Mario Girard, President and CEO of Quebec Port Authority announced a major expansion involving the redesign of the Port’s Ross Gaudreault Cruise Terminal, and construction of a mobile terminal at wharf 30.
The Port has experienced tremendous growth in the cruise ship business over the past few years, as the number of visitors increased from 55,000 in 2000 to 180,000 in 2014. Current cruise ship infrastructures are being used at full capacity, and an increasingly large number of cruise ship passengers are being asked to utilize facilities that were not intended for use by cruise visitors.
The $89.5-million project involves redesigning and expanding the Ross Gaudreault Cruise Terminal, as well as installing a mobile terminal at wharf 30 in the Estuary sector. The project will increase the capacity of the Port’s cruise infrastructures to accommodate 400,000 passengers by 2025.
Quebec City is the principal cruise attraction along the St. Lawrence River and must be able to meet the demand. “I am pleased to present this plan to the public. Completion of this undertaking is a crucial step in supporting the strong growth of the cruise industry that will take place in Quebec City over the next ten years. It is a promising economic and tourist development, both for our community and for the province of Quebec at large,” said Mr. Girard.