Mr. Chair and members of the committee, thank you for having me here today.
The Port of Trois-Rivières handles more than four million tons of cargo annually and sees 70,000 trucks, 11,000 railcars and nearly 250 ships pass through its facilities. It serves businesses located throughout Quebec, Ontario and as far away as western Canada that operate in key economic sectors, including manufacturing, agri-food, mining and energy.
The Port of Trois-Rivières is currently carrying out the largest investment project in its history. Between 2024 and 2027, more than $300 million will have been invested by the Trois-Rivières Port Authority, its partners and the governments of Quebec and Canada to rebuild or construct two docks and three terminals. This project is the culmination of a major upgrade effort launched in 2008 that has modernized a large portion of the port's freight infrastructure. However, as soon as they are completed, those facilities will be operating at full capacity. To help businesses access overseas markets, the Port of Trois-Rivières will need to be able to deploy additional capacity.
In the St. Lawrence corridor, several infrastructure projects are reaching the end of their useful life. Rebuilding them is no longer a matter of maintenance, but a matter of economic continuity and logistical sovereignty. However, it would be a mistake to simply rebuild infrastructure designed to meet the needs of 100 years ago. Modernization must go hand in hand with reconstruction. Supply chains have evolved significantly, with larger ships, more specialized terminals and increased integration with the rail and road networks. At the same time, ports must contend with growing environmental requirements that are set to intensify over time.
Our port network is currently facing a challenge of unprecedented scale: supporting Canadian businesses as they diversify their export markets amid a rapidly changing global landscape. Now more than ever, our businesses must be able to rely on a strong, agile, and resilient port network. This resilience depends on a complementary port network, in which each port along the St. Lawrence River plays a specific role. Within this network, the Port of Trois-Rivières occupies a strategic position. Located at the heart of the St. Lawrence corridor, it helps stabilize supply chains and provides key industries—including aluminum smelters and critical minerals—with access to global markets.
Ports must serve both as gateways to international markets and as partners to the local community. They must therefore balance global challenges with local needs. It is within this context that the development project for the waterfront of the Port of Trois-Rivières, located near downtown and integrated into the urban fabric, is taking shape. To bring these ambitions to fruition, we are working closely with Transport Canada to secure the necessary authorities.
The work of this committee has highlighted the limitations of the current framework. Port authorities are being asked to manage public assets that will last for generations, make massive investments and be financially self-sufficient, all while playing an increased role in the energy transition and integration into the local community.
In this context, three concrete courses of action clearly emerge.
First, it's important to explicitly recognize that rebuilding and modernizing existing infrastructure is a strategic investment essential to market diversification and economic resilience.
Second, federal levers need to be accelerated and made more predictable, particularly for projects that are ready to move forward and supported by communities.
Third, the regulatory framework must be adapted to enable ports to fully play their dual role of acting as gateways to global markets while acting as integral partners within their local communities.
Finally, one factor that keeps coming up is time. The projects are ready, the needs have been identified, and the partners are on board. What is needed now is a swift, consistent and predictable deployment of federal levers. In this regard, we welcome the recent launch of the call for proposals for the trade diversification corridors fund and the Arctic infrastructure fund.
In conclusion, in an unstable global context, Canada must strengthen its entire port network in order to truly diversify its markets, reduce its vulnerabilities and bolster its economic sovereignty. It must also provide ports with the tools they need to operate effectively today and for decades to come.
Thank you for your time.