Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the members of the committee for allowing me to speak to you.
I am the president of the Union des préfets du Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, which represents five regional county municipalities. Our organization is the voice of the mayors of 49 municipalities and more than 285,000 citizens. We work particularly closely with the Mashteuiatsh first nation. In fact, it is a model co-operation that, in my opinion, should be extended across the country.
Our mission is to develop a shared vision, assert a strong regional identity and support promising projects that address regional and even national challenges. One such project is the Canadian northern corridor, which I would like to present to you today.
For the past four years, our organization has been working to improve our region's rail network so that our deepwater port can accommodate mineral resource development in our province's north. We have invested nearly $1.3 million to find solutions to secure the existing rail lines in all our communities and to determine the lesser impact route of the new rail line to connect our region to the Chibougamau-Chapais sector, first of all. Naturally, this was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the first nation.
Since geopolitics has changed a great deal since the last election in the United States, the rail project has become essential, in our opinion—so that critical minerals from Quebec and the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario can reach the ocean and eastern Canada.
Outside our region, there is a section of about 160 km that has to be rebuilt from Lebel-sur-Quévillon. The track has been removed, but the structures are in place. We know that the Cree community in the area, through the Grande Alliance, is very interested in seeing the 160-kilometre section rehabilitated. We met with mayors from northern Ontario and spoke with all the reeves in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and their enthusiasm for this project is very real.
We believe we have the fastest and most cost-effective solution to achieve our country's ambitions for the transportation and export of critical minerals. The route exists, but it has to be reactivated in certain areas, and improved and secured in other areas.
Our people have always risen to the occasion when it comes to major projects. We are the top aluminum producers in Canada, and even in America. We are currently conducting major, even colossal, renewable energy projects in our territory—wind energy projects. We have the energy, the skills, the will and the people to continue on this path.
We have a year-round deepwater port. We have 1,200 hectares of industrial land nearby that can accommodate any type of industry. One of the members of the Union des préfets du Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, the City of Saguenay, is talking to us about regionalizing the benefits. In addition, we have a military base, the Bagotville military base, which helps secure our infrastructure and supplies for our international partners.
We estimate that $700 million in investments will be needed in our region for the sections that are on our territory. For the missing 160 km, the Grande Alliance studies are available. The rest of the Ontario route needs to be analyzed.
In short, to help Canada achieve its ambitions, we believe we are the cheapest, fastest and most efficient way to connect much of our country to a year-round deepwater port. In addition, we have the population required for the development of our territory to be done particularly efficiently.
I am now available to answer any questions committee members may have.