The announcement of the federal buyout, for a symbolic $1, of the Quebec bridge will be made Tuesday, May 14, in Quebec, in the presence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Journal learned.
“The principle of a $1 buyback was at the center of negotiations with CN (Canadian National) for years. What remained to be confirmed was the height and terms of CN’s participation in the sustainability of the bridge,” confirmed a Source close to the matter who requested anonymity.
According to information from Le Soleil, CN will pay $350 million in this regard over the next 50 years.
A notable absence
On the other hand, businessman Yvon Charest, federal negotiator on this issue since the summer of 2019, will be conspicuous by his absence during Tuesday’s press briefing due to a personal trip.
“I am out of the country from today (Friday) until May 20. If there is an event, I will be absent,” he replied to the Journal.
“Poor relation”
Friday morning, the leader of the opposition at Quebec City Hall, Claude Villeneuve, welcomed the announcement of the resumption of the more than century-old infrastructure by Ottawa. He added, however, that there are still many questions that need answers.
“In the entire mobility issue in the Quebec region, we find that the Quebec Bridge is the poor relation,” he said. Will there be provision for active mobility (on the bridge)? Will there be the possibility of running a heavy mode of public transport there, whether it is an SRB (Rapid Bus Service) or a tramway? I can not wait to see. »
Thursday, the confirmation of the purchase of the Quebec bridge by Ottawa was greeted with a mixture of joy and relief in the National Capital.
