As part of the reception held for the awarding of the 2014 Gold-Headed cane to inaugurate the start of a new year at the port, Mario Girard, President and CEO of Port of Quebec, looked back on 2013, presented the outlook for 2014 and reiterated his goal of improving city-port relations.
He stated that 2013 was an important and busy year for Québec Port Authority (QPA), which reached new records with respect to cruise traffic, with 103 cruise ship visits and 164,000 visitors. The Port also saw 27 million tonnes of cargo cross its docks in 2013.
QPA and its partners invested approximately $55 million in infrastructure during the past year, and anticipates investing a similar amount in 2014.
The announcement of Port of Quebec’s first sustainable development strategy in 2014 will create a new focus for the port. “This strategy was one of the commitments I made. Since then, we have accomplished a great deal of work to carry it out, and I’m very proud. It will become the cornerstone of all the projects carried out on Port of Québec’s territory,” said Mr. Girard.
The Port will also work on several major projects that will impact the footprint of the port while helping to improve quality of life in the community and to increase the Port’s economic capacity. These projects include the development of an extension of the Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain, renewal of the land-use plan and visual integration of the domes of the wood pellet terminal.
Port of Quebec was the setting for more great events in 2013 than ever before, playing a role in the success of the Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie, the Image Mill, the Bordeau Wine Festival in Québec City, le Hangar des oubliés, Les Grands Feux Loto-Québec and the Festival de la Nouvelle France.
Like most of the world’s other major ports in its class, Port of Québec is located a stone’s throw from vibrant, urban areas that are enjoyed by its residents and visitors. Today, relations between ports and their communities are increasingly affected by users wishing to optimize port infrastructure to ensure economic returns, while recognizing the demands of residents for the peaceful enjoyment of their residential properties, and use of the riverside and urban territory. “In the face of sometimes conflicting objectives, the goal of the QPA is to develop Port of Quebec in sync with city-port relations. To do so, we will work collaboratively with the public and the City of Québec. By working together, we can meet this challenge,” said Mr. Girard.