In a post on his personal Facebook page Thursday morning, entrepreneur Dominique Brown reacted sharply to the Quebec government’s decision to withdraw the public transportation project from Quebec City.
• Also read: Tram, light rail, subway: Legault promises “a great project” for Quebec
• Also read: Structural transportation in Quebec: There will be no buses, says Mayor Bruno Marchand
Dominique Brown, a well-known entrepreneur in Quebec, founded the video game studio Beenox in 2000 before taking over Chocolats Favouris about ten years ago.
“As a citizen of Quebec, I wake up this morning deeply humiliated. Regardless of our loyalty to the project, being pressured like this and managed from a distance is downright insulting. It makes real sense to offer help and expertise on a project of this magnitude, but to (continue to) have our needs dictated as capital and take project management away from us is something else entirely,” Mr. Brown wrote.
The mayor dejected
The CAQ not only rejected Quebec Mayor Bruno Marchand’s tram project on Wednesday, but also hired the Caisse de dépôt et de placements du Québec (CDPQ) to find a public transportation project for the capital.
The CDPQ manages Montreal’s Metropolitan Transport Network (REM), which has suffered setbacks since it began operations last July following delivery delays and cost overruns.
The CDPQ estimated that it could achieve an 8% return from operating the REM. On the other hand, observers denounce non-competition clauses in the REM, which lead to reduced performance in public transport.
“Lack of respect”
In this discussion on Facebook, François Blais, chef and owner of Bistro B, agreed with Dominique Brown. He added: “Unfortunately I doubt this would have happened if this project had been undertaken with an iron fist. It was a poorly planned project, overpriced, poorly sold and, above all, poorly managed. So it was the logical next step.”
To which Mr. Brown replied: “Québec City most likely should have utilized the expertise of the CDPQ a long time ago. My reaction this morning is not about the project as such, but about our ability, as residents of the capital, to determine our own future, one way or another. It makes no sense for our mayor to be beaten down like this. “It is once again a lack of respect for the citizens of the city, whether you are for or against.”
Mr. Brown was contacted by Le Journal and declined our interview request.
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