At its Annual General Meeting, Cléo Marchand, Chairman of the Board of Trois-Rivières Port Authority (TRPA) commented on an exceptional year for the Port: “The Port experienced an excellent year in 2014, as its amount of total traffic reached a new high. Since the Port plays an important role in the local, regional and national economies, these results are encouraging not only for the Port, but also for the population in view of the number of direct and indirect jobs that our industry creates and supports. It is beneficial for the entire community,” said Mr. Marchand.
Record volumes
Traffic at the port increased from 2.7 million tonnes in 2013 to 3.8 tonnes, an increase of 37 per cent, which is a record for the Port. This increase is the result of a strong rise in solid bulk traffic, which reached 3.3 tonnes, due in particular to strong shipments of grain. Operating revenues increased from 6.1 million dollars in 2013 to 7.2 million dollars in 2014, while net profit increased by over 50 per cent to reach 3.1 million dollars. A total of 243 ships called on the port in 2014, 11 more than in 2013.
Mr. Marchand also mentioned the three international cruise ships that called on the port in 2014, carrying a total of 1,796 passengers and 865 crew members. Moreover, Croisières AML, which offers cruises on the St. Lawrence River, began operating in Trois-Rivières last year.
“We are very proud of these results, which we consider to be a reflection of the investments we made in recent years, not only in terms of infrastructure, but also in terms of innovation and collaboration with our partners and users. For example, we have been able to rely on the development of new markets, particularly the transportation of imported steel. And we are looking to the future with optimism, because the second phase of On Course for 2020 will take us even further,” said Gaétan Boivin, Port Authority President and CEO.
In 2014, TRPA began work on Phase II of On Course for 2020 with the construction of a new megadome. The continuation of this work, awaiting funding, involves rebuilding Dock 13 and the new 23,000-square-metre terminal along this dock, as well as two new warehouses.
Partner and social involvement
At the regional level, TRPA continues to pursue its numerous partnerships and is active in several organizations, such as the Chambre de commerce et d’industries de Trois-Rivières, the Fondation régionale pour la santé de Trois-Rivières (RSTR), the Fondation de l’UQTR, the Fondation du Centre de réadaptation InverVal, and the Club Richelieu. In 2014, TRPA was associated with the 26th Jeux du commerce, which brought together more than 1,200 UQTR students.