A new terminal in the Viau sector of the Port of Montreal inaugurated today, Friday Nov 18, boosts the port’s handling capacity by 350,000 TEUs as Canada’s second largest port after Vancouver positions itself for increased global trade with North Atlantic shipping a key target.
Termont Montreal Inc., the terminal operator, is part of Logistec Corporation’s extensive network on the East Coast of North America.
“The new Viau terminal will have a considerable impact!” said Sylvie Vachon, president and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority. “Ultimately, it will increase the Port of Montréal’s handling capacity to 2.1 million TEUs and generate significant benefits for the region, province and country as a whole with annual spinoffs of $340 million and the creation of 2,500 direct and indirect jobs.
“The success of this project is the result of a significant collaboration between public and private organizations, including Termont Montreal Inc. and Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. Moreover, the work was carried out with concern for communities and the environment.”
The new terminal, together with the work done previously and the second phase of work to be completed in the years to come, will bring the total handling capacity in the Viau sector to 600 000 TEUs, thereby bringing Montreal’s overall handling capacity to 2.1 million TEUs. Last year, Montreal’s container cargo broke another record, rising 4% to nearly 1.5 million TEUs.
“Globally, the Port of Montreal continues to be a balanced port between imports and exports,” Tony Boemi, VP Growth and Development, said in an interview. “Our trade with Europe represents over 60% of all container traffic for the Port of Montreal.”
Thanks to excellent intermodal connections, the US Midwest is one of the prime markets.
The construction of the new terminal is part of a broader port capacity optimization project covering three essential areas: the terminal’s container-handling capacity, marine access and road access. The Port of Montreal must be active on all three fronts to establish the right balance between facilitating traffic and ensuring that activities continue to run smoothly.
The federal government is contributing a third of the eligible funding for all three-project components to a maximum of C$43.6 million under the National Infrastructure Component of the New Building Canada Fund. Of this amount, up to $27.2 million is available to fund the new container terminal. The remainder of the funding will be attributed to the project’s other two components.
“The Government of Canada recognizes that port infrastructure plays a key role in supporting economic growth,’ said Transport Minister Marc Garneau. “In addition to making the Port of Montreal considerably more competitive, productive and effective, this project will also help to support economic growth for Canadians in the years to come.”
