LOCATION: Quebec
ISSUE/SOURCE: TRAN committee
Date: July 2025
Suggested Responses
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Transport Canada recognizes the importance of transportation infrastructure investments to ensure Canada’s economic growth and competitiveness and the role these investments play in supporting the overall fluidity of Canada’s supply chains by increasing export capacity, while ensuring resiliency to a changing climate.
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Transport Canada is committed to and supports safe aviation infrastructure at all Canadian airports, including in the province of Quebec.
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Since its inception in 1995, Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program has funded 161 projects at
29 airports with a value of $200 million in the province of Quebec.
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In the last five years, 17 projects with a value of $43.3 million have been funded in the province of Quebec.
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The Government of Canada has invested in transportation infrastructure in Quebec through the Airport Critical Infrastructure Program by approving funding for two projects representing a total federal contribution of $10.5 million.
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The Government of Canada provided $4.2 million in Airport Relief Fund to the Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport to manage the financial impact of reduced air travel as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Transport Canada contributes to the advancement of the establishment of green shipping corridors and the decarbonization of the marine sector along the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway as well as Canada’s East and West coasts by:
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Removing barriers to the adoption of emission reducing equipment and infrastructure;
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Incentivizing industry-led partnerships and investments to accelerate the adoption of emission-reduction technologies and infrastructure;
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De-risking investments to increase the technology-readiness level of low carbon and zero-emission ship technology and marine fuels for the domestic vessel fleet; and
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Building capacity among Canadian vessel owner/operators with respect to ability to identify, plan and implement next generation low carbon and zero-emission ship technology and marine fuels into vessel operations.
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Transport Canada remains committed to reconciliation and to working together with Indigenous representatives, communities and governments in the development of transportation projects. To this end, Transport Canada has approximately $15 million in grants and contributions funding in 2025-26 for a suite of programs to support Indigenous engagement and participation related to key priorities across Canada, such as:
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the development and improvement of Canada’s transportation systems;
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rail safety;
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marine safety; and
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participation in policy and/or program development related to Transport Canada initiatives.
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In August 2022, the Government of Canada announced investments of approximately $39.6 million to rebuild the Fisherman's Wharf at the Port of Cap-aux-Meules. In February 2025, the Government announced that it would fund the construction of a new, replacement slipway at the Port of Cap-aux-Meules. These commitments will support the local/regional fishery while strengthening marine safety and the economic resilience of the Magdalen Islands.
IF PRESSED
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Through the National Trade Corridors Fund, Transport Canada is supporting improvements to Canada’s roads, rail, air and marine shipping routes to foster domestic and international trade.
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This includes $8 million provided last year to rehabilitate parts of the airside of the Val D’Or Airport.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
National Trade Corridors Fund
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Since the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) was established in 2017, the Minister of Transport has approved funding for 214 projects for a total federal contribution of over $4.1 billion. These investments have prioritized infrastructure of national significance, supported critical digital infrastructure and innovative technology, and ensured greater resilience of Canadian supply chains to the impacts of climate change.
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To date, the Government of Canada, through the NTCF, has committed over $847 million towards 41 projects in the province of Quebec.
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These 41 projects include the funding of the Contrecoeur Container Terminal project at the Port of Montreal.
Contrecoeur Container Terminal Project
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In October 2023, the Minister of Transport announced a $150 million contribution to the project through the NTCF.
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Contrecoeur Container Terminal project which proposes the addition of 1.15 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of container handling capacity on the port’s Contrecoeur property, is located roughly 45 kilometers northeast of Montreal.
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The new terminal would increase the Port of Montréal's container capacity to meet the growing need for cargo transportation and help maintain the fluidity of the port's operations.
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These improvements will strengthen links between Canada and world markets and provide Canadian companies with the port infrastructure they need to remain competitive. Once completed, the new terminal is expected to increase the annual value of imports and exports handled at the port, generating up to $140 million per year across the country. In addition, this project would increase the total capacity of the Port of Montreal by 55 percent.
Air Sector Programming
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The Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) is a contribution program that provides funding to support safety-related capital infrastructure investments at Canada’s local and regional airports with the objective of ensuring the continued safety of the Canadian traveling public.
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Since its creation, Transport Canada has made ACAP investments in 1,271 projects at 201 airports across the country for a total federal investment of over $1.3 billion.
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Since the program's inception, the program has funded 161 projects at 29 airports with a value of $200 million in the province of Quebec. In the last five years, 17 projects (see Annex C) with a value of $43.3 million have been funded in the province of Quebec.
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The existing national program budget is $36.7 million per year.
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The Airport Critical Infrastructure Program (ACIP), launched in May 2021, funding $570.7 million over five years to airports for eligible infrastructure projects related to safety, security, connectivity to mass transit systems, or testing and screening related to COVID-19 and its variants. The program has funded a total of 53 critical infrastructure projects at 19 airports across Canada, including at least 10 projects having a significant focus on biosecurity.
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The ACIP program is sunsetting and will be ending March 31, 2026.
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The Airport Relief Fund was a contribution funding program that provided $64.8 million in financial relief to identified Canada’s airports that were struggling with the financial impact of reduced air travel due to the COVID19 pandemic.
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The Airport Relief Fund Program is closed.
Green Shipping Corridors Program
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Budget 2023 announced $165.4 million over seven years, starting in
2023-24, to establish a Green Shipping Corridors Program to address the environmental impacts of marine shipping on surrounding communities and ecosystems. From this announcement, the Clean Port Stream saw $127.2 million in contribution funding over four years to support on-shore projects in low carbon and net-zero emission technology and infrastructure.
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Since the Green Shipping Corridor Program (GSCP) was established in 2023, the Minister of Transport has approved funding for 26 projects for a total federal contribution of over $138 million.
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To date, under the GSCP, the Government of Canada has committed over $30 million towards three projects in the province of Quebec.
Indigenous programming
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Among the eight Indigenous programs at Transport Canada, there are five primary programs:
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The Community Participation Funding Program for short-term grant funding to support Indigenous engagement on transportation initiatives;
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The Program to Enhance Rail Safety Engagement for longer-term funding related to rail safety activities;
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The Indigenous Participant Funding Program for short-term grants and longer-term funding for work related to the Canadian Navigable Waters Act (CNWA) and the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (WAHVA);
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The Program to Enhance Maritime Situational Awareness to support a near real-time system to improve situational awareness within higher-risk coastal waterways; and
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The Indigenous Local Communities Engagement and Partnership Program for work related to the Oceans Protection Plan or other marine initiatives.
Investments in Cap-aux-Meules
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The Port of Cap-aux-Meules is one of 33 ports that are owned and operated by Transport Canada. Within the port, the Fisherman’s Wharf is an L-shaped structure critical to the regional crab fishery. The cale de halage is a concrete slipway equipped with a gantry crane used to lift fishing vessels in and out of the harbour for repairs, drydocking, and emergency situations.
Annex A
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Airport Critical Infrastructure Program |
||||
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Recipient |
Project Title |
Total Project Cost |
Federal Contribution |
Project Status |
|
Aéroport de Québec inc. |
Modification d'infrastructures essentielles de contrôle d'accès |
$800,000 |
$391,997 |
Completed |
|
Aéroport de Québec inc. |
Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Runway 11-29 and Taxiways Golf and Hotel |
$20,319,251 |
$10,159,625 |
Underway |
|
# of Projects |
2 |
$21,119,251 |
$10,551,622 |
|
Annex B
|
Airport Relief Fund |
||
|
Airport Name |
Airport Operator |
Federal Contribution |
|
Aéroport de Québec Inc. |
Aéroport de Québec Inc. |
$4,245,000 |
|
# Airports |
1 |
$4,245,000 |
Annex C
|
Airport Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) |
||
|
Recipient |
Project Title |
Federal Contribution |
|
Aéroport de Baie Comeau |
Entente pour la réhabilitation des aides visuelles parti 2 |
$802,628 |
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Aéroport de Baie Comeau |
Entete pour la réhabilitation des aides visuelles parti 1 |
$2,366,701 |
|
Aéroport de St. Hubert |
Entente pour 2 véhicules de sauvetage et de lutte contre l'incendie d'aéronefs |
$3,670,000 |
|
Aéroport de St. Hubert |
Entente pour une abri pour véhicules de sauvetage et de lutte contre l'incendie d'aéronefs |
$1,300,000 |
|
Aéroport de St. Hubert |
Entente pour la réhabilitation du centre électrique de terrain |
$2,399,280 |
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Aéroport de St. Hubert |
Entente pour le remplacement de la clôture d'enceinte |
$727,877 |
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Aéroport de St. Hubert |
Entente pour un épandeur de matériau |
$105,000 |
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Aéroport de Val d’Or |
Entente pour la réhabilitation des aides visuelles |
$8,076,886 |
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Aéroport de la Grande Rivière |
Entente pour un chargeur |
$499,375 |
|
Aéroport de la Grande Rivière |
Entente pour la réhabilitation des chaussées des aires de mouvement et de trafic |
$10,279,228 |
|
Aéroport de la Grande Rivière |
Entete pour un testeur de friction |
$6,000 |
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Aéroport de la Grande Rivière |
Entente pour une souffleuse à neige moyenne |
$470,000 |
|
Aéroport de Mont Joli |
Entente pour la réhabilitation des chaussées aéroportuaires et agrandissement de l’aire de trafic |
$11,051,397 |
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Aéroport de Mont Joli |
Entente pour un système de signalement de l'état de la piste |
$35,000 |
|
Aéroport de Mont Joli |
Entente pour un testeur de friction |
$6,000 |
|
Aéroport de Mont Joli |
Entente pour une niveleuse |
$410,000 |
|
Aéroport de Gaspé |
Entente pour le remplacement des clôtures d'enceinte |
$1,095,143 |
|
# of Projects |
17 |
$43,300,515 |