AT THE HELM OF THE PORT OF QUÉBEC: NAVIGATING THE ROLE OF CEO

When I accepted the position of CEO of the Port of Québec a year ago, I immediately understood one thing: before you can chart a course, you have to know the waters. So, my first move was to immerse myself entirely in the world of ports. Gaining an understanding of logistics, the movement of goods, geopolitical issues … everything that shapes our role at the heart of supply chains. I quickly realized the Port’s strategic importance for Québec and for the rest of the country – and how we needed to embrace our role even more fully. My determination to strengthen the Port’s role as a strategic partner in Canada’s logistical future was founded on this personal understanding of our mission.

Understanding the Port also means seeing it through the eyes of those who experience it every day. I’ve spent hours on location, walking along the wharves and meeting the teams. I’ve listened to the stakeholders and talked to the people who use our port spaces. These conversations were crucial. They showed me just how much the Port also belongs to those who observe it, work alongside it, question it, and imagine it. I realized that if we were to move forward, we needed to renew this bond, rebuild the trust that had eroded over time, and imbue our presence in the city with meaning once more. Throughout the year, what I’ve heard will fuel my determination to make the Port of Québec a source of pride for Québec, a place that people can identify with.

Many people are unaware of the extent to which maritime transport supports our economy. I wanted to lift the veil on this reality and make the invisible visible. I wanted to show that the Port is not an abstract entity, but rather an essential infrastructure that supports business, employment, trade, and the economic vitality of the Capitale-Nationale region. By shining a light behind the scenes, I wanted to remind everyone that behind every ship, every piece of cargo, and every operation lies a part of our regional prosperity. It was this realization that anchored my determination to position the Port as a significant economic driver for Québec City, to the benefit of its citizens and businesses.

This logistical mission comes with an immense responsibility: to provide stability in an uncertain world. We need to be vigilant, disciplined, and proactive in the face of geopolitical tensions, climate change, and the rapid transformation of supply chains. As CEO, I quickly realized that being at the helm is not just about leading; it’s about keeping watch. It’s about protecting the continuity of our operations, ensuring the security of our infrastructures, and making decisions that safeguard both economic activity and our citizens’ quality of life. Our motto, I welcome and I watch over, became more meaningful than ever this year.

Right away, I wanted the Port to be recognized not only for its efficiency, but for its contribution to the community. The Port is more than just a place of industry: it’s a place of community. In 2025, we worked to make the river a shared, accessible space once again. The Fête maritime familiale, the enhancement of our recreational and tourist spaces, the transformation of the Baie de Beauport, and the introduction of four-season cruises all testify to a clear desire to renew dialogue with the community and make the Port a place for people to gather, discover, and return to.

However, if the Port was to continue to thrive and serve the region effectively, we needed to address a major challenge: our aging infrastructure. The Port of Québec is the oldest in Canada. Many of our wharves are over a century old. Some segments have had to be closed. Others are showing signs of fatigue. We couldn’t ignore this. That’s why, this year, we launched the biggest modernization plan in the Port’s history. It is a ten-year commitment to rebuilding, strengthening, adapting, and preparing our facilities for the climatic, economic, technological, and logistical realities of the decades to come.

This project marks a turning point. It draws a clear line between where we’ve been, what we’ve consolidated this year, and where we need to go from here. Everything we did in 2025 revolved around strengthening our strategic role, nurturing civic pride, and supporting regional prosperity, and these priorities will pave the way for our ambitions in 2026.

Having set the Port in motion, we are now entering a phase of structured momentum, where our decisions will reinforce everything we built with convictions over the past year. Our first ambition is to further solidify the Port’s position in strategic markets. This will involve enhancing our business conditions, better leveraging our assets, and expanding our presence in national and international supply chains. In addition, we want to deepen our collaborative approach to innovation and maritime knowledge to establish the Port as a gold standard for performance and expertise.

We also want to continue strengthening our regional ties. City-port dialogue will remain central in 2026, because the Port’s success depends on the trust between us and citizens. We will continue to showcase our maritime identity and nurture our collective pride while reinforcing our environmental commitments. Our objective remains unchanged: to establish the Port as valued, accessible, and sustainable member of Québec City’s community.

Modernizing our infrastructure will also be a major theme. In 2026, our focus will be on managing our assets even more strategically and continuing to rebuild our wharves. This work will sustainably transform the face of the Port and bolster its ability to meet the needs of future decades as the climate continues to change and logistics continue to transform.

In parallel, we will keep solidifying the quality of our port services. Our operations must be impeccably precise and efficient. We also want to optimize the management of our recreation and tourism sites and enhance the visitor experience during major events. After all, every visitor – whether they are a local resident, a tourist, a cruise passenger, or a partner – should experience the quality and professionalism of the Port.

Finally, we will invest in our organization itself. Strategic anticipation, digital transformation, robust governance, organizational performance, and sustainable talent management are all key factors in establishing the Port as a stable, agile, and forward-looking institution. Every project is driven by dedicated teams, and it is through their efforts that we can successfully fulfill our mission.

My first year at the helm of the Port has been a watershed one. It was made up of discoveries meetings, important decisions, and concrete actions that set the Port in motion. It also confirmed a deep-seated conviction: a port is never just a place of transit. It’s a living space, an economic engine, and a link between the city and the world.

As we head into 2026, I am determined to continue this work with dedication, ambition, and openness. We’ve laid the foundations; now it’s time to build on them. Together, we can – and must – keep looking far ahead.

I welcome and I watch over. In this spirit, I would like to thank you for your trust and wish us all a year of energy, unity, and shared pride in 2026.

– Olga Farman