Transport committee  That agreement has already produced a structure, that is, we have established working groups. First, we created a steering committee, which oversees all measures resulting from this agreement. Made up of members of senior management from the three port authorities, this steering committee then created working groups to ensure that the three entities develop ties relating to the very structure of the three organization so they can work together more easily.

Transport committee  The Canada Marine Act does not pose any obstacles to what we are doing currently, because we are cooperating on a very functional level. That would not be the case however if we wanted to go further and look at trade issues. For instance, if we wanted to look at optimizing our infrastructures and sharing our strategic plans and development plans, and try to establish a strategic plan that reflects the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three facilities to make the network more effective as a whole, we could not do that.

Transport committee  Thank you. It is indeed a challenge for all port authorities in Canada, including the Port of Trois-Rivières. Our borrowing limit is $42 million. As I said earlier in my presentation, we are currently working on a portfolio of projects with a value of $350 million. Under its previous plan, the Port of Trois-Rivières had already made substantial investments.

Transport committee  Thank you for the question. The port authorities of Montreal, Quebec City and Trois-RIvières did in fact conclude an agreement in June. That agreement was further to another one we had signed a few years earlier with the Montreal port authority only. Last year, we broadened the partnership to include Quebec City.

Transport committee  Without the city's assistance, we would certainly never have been able to complete our development projects. The relationship we have built with the City of Trois-Rivières is almost symbiotic, even though we have not created a standing committee or anything like that. The members at all levels of our organization have created ties with their counterparts at the city, in urban planning, public works and the mayor's office.

Transport committee  Thank you for the time you are giving me. I agree with those who spoke before me. It would be interesting to work more closely together across the country and to integrate ports and transportation modes. We certainly need that in Canada. Doing that across North America might be ambitious though.

Transport committee  Thank you for the question. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of vacant spaces, precisely because the spaces we have been able to add are occupied. To give you an idea of the scope of the relationship we have built with our city in recent years, for example, we have been able to add almost 80,000 square metres to the Port of Trois-Rivières by acquiring spaces within the city.

Transport committee  I would first like to point out that the growth and the successes we have experienced in recent years are largely due to the relationship we have developed with our city and our community. Without that, I can assure you that we would never have managed to achieve what we have accomplished to date.

Transport committee  They are certainly not incompatible. We want to have sustainable facilities. However, being sustainable also means being responsible from the social, environmental and economic perspectives. So we have to make sure the facilities we put in place do a good job of meeting the needs of the economy and can be made profitable.

Transport committee  Thank you. First, artificial intelligence and automation are solutions that make up for the labour shortage. You have to understand that in recent years, the Port of Trois-Rivières has already more than doubled the number of jobs needed to support the growth of its activities.

Transport committee  Unfortunately, I can't speak for all the ports in Quebec, because I am not familiar with the exact situation in all the ports. The only one I can really talk to you about is the Port of Trois-Rivières. In the case of the Port of Trois-Rivières, we have actually experienced this situation.

Transport committee  Wait times were mentioned earlier. Getting authorizations is certainly a challenge for everyone. It has become increasingly difficult to launch major new port projects in Canada. One of the results is the need to make sure that existing facilities are optimized, because it is increasingly difficult to put new ones in place.

Transport committee  It would certainly be necessary to use the same programs as the ones mentioned earlier, such as the national trade corridors fund, the NTCF. It allows for a substantial contribution to these projects. However, I would say that even the unsubsidized part is a significant burden. We are talking about contributions on the order of 50 per cent in these programs, but the remaining 50 per cent is still onerous since this is not creating an activity that will generate more traffic.

Transport committee  I am going to kind of reiterate what Mr. Pond said. I think he is having to manage a similar situation to what we have in Trois-Rivières. Some of our facilities should be adapted or given a new role, to enable the community to benefit more from them, given their proximity to the downtown and an historic quarter.

Transport committee  Good morning, everyone. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to you today. My name is Jacques Paquin and I am the Executive Vice-President of the Port of Trois-Rivières. The Port of Trois-Rivières is strategically located halfway between Montreal and Quebec City on the St.