Hydro-Québec is losing its vice-president in charge of community relations as it prepares to launch a variety of large power generation projects (new dams, wind farms, solar farms, etc.) across the province.
The state-owned company announced this to its employees this morning. His departure is scheduled for March 15th. The first interested party is not entitled to any severance pay, confirmed Jonathan Côté, a spokesman for the company.
After 16 years at Hydro-Québec, Julie Boucher jumped ship to join the ranks of VIA TGF, the new subsidiary of Via Rail responsible for the development of the High Frequency Train (TGF) project between Quebec and Ontario. This company is led by Martin Imbleau, the former CEO of the Montreal Port Authority.
Passamit agreement
It was not possible to speak to Ms. Boucher on Monday because she declined our interview request late that evening. However, on LinkedIn, the former TQS journalist who became a senior executive at Hydro-Québec thanked her colleagues, including the company's last three CEOs, namely Éric Martel, Sophie Brochu and Michael Sabia.
Julie Boucher, vice-president of Hydro-Québec, during a press conference by the City of Montreal in October 2022 on the topic of Steinberg forest LAURENT CORBEIL/AGENCE QMI
“Hydro-Québec is a large state-owned company. Its women and men are capable of top performance. I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart,” she wrote.
Ms. Boucher joined Hydro-Québec in 2007 as a Community Relations Advisor in Saguenay. Since then, the political science and geography graduate from the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi has been appointed vice-president three times.
Since March 2022, she has been Vice President of Sustainable Development, Community Relations and Communications at Hydro-Québec. In this role, she contributed, among other things, to the signing of a new framework agreement between Quebec, the First Nations and the Inuit last week in Pessamit.
More departures
Last week, Speaker Francis Labbé also announced his departure from Hydro-Québec. The latter now serves as deputy director of media relations at CDPQ Infra, a subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, and is responsible, among other things, for the planning and construction of infrastructure projects.
Francis Labbé Provided by Francis Labbé
In late January, Hydro-Québec also confirmed to the Journal the departure of Joëlle Thibault, the state-owned company's personal protector. “This is a personal decision by Ms. Thibault, who has informed us that she wishes to terminate her contract to focus on other mandates. There is no financial compensation associated with his departure,” said Philippe Archambault of Hydro-Québec.
Joëlle Thibault Provided by Joëlle Thibault