Category: Press releases

Sept-Îles, June 14, 2024 – The architectural concept and exterior design of this pavilion will be inspired by the Innu culture. From 2025, it will become the permanent reception pavilion for cruise ship passengers who will disembark at the Port of Sept-Îles’ Cruise Ship Dock.

The cruise adventure began in 2007 when the Port of Sept-Îles, Ville de Sept-Îles and Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam reached an agreement to put in place the necessary infrastructure to make Sept-Îles a distinctive cruise ship port of call on the St. Lawrence. This partnership also led to the creation of Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu (DSIN), an organization responsible for coordinating the reception of cruise ship passengers.

Seventeen years later, a new permanent reception pavilion became more than necessary to replace the marquee used so far and thus allow the beginning of receiving winter cruise ships in 2025.

This $6.9 million project will be carried out with the financial contribution of the following partners:

• $3 million – Canada Economic Development
• $1.7 million – Société du Plan Nord
• $594,000 – Ministère du Tourisme du Québec
• $175,000 ($325,000 to come) – Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-utenam (ITUM)
• $175,000 – Ville de Sept-Îles
• $887,000 – Port of Sept-Îles

The project development plans are brought to life by DMG and are inspired by an innovative co-creation process launched in fall 2022. This collaborative approach, involving the stakeholders of the Monseigneur-Blanche district and multiple from the local tourism sector, made it possible to establish the main elements to integrate into this project.

“We must acknowledge the contribution of all the actors who participated in the co-creation process and who allow us today to unveil a unique and representative concept of the only port of call on the St. Lawrence with a flagship product of discovering Innu culture. This new building and its exterior layout also join several priority areas of development resulting from the citizen consultation carried out in fall 2023. This is the first concrete step towards revitalizing the Sept-Îles riverfront,” said Pierre D. Gagnon, President and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles.

 

 

In addition to the spaces for port of call entertainment, including the area dedicated to artists and artisans, the building will house the DSIN offices. Partners want this place of welcome and exchange to also host various activities to gather and spread local and regional cultures, all year round.

The construction period will begin at the end of June for a delivery of the new cruise ship pavilion in spring 2025. The pavilion’s development plans are available on portsi.com and destinationsept-iles.com.

In parallel, the 2024 port of call season will be in full swing, receiving 13 ships between August 9 and October 24, a record number of ports of call.

Quotes

“ITUM is pleased to know that the Innu culture will be at the forefront of thousands of cruise ship passengers visiting our beautiful region and territory. As a meeting and reception area, we hope that everyone will feel welcome as they land on the Nitassinan and immerse themselves in the culture of Indigenous peoples. The collaboration of all the organizations involved in this project demonstrates our ability to build together.”  — Mike Mckenzie, Chief, Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam

“Our government is committed to supporting Quebec’s tourism industry and advancing reconciliation with Indigenous communities. That is why CED’s financial contribution to Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu is excellent news for developing the Côte-Nord and its appeal. Thanks to the Government of Canada’s investments in tourism experiences, we are ready to welcome tourists from around the world. ”
— The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED

“This new permanent reception pavilion will become a focal point for tourism in the Sept-Îles region. The Port of Sept-Îles project will also better welcome visitors, in a site respectful of the region’s cultural diversity, whose richness will be highlighted. The financial assistance granted by Société du Plan Nord will translate into concrete benefits on the ground. This is tangible proof of the positive impact that projects can have for a community. ” — Maïté Blanchette Vézina, Minister of Natural Resources and Forests and Minister responsible for the Société du Plan Nord

“The strong mobilization of our community, Sept-Îles and Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam around this ambitious project is at the heart of the success we are announcing today. It is a pleasure for me to unveil our government’s investment of $2.3 million for the construction of this permanent cruise ship reception pavilion. Much more than a welcoming place, this building is a real gathering space for all of us. ” — Kateri Champagne-Jourdain, Member for Duplessis, Minister of Employment and Minister Responsible for the Côte-Nord

“The construction of this reception pavilion is very good news. Its distinctive architectural signature will highlight the heritage and richness of the Innu culture. Ville de Sept-Îles is proud to be a partner in this project. With this significant investment, the positioning of the Sept-Îles port of call in international cruise circuits is well confirmed, which can only lead to interesting benefits for our community. ” — Denis Miousse, Mayor of Sept-Îles

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About the Port of Sept-Îles

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with a projected volume for 2024 of more than 40 million metric tons. It is also recognized as the largest primary aluminum port terminal in the Americas in terms of operational volume. The facilities at the Port of Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port is also deeply committed to sustainable development and has pioneered the first environmental observatory on the St. Lawrence to monitor the marine ecosystem as well as a research chair with Université Laval to study coastal ecosystems and port operations.

Source:
Frédérick Jolicoeur-Tétreault
Director of Communications and Public Relations,
Port of Sept-Îles
418-965-3764
ftetreault@portsi.com

 

The Port Authority of Sept-Îles is pleased with the financial support announced today by the Government of Quebec, specifically a contribution of 10 M$ for the modernization of the Monseigneur-Blanche terminal at the Port of Sept-Îles.

The upcoming realization of this CAD 30 million modernization project will notably ensure the reliability of supply chains for the largest mineral port in North America and maintain the activities of the only cruise stop on the St. Lawrence River that features the discovery of Innu culture.

 

Sept-Îles, April 11, 2024 – The Port of Sept-Îles and the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise (CEIP, a division of INREST, are pleased to announce, through the Enviro-Actions project, the launch of an innovative near-real-time data collection system.

 On April 3, a scientific buoy with state-of-the-art equipment and technology was set out in the waters of the Port of Sept-Îles. Two other fixed stations, located at the Cruise Ship Dock and the Relance Dock in the Port of Sept-Îles, will complement the equipment set up to collect water quality data for the Bay of Sept-Îles. The objective of data transmission in near real time is to issue alerts in case of exceeding thresholds established according to the Enviro-Actions model and to act in preventive mode.

This flagship project of the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise, which was launched in March 2022, was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité Durable du Québec ($2 million) as part of Advantage St. Lawrence, Quebec’s new maritime vision and the Port of Sept-Îles ($2.5 million) for the demonstration area, the port area of Sept-Îles. The five-year Enviro-Actions project, unique in Quebec, also includes the installation of air quality measurement stations and hydrophones to measure underwater noise produced by commercial vessels and mitigate their adverse impacts on marine wildlife. During the year, awareness and incentives will be added to efforts to reduce underwater noise from anthropogenic sources in the Bay of Sept-Îles.

 

Enviro-Actions Symposium

 The Port of Sept-Îles is also hosting the Enviro-Actions Symposium from May 28 to 30. The event will be presented by the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise, in association with the Quebec Maritime Network, Institut France-Québec maritime and St. Lawrence Economic Development Council, including Jean Lemire, envoy for Quebec’s climate change and biologist by training, kindly accepted the presence of honour.

This event is a unique opportunity for shoreline communities, including those in the region, to learn about the preventive environmental actions implemented by stakeholders in industrial port zones. The Port of Sept-Îles and the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise invite all stakeholders from the research community, industries, environmental organizations, students and citizens to join the event and show their support for the environmental cause (https://www.enviro-actions.com/en).

We also invite all citizens to take this opportunity to come and share their comments on the project and concerns about the environment in a digital vox-pop-type box that will be made available to the public on the event’s web page.

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with a projected volume for 2024 of more than 40 million metric tons. It is also recognized as the largest primary aluminum port terminal in the Americas in terms of operational volume. The facilities at the Port of Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port is also deeply committed to sustainable development and has pioneered the first environmental observatory on the St. Lawrence to monitor the marine ecosystem as well as a research chair with Université Laval to study coastal ecosystems and port operations.

ABOUT INREST’S CEIP DIVISION

The Northern Institute for Research in Environment and Occupational Health and Safety directed and implemented the work of the first environmental monitoring observatory in Quebec in the Sept-Îles port zone, which led to the creation of its division, the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise (CEIP). The CEIP’s flagship project is the implementation of the “Enviro-Actions” preventive environmental management model to conserve ecosystems in all port and industrial zones of Quebec’s maritime territory. The Enviro-Actions pilot project includes near-real-time data collection and the issuance of enviro-alerts to managers. New developers will benefit from science-neutral data that promotes social acceptability. This data will reduce the time and cost of collecting certain data required for environmental authorization requests. CEIP’s work is recognized at provincially, nationally and internationally.

QUOTES

“The launch of a scientific buoy combined with the installation of docking stations will enable several water quality parameters in the Bay of Sept-Îles to be monitored in near real time. The INREST team proudly took a major step forward in implementing the Enviro-Actions preventive management model in the port zone thanks all those who participated in the distribution of the buoy and stations. This is a first in Quebec that positions the CEIP and the Port of Sept-Îles as leaders in ensuring sustainable development and the preservation of ecosystems.”

— Julie Carrière, P.Eng. Ph.D., Executive Director, INREST/Centre for Industrial Port Expertise

 

“Marine transportation is the greenest mode for handling goods and commodities, and we, industries and communities, are all dependent on it. It’s up to everyone to protect the ecosystems that support these activities, and the marine industry sector is very proactive in this regard. The Port of Sept-Îles demonstrates its leadership through its major investment in the Enviro-Actions project.”

— Mélissa Sanikopoulos, Director, Environment & Sustainability, Port of Sept-Îles

 

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SOURCE:

Mélissa Sanikopoulos
Director, Environment & Sustainability
Port of Sept-Îles
Phone: 418-961-1222
msanikopoulos@portsi.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sept-Îles, April 2, 2024 – Last fall the Port of Sept-Îles launched an ambitious public consultation and invited the community to share its hopes and dreams for the future of the port lands in the lower part of the city. Today the Port is proud to release its summary report (in French) on the PSI website and social media (PSI consultation summary document).

An interactive platform for constructive dialogue

The Port set up a dedicated platform for the consultation with a Q&A module and idea box to collect people’s concerns, suggestions and ideas.

“We’d like to thank the people of Sept-Îles for their response,” said Port of Sept-Îles President and CEO Pierre Gagnon. “In all, the platform logged an impressive 6,819 visitors. And those visitors registered a total of 729 votes on the 55 projects submitted. The number of participants was much higher than we expected. It just goes to show how deeply our community cares about the development of the lower part of town.”

 

New ideas for a promising future

 The contributions highlighted several priorities—enhancing urban and natural spaces, developing culture and the arts, promoting environmental awareness and sustainability, strengthening tourism and recreation, and improving public infrastructure and services. Together, the ideas proposed attest to a collective desire for a more integrated and greener vision of future development in Sept-Îles.

An international movement

The Port’s approach aims to establish and maintain a dialogue with the community and reflects a growing international movement in port cities worldwide.  Bruno Delsalle is the general manager of AIVP, a worldwide reference association that supports joint city–port sustainable development strategies. For him, relations between the city and the port must always be citizen-centred.

“All around the world, the city–port–citizen–business dialogue is a key driver in building sustainable port cities that deliver economic performance while at the same time controlling and reducing environmental impacts and creating an outstanding living environment. This initiative is very much part of that trend. Not only do I welcome it—I’m convinced that some of the ideas put forward by residents for public spaces and facilities can really bring the city and port together.

Ongoing engagement and upcoming projects

 The Port of Sept-Îles is committed to incorporating as many of the suggestions as possible into its development projects. It is equally committed to maintaining an open and constructive dialogue with the local population to ensure that future projects line up with the hopes, dreams and needs of the community it serves.

“Our goal,” said Port of Sept-Îles CEO and Chair of the Board Bernard Lynch, “is to incorporate as many of the ideas and concepts submitted as we can in our development plans. We’ll be making some tangible announcements soon regarding initiatives that will constitute the heart of what we do this spring.”

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 ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

 Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with a projected volume for 2024 of more than 40 million metric tons. It is also recognized as the largest primary aluminum port terminal in the Americas in terms of operational volume. The facilities at the Port of Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port is also deeply committed to sustainable development and has pioneered the first environmental observatory on the St. Lawrence to monitor the marine ecosystem as well as a research chair with Université Laval to study coastal ecosystems and port operations.

ABOUT AIVP
The mission of the International Association of Cities and Ports (AIVP) is to improve city–port relations by promoting dialogue and cooperation between local communities, port authorities, citizens and economic operators. Today AIVP has close to 200 member cities around the world, all working to make dialogue between ports and cities the foundation of their urban, port and economic development projects. Because port cities are frontline actors in sustainable development, AIVP’s 2030 Agenda provides them with a framework that affirms each city’s uniqueness while allowing them to experiment with and implement concrete and innovative solutions.

Sources:

Frédérick Jolicoeur-Tétreault
Communications and Public Relations Director
Port of Sept-Îles
Phone: 418-965-3764
ftetreault@portsi.com

 

Bruno Delsalle
Executive Director
AIVP
Phone: +33 2 35 42 76 14
bdelsalle@aivp.org

 

 

 

SEPT-ÎLES, January 22, 2024 – At its recent New Year cocktail party, the Port of Sept-Îles revealed that it had reached an all-time high with 36.6 million metric tons of cargo handled at its facilities in 2023. The previous record was set in 1979 with 34.9 million metric tons.

“This new milestone is of national significance and makes the Port of Sept-Îles one of the leading ports in the country,” said Pierre D. Gagnon, President and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles. “Thanks to this new record, we have proudly reclaimed second place among Canadian ports in terms of annual volume of operations, ahead of the Port of Montréal and behind Vancouver. We have also reaffirmed our status as the largest mineral port in North America.”

New momentum

The Port of Sept-Îles experienced new momentum in 2023, including an overhaul of its mission statements, vision, values, and strategic priorities. Numerous community stakeholders were involved in the process that led to these changes.

To guide future development and with the intention of opening a dialogue with the community, in October 2023 the Port of Sept-Îles also launched an online public consultation entitled “Ré-imaginez le cœur de Sept-Îles” (Re-imagine the Heart of Sept-Îles). This innovative approach to collecting development ideas for the harmonization of riverfront spaces in the lower town was a great success: 6,819 participants, 55 projects submitted, and 748 votes on the specially designed platform.

“We would like to thank all the stakeholders and citizens who participated in our two consultation processes. Your contribution is essential to guide the future development of your Port. With 2024 marking the 25th anniversary of the port authority’s autonomy, we can get the next quarter century off to a strong start thanks to a transparent and sustainable connection with our communities,” said Pierre D. Gagnon and Bernard Lynch, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Stronger together

In 2023 and with the support of the Government of Québec, economic players in the region, namely the Port of Sept-Îles and the economic development corporations of Sept-Îles and Port-Cartier, were able to proceed with the consolidation of Port-Cartier-Sept-Îles industrial port zones (PCSI IP zone promo video). The creation of this large new area will help make certain sectors with strong industrial potential more attractive to developers worldwide, especially in the global context of energy transition and opportunities related to decarbonization.

“Considering that the maritime activity of the industrial port zone of Port-Cartier-Sept-Îles represents 50% of the total operations on the St. Lawrence River as well as 15% of the commercial value of Québec’s annual exports, it goes without saying that we have a world-class industrial ecosystem that we must promote on a large scale,” said Pierre Gagnon.

Outlook

The current interest of major steel companies in high-purity iron from the Labrador Trough to accelerate the iron industry’s decarbonization efforts is also a unique opportunity.

International developers are already targeting the region as a base for their green projects.

“We have all the right assets to allow our iron products to be processed locally and to shift towards the production of green steel here in the region. Now more than ever is the perfect time for all socio-economic players in the region to support everything that needs to be done to make the most of these unmissable opportunities!” said Pierre Gagnon and Bernard Lynch.

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with a projected volume for 2024 of more than 40 million metric tons. It is also recognized as the largest primary aluminum port terminal in the Americas in terms of operational volume. The facilities at the Port of Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port is also deeply committed to sustainable development and has pioneered the first environmental observatory on the St. Lawrence to monitor the marine ecosystem as well as a research chair with Université Laval to study coastal ecosystems and port operations.

 

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Source:

Frédérick Tétreault, Communications and Public Relations Director
Port of Sept-Îles
418-965-3764
ftetreault@portsi.com

Port-Cartier, May 24, 2023 – The Côte-Nord’s two business development corporations are extremely proud to announce the consolidation of their respective Industrial-Port (IP) Zones as part of Advantage St. Lawrence, Quebec’s new maritime vision, in partnership with Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE).

In creating one big zone, MEIE, Développement économique Sept-Îles, and Développement économique Port-Cartier are looking to consolidate their combined potential and attract new international investors and projects.

For Bernard Gauthier, Industrial Commissioner at Développement économique Port-Cartier, and Paul Lavoie, Executive Director at Développement économique Sept-Îles, the move was a no-brainer. The geographical proximity of the two IP Zones and the similar needs of their users will pave the way for many opportunities and greater synergy.

“The combined commercial activities of our two IP zones account for nearly 15% of Quebec’s annual exports. It was time for us to join forces and become a driving economic force in the province,” said Bernard Gauthier.

“Together, we can leverage this increased visibility. Our IP Zones are attracting energy transition projects and providing real options for decarbonizing the iron industry here in Quebec,” explains Paul Lavoie.

“Few people realize that half of all shipping activity on the St. Lawrence, in terms of annual tonnage, passes through the port facilities of Port-Cartier and Sept-Îles. That volume makes this new area one of the largest port complexes in North America, home to world-class shippers and facilities,” said Pierre D. Gagnon, Port of Sept-Îles President and CEO.

About Développement économique Port-Cartier 

Développement économique Port-Cartier has been an economic player in Port-Cartier and the Côte-Nord since 1979. The organization was part of the regional coalitions that made the Sainte-Marguerite 3, Toulnustouc and Romaine dams possible. Développement économique Port-Cartier was also one of the driving forces behind the Port-Cartier sawmill, the opening of the pulp mill (three times), and the bailout of Quebec Cartier Mining Company in the early 2000s, among other things.

About Développement économique Sept-Îles

Founded in 1974, Développement économique Sept-Îles is a municipal non-profit that helps bring business projects of all sizes to life. Its mission is to work with other local socioeconomic players to drive growth and improve the quality of life in Sept-Îles.

About the Port of Sept-Îles

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with a projected volume for 2023 of nearly 40 million metric tons. It is also recognized as the largest primary aluminum port terminal in the Americas in terms of operational volume. The facilities at the Port of Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port is also deeply committed to sustainable development and has pioneered the first environmental observatory on the St. Lawrence to monitor the marine ecosystem.

LINK TO PCSI IP ZONE VIDEO (FRENCH)

Sources :

Paul Lavoie
Executive Director
Développement économique Sept-Îles
Tél. 418 962-7677, poste 101
plavoie@deseptiles.com

Bernard Gauthier
Executive Director and Industrial Commissioner
Développement économique Port-Cartier
Tél. 418 766-8383 | Cell : 418 768-6383
bgauthier.cde@globetrotter.net

Frédérick Tétreault
Communications and Public Relations Director
Port de Sept-Îles
Tél. 418 965-3764
ftetreault@portsi.com