Latest news with #GenevièveGuilbault
CBC
16-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Quebec's CAQ government accepts request for $275M to launch 3rd link project
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government is releasing $275 million for the third link project between Québec City and Lévis, according to Radio-Canada. Members of Quebec's cabinet accepted Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault's arguments for releasing the money during their meeting Wedneday, before breaking for the summer. She had requested the funds to launch the project. "This is not new money," said Jonathan Guay, a spokesperson for Guilbault's office, in a statement to Radio-Canada. "The amount has been included in the Quebec Infrastructure Plan [QIP] since 2019." Last month, Guilbault revealed the third link will consist of a tunnel and a bridge, and that her government had chosen a central corridor for the project. She did not reveal the cost of the project. According to a preliminary evaluation prepared by the Transport Ministry and obtained by Radio-Canada, the cost of the third link would land between $5.3 and $9.3 billion depending on the location of the access point in Quebec City. The estimate does not include the cost of certain studies, land acquisition, expropriation or even internal costs. The project has been criticized by Quebec's opposition parties and it's current form goes against a recommendation by CDPQ Infra, a subsidiary of Quebec's pension fund manager. It had instead recommended a $15.5-billion public transit project and several major transport solution for the Quebec City region. Guilbault has expressed wanting to progress the project as much as possible so as to make it "irreversible" by the time Quebec's next general election rolls out in October 2026. WATCH | Guilbault announces new details on transport project: A bridge, a tunnel and a location: Quebec City's 3rd link plan gets clearer, but questions remain 1 month ago Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault has confirmed the preliminary route of the third link between Quebec City and Lévis will be a bridge combined with a tunnel on the east side of Quebec City's existing bridges. Guilbault promised that she'll confirm the project's cost and the final layout by the end of 2025. Geotechnical drilling has been carried out, since last week, on both banks of the river to assess the quality and composition of the soil. The work follows a $46 million contract awarded by Quebec in February to American, French, and Canadian engineering firms. Guilbault says she'll provide a new update on the project in the fall.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
SAAQ cleanup isn't over yet, suggests Quebec Transport Minister
Judge Denis Gallant of the Commission d'enquête sur la gestion de la modernisation des systèmes informatiques de la Société de l'assurance automobile (SAAQ) awaits the start of the public inquiry into the failure of the SAAQclic platform in Montreal on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault says the 'cleanup' at the Société d'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) isn't over yet, and promises further action will be taken soon. She made the comment on Wednesday, according to Noovo Info, as she pointed out that she shares the 'anger of Quebecers' who are paying attention to the Gallant Commission hearings on the Crown corporation's failed SAAQclic digital shift. READ MORE: Quebec government reassigns head of SAAQ amid scandal 'This is an organization in crisis at a critical time. It needs someone who can manage it accordingly,' Guilbault insisted. This comes after SAAQ President and CEO Éric Ducharme was fired from his role on Wednesday. In speaking about her decision to reassign him, Guilbault noted that the atmosphere during her meetings with Ducharme was sometimes tinged with 'passivity.' Annie Lafond, currently vice president of insured services at the SAAQ, is slated to replace him as interim CEO for an indefinite period of time. 'In my opinion, Ms. Lafond has the ideal profile to take the reins of the SAAQ. I thank her for accepting,' Guilbault said of the appointment on Wednesday. Before joining the SAAQ four months ago, Lafond was vice president of digital transformation and customer experience at Beneva. She would not say if she wanted the job on a more permanent basis. 'Lack of interest' Ducharme's name has been mentioned several times throughout the commission. He first took office in April 2023, replacing Denis Marsolais, who was dismissed in the wake of the SAAQClic fiasco. Last month, it was revealed that three SAAQ auditors resigned in quick succession in 2024, saying they were disappointed by Ducharme's lack of interest in their work. 'It was like being spat on,' said former internal auditor Marie-Line Lalonde in her testimony before the Gallant Commission. Lalonde explained that her department waited nine months before securing a meeting with the CEO. During that time, internal auditors continued to identify numerous problems related to the new SAAQclic platform, such as the collection of certain fees and taxes. However, during the long-awaited meeting on Jan. 24, 2024, the CEO was 'sitting in his chair with his arms crossed,' Lalonde recalled. When pressed on the issue in recent months, Quebec Premier François Legault and Guilbault refused to publicly confirm their confidence in Ducharme. Legault had previously suggested that he wanted to wait for the Gallant report, expected by Dec. 15, 2025. Following Ducharme's firing, Guilbault argued that the government 'cannot afford to wait for the report, because this situation has been going on for a long time' at the SAAQ. READ MORE: Current SAAQ CEO Ducharme criticized once again at Gallant commission In addition to the Gallant Commission, investigations are underway by the anti-corruption unit (UPAC), the Autorité des marchés publics and the Quebec Transport Ministry. Double failure? Ducharme is the second SAAQ CEO to be appointed and dismissed by Legault's government. It's a 'double admission of failure,' according to Quebec Liberal (PLQ) transportation critic Monsef Derraji. 'They are trying to clean house at the top of the organization, but political responsibility cannot be swept under the rug,' he said in a message to The Canadian Press. 'Nothing is working, and Ms. Guilbault must stop blaming others and take responsibility.' Parti Québécois (PQ) transportation critic Joël Arseneau added that the announcement of Ducharme's dismissal comes 'in the middle of summer, when people are starting their vacations.' 'Accountability will come sooner or later, and I think Quebecers will judge the CAQ very harshly for its overall performance, but particularly for its handling of this fiasco,' he said. READ MORE: Quebec minister announces audit of SAAQ outage Québec solidaire spokesperson Ruba Ghazal took to X to add, 'After months of improvisation, we are right to wonder whether she [Guilbault] is still the right person to regain the public's trust.' Guilbault defended herself against the accusations, saying she was 'extremely present on a weekly basis at the SAAQ.' 'We are in constant contact with the SAAQ to ensure that things improve,' she said. 'Ultimately, it is my responsibility to replace [the CEO] if things don't work out.' All the same, the Quebec government professionals union (SPGQ) said it considers the firing a 'good first step toward cleaning up management' at the Crown corporation. 'The subcontracts responsible for the SAAQclic fiasco must also be cleaned up,' argued fourth vice-president Daniel Goyette. With files from The Canadian Press.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Third Link: Quebec again beguiles possibility of new project
Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault talks about the Third Link on June 12, 2025. (LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Jacques Boissinot) With less than a year and a half to go before the provincial election, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government is once again dangling the prospect of a Third Link project – without committing to any potential costs. The corridor, chosen by Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault, is farther west and closer to the two existing bridges than previous proposed routes. A third link farther east would have been more expensive, according to the minister. The proposed project is a bridge-tunnel that accommodates both freight trucks and public transportation. The precise route and 'target budget' are not expected to be unveiled until the fall. From east to west The CAQ government has been very indecisive about the Third Link project in the past. In 2019, it proposed a tunnel to the east that would pass under Île d'Orléans. Then, the government changed its mind and floated the idea of a route farther west that would connect the two city centres of Quebec City and Lévis. In April 2023, Guilbault announced that her government was abandoning the project for a highway link between the cities. Instead, she proposed a tunnel dedicated to public transit. Then, in October 2023, less than 24 hours after his crushing defeat in Jean-Talon by the Parti Québécois (PQ), Premier François Legault took everyone by surprise by announcing that he, again, wanted to consult the people of Quebec City about the Third Link, and all options were on the table. The project was revived in June 2024 despite an unfavourable report from the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which had analyzed several potential corridors. – This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 12, 2024.
CBC
12-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Quebec's long-awaited 3rd link will include a bridge and tunnel, minister says
Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault confirmed Thursday that her government has chosen a central corridor between Quebec City and Lévis for the third link project, which will consist of a bridge and tunnel. Guilault said the chosen corridor was "the most optimal" and would connect Highway 20 and Highway 40 between Lévis and Quebec City. "Already, there are a lot of people and enterprises and industries that are installed there," she said at a news conference. Referencing President Donald Trump, Guilbault said there's a greater need for interprovincial trade and said the new link will help foster economic growth. "We have to make sure that we have the proper infrastructure to be able to serve those ambitions and that we are not stuck with the problem of Pont Pierre-Laporte is closed and we're not able to have all those commercial exchanges," she said. Other possible corridors were studied as potential sites for the project. But she says the chosen option responded best to the project's objectives, which include economic development, public transit, the shipment of goods and better flow of traffic. She said a more precise route will be announce in the fall, after further study. While she did not reveal the cost of the project, she said ideally work could start in 2028. A history of false starts The announcement comes after years of discussion on the transport project. In April 2023, the Quebec government scrapped plans to build a third link for vehicles between Quebec City and Lévis. The decision was made after Guilbault announced that the third link would be reserved for public transportation only and not be open to drivers. She said the project would be substantially smaller than originally planned. But six months later, after the Coalition Avenir Québec's defeat in a byelection in Quebec City's riding of Jean-Talon, Premier François Legault promised to consult with local residents, suggesting that the project could possibly be revived. Almost exactly a year ago, Legault said the government was moving forward with the third link project for vehicles, despite warnings that another access point to Quebec City to from the South Shore wasn't justified. CDPQ Infra, a subsidiary of Quebec's pension fund manager, recommended instead a $15.5-billion public transit project and several major transport solutions for the Quebec City region. At Thursday's news conference, Guilbeault said "it's obvious" that the third link project is still needed. She said other parties "laugh" at the idea. "They say that it's not serious — that we don't need it. So when they do that, they mock 70 per cent of the population of the Capitale Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches, which I think is weird," she said.
CTV News
07-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
‘The CAQ is much more than just me,' says Legault
Quebec Premier François Legault speaks at a press conference marking the end of the spring session at his office in Quebec City on Friday, June 6, 2025. Legault is flanked by Quebec Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport Geneviève Guilbault, left, and Quebec Government House Leader and Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)
