The first exchange between the Legault government and the Caisse de dépôt etplacement du Québec (CDPQ) on “a possible analysis of mobility in Greater Quebec” dates back to October 29, 2023, the Prime Minister’s Office confirms. It took ten days until the meeting between Quebec Mayor Bruno Marchand and Prime Minister François Legault.
Until Wednesday, the government and the CDPQ refused to specify the date when the first contact took place.
The government indicated that it only wanted to check the Caisse’s interest in a possible mandate, as rumors were already circulating that there would be no bidder for the city’s project.
Shenanigans, according to Québec Solidaire
“I really wonder what this nonsense is about,” said Étienne Grandmont, Solidarity MP for Taschenreau, bluntly in an interview with Radio-Canada. How come we’re already chatting with him [CDPQ] even before the mayor of the city presents his renewed tram project?
On November 1, Mayor Marchand announced he would move forward with a Plan B for the $8.4 billion streetcar, with the city as project manager.
At the same time, he announced that he had stopped the tender process, which was due to end the next day. Due to a lack of funding, the only bidder still in the running was unable to submit a financial proposal.
“We are still in complete darkness about the largest public transport project in Quebec,” the elected representative continues. I’m worried about it.
Something else was happening behind the scenes, the Parti Québécois regrets
While the government said one thing publicly, something else was happening behind the scenes, laments Jean-Talon’s PQ MP Pascal Paradis.
“I imagine that if the discussion took place on October 29, it would not have been decided on the same day,” he adds.
According to him, this situation raises a [problème] Popular trust, transparency, familiarity with the people of Quebec, with the people of Quebec, with the vision of the government.
What we learn […] These days these are pretty clear indicators of a way of working that wasn’t the case […] what was hoped for by the people of Quebec.
Legault hits Émond again
Ahead of his meeting with Mayor Marchand on November 8, Prime Minister François Legault also spoke with CDPQ President and CEO Charles Émond on November 6.
He then asked him if he was open to the idea of exploring different options in Quebec, to which he responded positively, according to the Legault cabinet.
The CDPQ must be given a six-month mandate to study mobility issues in the greater Quebec area, which includes the south coast.
Added to the discussions of the last few weeks was a personal meeting between François Legault and Charles Émond on Wednesday morning. The Prime Minister’s Office says the two men discussed the transportation project in question.
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With the President of the Caisse de dépôt etplacement du Québec, Charles Émond.
Among other things, we discussed infrastructure projects. pic.twitter.com/lLx1cJGeaL— François Legault (@francoislegault) November 15, 2023
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It is too early to determine the operationalization of the project at this point. In a statement sent to Radio-Canada, Cabinet softens things one thing at a time. We will work with the city and federal government to complete this project. There are two phases: We evaluate a project within six months and then we can discuss the implementation of the project.
The Legault cabinet says the CDPQ has not yet received an official mandate. As soon as the mandate is ready, it will be published, they say.
While it is still too early to say who will be responsible for the design and implementation, the Prime Minister’s Office adds that it will not necessarily be the Caisse.
Since the election of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in 2018, the tram’s entry into service has been postponed twice and is now scheduled for 2030.
With information from Olivier Lemieux, Louise Boisvert and Alexandre Duval