QUÉBEC PORT AUTHORITY COLLABORATING WITH THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT AGENCY OF CANADA ON A PENDING APPLICATION FOR DESIGNATION

Québec City, May 11, 2026 — The Québec Port Authority (QPA) confirms that it has been notified that on April 29, 2026, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC or Agency) received a request for designation under section 9 of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) regarding a project by its port partner QSL.

This move comes in the wake of the Government of Canada’s recent designation of the Port of Québec as an international container port, acknowledging its strategic role in the country’s supply chains and economic development.

The QPA is cooperating fully with the IAAC and will closely follow the process as well as any recommendations the Agency makes.

The IAAC is currently conducting a preliminary analysis to determine whether section 9, and particularly section 9(7), of the Impact Assessment Act applies, and therefore whether it will need to designate the project by proponent QSL. This stage can take several weeks. Should the project be recommended for designation under the IAA, the Minister of Environment and Climate change will have a further 90 days to decide whether or not to designate it.

QSL was originally expected to submit its project notice in the coming days, but it has since informed the QPA that it will wait to do so given the Agency’s preliminary analysis. Consequently, the QPA will not begin its Impact Assessment and Mitigation Process (IAMP) until the analysis is complete.

The QPA notes that in accordance with its obligations under the IAA, and in its capacity as a federal authority, all potential projects on its territory are subject to its IAMP, a rigorous and transparent mechanism to examine projects’ social and environmental impacts while enabling dialogue with communities and stakeholders.

The QPA reiterates its willingness to cooperate transparently and constructively with the relevant authorities throughout the entire process.

The Port of Québec is strategically located 1100 km from the Atlantic Ocean, close to the Great Lakes market. It is the last deepwater port in the St. Lawrence corridor, with a depth of 15 metres. This unique position allows Canadian companies to achieve significant economies of scale in both import and export trade.

With links to more than 40 partner countries, the Port of Québec and its employees handle an average of over 26 million tonnes of goods every year, representing a commercial value of over $15 billion.

The Port is also recognized as the leading cruise port on the St. Lawrence; along with all its partners in Québec’s maritime industry, it contributes to $2 billion in economic spin-offs while supporting some 12,000 jobs nationwide.

The Québec Port Authority (QPA) is ranked 4^th out of the 17 Canadian port authorities in terms of revenue. While it is economically powerful, it is also known for its contributions to the area’s urban and social fabric thanks to port spaces like the Agora, the Baie de Beauport, the Oasis, La Cale, the Discoglace, and the Village Nordik.

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Frédéric Lagacé

Director, Public relations and communications

418 929-5031 | [email protected]