Despite the dispute between the Port of Quebec and Lévis, stakeholders in the metropolitan economic zone are getting to work on issues such as jobs and mobility, promising concrete action plans by the holidays.
• Also read – Quebec-Lévis: an economic zone as a symbol of unity
• Also read – Rabaska: Marchand recognizes that not everything is “in good condition”.
Launched in March last year, Quebec’s Metropolitan Economic Zone (ZEM) brings together the region’s key economic players with the aim of creating a global vision for development on both banks.
On Thursday, all these wonderful people gathered at the Lévis Crossroads to announce the axes that five committees will be working on over the next few months to come up with a vision and action plans before the holidays.
expropriation
A notable absentee was the Port of Quebec, whose President and CEO, Mario Girard, had a scheduling conflict that was established with the port. The port and the city of Lévis have been locked in a dispute over ownership of the Rabaska lands to the east of Lévis since the city’s mayor, Gilles Lehouillier, announced his intention to expropriate 157 of the 272 hectares that the port had intended to buy .
However, according to the Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale, Jonatan Julien, this disagreement will not affect the development of the ZEM.
In his opinion, the absence of the port on Thursday does not mean that there is a spanner in the works. Several other actors were absent, including the airport, Mr Julien said. You will be consulted later. “We’re going there in stages.”
“In Harmony”
Mayor Lehouillier reiterated his intention to work with the port. “With the Port of Quebec, we will develop this site in unison.”
In parallel, ZEM stakeholders will be consulted over the next few months on six priority areas: supply chain, entrepreneurship, innovation and productivity, labour, tourism and culture, and mobility and sustainable development.
For each of these axes, workshops will provide the opportunity to brainstorm and create a cross-flow vision and concrete action plans. These will be unveiled before the holidays.
Rethink Levi’s
The opposition in Lévis would have liked the ZEM to bring together more players from the south coast, such as representatives from Beauce and Bellechasse. “People who would certainly be interested in getting involved and making their point,” said Councilman Serge Bonin, who doubts Mayor Lehouillier’s leadership in managing these dossiers. He points out that Lévis’ harassment with the port causes “concern”, especially in a context where transport is an unavoidable problem for the ZEM. “The public approach undermines the confidence one could have.”
Opposition to Quebec
Claude Villeneuve, leader of the official opposition in Quebec, said he welcomed ZEM’s announcement “quite positively”. “It’s starting to become clearer,” he said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon, welcoming the arrival of “new faces” on new committees.
However, Mr. Villeneuve again called on Mayor Marchand to do more to defend the interests of the city of Quebec within the framework of the ZEM, as does his counterpart Gilles Lehouillier, who manages the Lévis files. “The mayor of Lévis is defending his world and he is on the manoeuvres. I want to feel like the mayor of Quebec is also in charge,” the Quebec chief initially reiterated.
Claude Villeneuve would also like Mayor Marchand to play the role of “mediator” rather than “distant third party” in the dispute between Lévis and the Port of Quebec over the Rabaska territories.
It was Mr Villeneuve’s last media appearance for several weeks. The latter will be out all summer because of his paternity leave. Councilwoman Alicia Despins will assume the position of vice chair during this furlough.
– In collaboration with Taïeb Moalla