APPOINTMENT OF DON KRUSEL AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE PORT OF QUÉBEC'S CONTAINERS TERMINAL PROJECT

08/27/2018

Québec City, Monday, August 27, 2018 – Mario Girard, President and CEO of the Québec Port Authority (QPA), is pleased to announce that Don Krusel has been appointed managing director of the Port of Québec’s project to build a container terminal. Mr. Krusel is a major figure in the North American port world. He was the president and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority for 25 years. Under his leadership, the Port of Prince Rupert created a new container port gateway for North American trade, and as a consequence, transformed the Port of Prince Rupert from a small and regional forest and agricultural products facility into the fastest growing container port in North America. Since opening in 2007, the container port has experienced annual compound growth of over 19% and today is the 3rd largest container terminal in Canada, handling over 900,000 TEUs per year. Direct employment has increased fivefold—from 300 when the container port opened in 2007 to nearly 1,500 in 2017.

Since retiring from the Port of Prince Rupert in September 2017, Mr. Krusel has worked as a consultant and was a member of QPA’s expert panel on the creation of a deepwater container terminal. With this appointment, Mr. Krusel will be fully engaged in managing the container terminal—a major expansion project for the Port of Québec.
“Bringing Don Krusel on board at this decisive phase in the project is a strategic move that will provide us with welcome high-level leadership. His reputation in the industry, his in-depth knowledge of port operations, and his commitment to the success of the container terminal are all major assets that will help us get Québec City’s deepwater container terminal built,” said Mr. Girard.

The project to build a deepwater container terminal

The Port of Québec has expansion plans in the Beauport sector that would see 17 hectares of graded land added to adjacent available lands, for an additional 610 meter wharf line with a depth of 16 meters. The Port of Québec would use the new land to build a new deepwater container terminal. Fully intermodal with direct access to major rail and highway networks, the Port of Québec is well positioned to serve as a gateway to the vast Great Lakes trade corridor. With the new container terminal, the St. Lawrence River will finally boast a real alternative to the deepwater ports of the Eastern Seaboard.

The Port of Québec

The Québec Port Authority is an autonomous federal agency constituted under the Canada Marine Act. The ships that pass through the Port are central to a supply chain that transports approximately $20 billion in goods each year. The Port of Québec is a maritime hub that generates over 8,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Québec City region according to the latest KPMG/SECOR study.

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Source:
Julie Turmel
Québec Port Authority
Phone: 418-648-3640
[email protected]