The Economy Ministry is postponing its public information sessions on Northvolt’s $7 billion battery factory project that were scheduled to take place next week in McMasterville and Saint-Basile-le-Grand.
“In order to properly identify citizens’ questions and properly prepare the meetings, it was considered appropriate to collect citizens’ questions before the information sessions,” the Ministry of Economy spokesman told the Journal. , Innovation and Energy (MEIE) , Jean-Pierre D’Auteuil Friday.
“In view of the questions we receive from citizens, we will agree with the two cities on the form that these meetings can take in the coming weeks,” he added.
Quebec is making information available on Quebec.ca and inviting citizens to send their questions to the email address [email protected]
After information sessions held by the affected municipalities and the company Northvolt, city residents will therefore have to wait until they can speak in person with representatives of the Ministry of Economy about the largest private project in Quebec history that is coming to their backyard.
Powered by Northvolt
In Saint-Basile-le-Grand they learned late Thursday that these meetings “initiated and organized by Quebec” had been postponed.
This comes after La Presse revealed that the Environment Ministry has already blocked a real estate project on the site where the factory is to be built because it undermines biodiversity protection.
Last Thursday, Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon reiterated that the Northvolt factory is the “most beautiful project in private Quebec… since the founding of Quebec.”
Public funds
On Wednesday we learned that Quebec has awarded the city of Saint-Basile-le-Grand a $22.6 million grant to build the temporary access road to the future factory.
The Legault government has already committed to providing Northvolt with nearly $1.4 billion in public aid of all kinds and up to $1.5 billion in incentives depending on production rates.
In early November, Northvolt purchased the properties in Saint-Basile-le-Grand and McMasterville thanks to a $240 million repayable loan from Quebec.
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec invested $200 million in Northvolt in the form of a convertible note (a loan that can be converted into shares).
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