Carney kicks off nation-building push with Contrecœur port expansion
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, pictured at the groundbreaking of the Contrecœur Container Terminal Project. / TWITTER PHOTO
The Contrecœur Container Terminal Project is breaking ground seven months after being referred to the Major Projects Office, something Prime Minister Mark Carney says “is a signal that Canada is building again.”
When completed, the project will expand the Port of Montreal’s capacity by approximately 60 per cent and “will unlock one of Canada’s most critical trade corridors, enabling significantly more goods to move reliably through the St. Lawrence gateway,” the government says.
In a press release, the government also said the expansion is needed to meet increased demand and seize future growth opportunities while supporting 4,000 jobs during the construction and “thousands more once operational.” The government says the project will generate $750 million in economic benefits every year and “strengthen supply chain resilience across Canada.”
Contrecœur, 45 kilometres northeast of Montreal, is the first “nation building project” referred to the MPO that is being built. Carney was on site this week to announce the start of work.
“Contrecœur is about more than the expansion of a port,” the prime minister said. “It is an example of a confident Canada.”
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon added that the government is making long-term, strategic investments. “The global economy is changing, impacting trade and affordability significantly,” he said. “By expanding capacity at the Port of Montréal, we are strengthening our supply chains and trading partnerships around the world, ensuring Canadian businesses can compete, grow, and prosper.”
Carney also noted construction on the Mackenzie Valley Highway in the Northwest Territories, which was also referred to the MPO, would begin this summer.
