal subway. The last Azur train for the subway was built with 80% local content.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I'm afraid we're past our time.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

It's so pleasant to speak in French, though, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Before we go to Ms. Jansen, I'll say that I understand we might have bells again soon. We'll be able to get through the 30-minute bells if we can agree that we'll power through when the light starts.

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Wonderful. Thank you.

Ms. Jansen, you have five minutes.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Mr. Marcil, the government says that Canada should be our own best customer with this buy Canadian project. At the same time, EDC, Export Development Canada, is helping to finance infrastructure projects outside Canada.

I'm trying to understand how Canadians measure the return they're getting from these foreign investments and how to track buy Canadian data at Alstom. The original EDC-Alstom agreement provided for up to $3.5 billion in financing support to pursue and deliver rail and transit projects outside Canada. Can you tell us how much of that financing has already been used to date?

[Olivier Marcil]

I don't have the data. We can probably provide it, within the limit of commercial confidentiality, as you can imagine.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Thank you.

Can you identify the major projects that have benefited from this taxpayer support partnership?

[Olivier Marcil]

The projects used are the very same kinds of projects that EDC is using for different sectors around the world. That's their—

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

There's no specific identity of a major project somewhere.

[Olivier Marcil]

In the case of Alstom, we're talking about rail projects.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

How many Canadian jobs have been created or maintained through those projects?

[Olivier Marcil]

Alstom is on a growth path in Canada. We have created over 1,000 jobs in Canada over the last five years.

Since the first agreement with EDC has been in place, we have continued to grow and to make tremendous investments in our facilities in Canada and in developing our supply chain.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

I understand it is 1,000 jobs.

How much Canadian content was supplied in those projects that we're not sure where they are?

[Olivier Marcil]

These projects do not have any requirements related to Canadian content. They're projects that are built in other countries. Alstom has a strategy of being multilocal, which means we build in Canada for Canada and we build in other countries for other countries.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Does the financing you receive from EDC therefore require no reporting in regard to buy Canadian content?

[Olivier Marcil]

There's reporting.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Is that on buy Canadian content?

[Olivier Marcil]

We report to EDC.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Is EDC asking you to report on its buy Canadian content?

[Olivier Marcil]

Of course.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Does EDC publicly report those figures, or do you?

[Olivier Marcil]

It's EDC. You need to ask EDC this question.