The Legault government rejects the Plan B proposed by the mayor of Quebec from Build the tram through the city. Instead, he gives the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec a six-month mandate to identify “the best structured transportation project in Quebec.”
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“I presented the city with the plan for implementing the structuring tram transport project. This is not the option he has [François Legault] I’ll hold back. Of course I’m disappointed,” Quebec Mayor Bruno Marchand said Wednesday evening after a meeting with Quebec’s premier.
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Mr Marchand said he had spoken to Mr Legault “in the white of his eyes”, adding that he had assured the government of his “cooperation for the future”.
Although he seemed very dejected, Quebec’s mayor added that the tram project is “not necessarily” dead.
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Mandate at the Caisse
A few minutes later, ministers Geneviève Guilbault and Jonatan Julien reiterated that the Caisse must examine all options to structure transport to Quebec.
According to our information, the mandate of the Caisse de dépôt will be broader than just identifying and structuring transportation for the Quebec City area. The connection with the south coast is also analyzed. Once these considerations are completed, it is very likely that the Caisse will become the main contractor for the future project, according to government sources.
“We have already spoken to the fund […] and therefore we have a maximum of six months to come to us with an assessment of the best project in structuring mode for the city of Quebec to meet the mobility needs that we have in Quebec. We will work on this in collaboration with the city,” argued Ms. Guilbault.
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His colleague Julien added: “Ultimately, the Caisse de dépôt is in charge of analyzing the best project […] Plan B or the project that was on the table will be part of the analysis. We don’t want to delay it forever.” According to him, “the Caisse de dépôt has all the expertise to carry out this work.”
Which means of transport?
Asked whether the fund’s considerations should focus on the subway, a tram or an SRB (rapid bus service), Ms Guilbault declined to make a decision.
She simply stated: “We all know that we need a structured, efficient transport network that convinces people to use it.” That’s why we start from this need.”
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
The transport minister claimed that the Caisse “will come to us with the best project at the best price”. Is the government’s goal for the project to cost less? Ms. Guilbault turned on her heel without answering that question.
– In collaboration with Marc-André Gagnon and Stéphanie Martin
What they said
“I think it’s a very sad day for Quebec. It is, in the truest sense of the word, a government guardianship of the city. This is a complete denial of the people the mayor portrayed as allies […]. I am sorry that we have never been so close to getting a structuring transport project off the ground. We are facing several years of procrastination. Basically it’s a return to 2017. The mayor was really treated like an orange bag by the government.”
— Claude Villeneuve, leader of the official opposition at City Hall
“I thought we understood that procrastination and inaction had already cost us enough. We waste time and money by asking the Caisse de dépôt to redo the work. This is a disdain for the city’s project office.”
— Jackie Smith, head of Transition Québec and advisor to Limoilou
“We are very happy with the decision of the Legault government and its minister, Ms. Geneviève Guilbault. They had the courage to challenge this tram project to allow us to be more ambitious and opt for a more integrated structuring of transport for the entire Quebec region.
— Patrick Paquet, Priorité Québec team leader
“In particular, we hope that the mandate of the Caisse de dépôt etplacement du Québec, a credible player that has proven itself in this area, can be implemented quickly.” We have been talking about the structuring of transport in Quebec for more than 15 years. We need clear direction because the current public transport network, which is limited to buses, has been reaching its limits for years.”
— Steeve Lavoie, President and CEO of the Quebec Chamber of Commerce and Industry
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