Category: Press releases

SEPT-ÎLES, DECEMBER 16, 2020 – Today, as the Port of Sept-Îles presents its $10,000 donation to Chantier Jeunesse Loisirs, the Port would like to stress once again how proud it is to be a partner of this organization and to help fund its activities and operations on behalf of children ages 5 to 12 in the Ferland area. This donation on the eve of the holidays is part of the major pledge the Port made last year to give the organization a total of $30,000 between 2019 and 2021.

Chantier Jeunesse Loisirs gives children ages 5 to 12 the chance to take part in woodworking, DIY repairs, sewing, painting, and cooking courses, as well as creative and Christmas-themed projects. The goal is to teach children simple craft techniques to help them develop skills, inventiveness, and creativity. The Chantier Jeunesse Loisirs team also helps children see the benefits of pursuing hobbies in a relaxed and creative atmosphere.

Chantier Jeunesse Loisirs would like to thank the entire Port of Sept-Îles team for their generosity and support for this project. “Without partnerships like this, our organization simply could not go on, especially in these trying times,” said Ian Roussel, President of Chantier Jeunesse Loisirs. “In addition to supporting us financially, the Port of Sept-Îles has shown us it believes in our project and really understands our cause to help youth. Despite the pandemic, our organization is still going strong and we have some exciting projects on the horizon, if the situation permits, naturally.”

“Chantier Jeunesse Loisirs provides a space where parents and children can talk, focusing on prevention of certain social issues and encouraging healthy life habits while revitalizing the neighbourhood,” said Pierre Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Sept-Îles. These goals are clearly consistent with our donation and contribution policy as well as our values, and we’re happy to provide support that makes a difference.”

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 an expected volume of close to 35 million tonnes in 2020. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port of Sept-Îles established the first environmental observatory in the St. Lawrence marine ecosystem. Sustainable development is a cornerstone of its values and actions.

ABOUT CHANTIER JEUNESSE LOISIRS
Chantier Jeunesse Loisirs is a non-profit organization that has served the Parc Ferland area for more than 40 years. Every year, more than 200 children enjoy a variety of courses in woodworking, sewing, cooking, and DIY repair. Founded by Sister Ginette Simard around 1976, this organization is still going strong and still giving back to the community after all these years.

Source :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

SEPT-ÎLES, December 7, 2020 – The Port of Sept-Îles is proud to announce that it has already shipped 30 million tons of goods this year, with a month still remaining in 2020. This is the highest volume shipped since the golden age of the 1970s, when the Port was the second busiest in Canada.

This important milestone is all the more noteworthy for the Port in these pandemic times, when it is so vital to maintain international trade and economic activities, and when the resilience of individuals is so crucial to weathering the global crisis.

Behind each and every one of the tonnes of goods handled this year are men and women working at every level in the logistics chains that keep the Port running. Together they account for more than 4,000 direct and indirect jobs at the Port and in the surrounding areas.

“Whether they work in mining or the rail industry, at Aluminerie Alouette, in local factories or small businesses, or at the Port itself, they all deserve to be recognized for their contributions to achieving this historic milestone and future growth of the Port,” said President and CEO Pierre D. Gagnon.

The symbolic 30 millionth tonne will ship out from the Port on its 45-day trip to China aboard the C. VISION from Quebec Iron Ore.

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 an anticipated volume of close to 35 million tonnes for 2020. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port is also deeply committed to sustainable development, pioneering the first environmental observatory on the St. Lawrence to monitor the maritime ecosystem.

You can also see a short video shot while loading the C. Vision by clicking here.

Source :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

SEPT-ÎLES, November 18, 2020 – Today the Port of Sept-Îles was pleased to announce $78,000 in funding for Le Virage, or $26,000 per year over three years. This funding will support the volunteer action centre’s meals-on-wheels program, an essential service appreciated by the community.

In early fall 2018, the Port allocated $55,000 over two years to help Le Virage restart the program, a service many people in our community have come to rely on.

Since then, the program has grown in popularity and, to meet ever-increasing demand, Le Virage has designed, built, and equipped a new kitchen right in its own building and hired a cook, assistant cook, and general help.

This new funding will provide stability and the funds the organization needs to buy food to prepare meals-on-wheels meals. It will also:

• Enable Le Virage to prepare meals on its own
• Reduce the financial burden of daily food costs for Le Virage
• Keep the minimum fee for participants at $6.50
• Ensure participants receive quality meals
• Offset increasing grocery costs
• Help participants stay in their own homes
• Prepare for an expected increase in demand for the program

The Port is confident that the professionalism, commitment, and quality of the centre’s resources bode well for the success of the program. The Le Virage team is a model for volunteerism to lessen the solitude and isolation experienced by functionally dependent seniors, people with disabilities, and people living alone.

“The Le Virage meals-on-wheels program offers us an opportunity to give back and make a difference in a way that reflects our values,” said Pierre Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Sept-Îles. “We also want to recognize the important contributions of the program volunteers. We are proud to continue our support for three more years and work with an organization whose services bring comfort and a smile to many members of our community.”

“The Port of Sept-Îles is an important partner for us,” said Maxime Pineault, Chair of the Board of Directors for Le Virage. “Our shared values are helping to build a caring society for our most vulnerable. The Port’s contribution is a great financial help that lets us focus on offering high-quality meals-on-wheels service. Our dishes are delicious and a great comfort to participants. We sincerely thank the Port of Sept-Îles!”

“To express our gratitude and recognize our partner’s substantial support in helping us maintain this outstanding service, the board voted to rename it ‘The Port of Sept-Îles Meals-on-Wheels Program.’ Many thanks to the Port of Sept-Îles,” said Kathleen Côté, general manager of Le Virage.

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 an expected volume of close to 35 million tonnes in 2020. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port of Sept-Îles established the first environmental observatory in the St. Lawrence marine ecosystem. Sustainable development is a cornerstone of its values and actions.

ABOUT LE VIRAGE
The volunteer action centre delivers an average of 330 meals each week to 77 participants. These people receive a good, comforting meal every day, delivered to their homes by generous and kindhearted volunteers.

Sources :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

Kathleen Côté
General Manager
Le Virage volunteer action center
418 444-2228

Sept-Îles, November 13, 2020 – This Sunday, November 15, 130 children and teens from families that are members of Office municipal d’Habitation de Sept-Îles (OMHSI) will celebrate Christmas early as Santa Claus and his elves knock on their doors to deliver brand new winter clothes.

After several months planning the event, OMHSI had to make adjustments to comply with today’s pandemic-related hygiene measures. “We had initially planned a party where we would give out winter boots and mittens and a small gift. Unfortunately, we can’t all get together, so we decided to distribute the gifts directly to the families’ homes. We worked with Santé publique de la Côte-Nord to make sure the distribution process is safe,” said OMHSI president Guy Berthe.

Our generous partners
This project was made possible by the extreme generosity of SFP Pointe-Noire and the Port of Sept-Îles, which both donated funds for the purchase of winter clothes and gifts.

“At SFP Pointe-Noire, we quickly recognized how important and useful OMHSI’s latest project is. As a local company, we are proud to be able to offer comfortable, safe winter clothes to the children in our community,” said Frédérick Jolicoeur-Tétreault, a communication consultant at SFP Pointe-Noire.

“In keeping with our commitment to help meet the Sept-Îles community’s many needs, the Port of Sept-Îles is happy to help OMHSI with its brilliant initiative to keep kids warm as the holidays approach,” the Port of Sept-Îles announced. “Our youth are our future!”

OMHSI would also like to thank SFP Pointe-Noire, the Port of Sept-îles, Au Petit Chaperon Rouge, Sport expert, L’Envol – Maison de la Famille, and all of our volunteers for their donations and time. These will warm our children’s hearts.

Gift distribution
OMHSI, SFP Pointe-Noire, and the Port of Sept-Îles will meet at 75 rue Mingan at 9 a.m. on Sunday, November 15 to distribute the gifts. The media has been invited to the project launch, where OMH and our partners will grant interviews before the distribution begins. For confidentiality reasons, however, the media will not be allowed to participate in the distribution.

About OMHSI
OMHSI manages and administers housing and housing programs in Sept-Îles. We aim to have a positive impact on our members’ living conditions and to work for the entire community’s well-being.

 

Source :

Guy Berthe
President
Office municipal d’Habitation de Sept-Îles
418 409-6976

Sept-Îles, September 22, 2020 – The Centre for Industrial Port Expertise (CEIP), a division of the Northern Institute for Research in Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (INREST), and the Port of Sept-Îles are proud to welcome the research vessel Coriolis II. The floating laboratory is carrying a summer oceanography mission dedicated to collecting advanced data on the St. Lawrence River ecosystem as part of the Odyssée Saint-Laurent research program. INREST and its CEIP division are pleased to be partnering with the Quebec Maritime Network (RQM) on another Odyssée Saint-Laurent mission.

From September 13 to 28, a multidisciplinary team of scientists on board the Coriolis II will take samples and analyze data from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the estuary for dozens of research projects piloted by six different institutions in the province. Special attention will be paid to the physicochemical conditions in the Sept-Îles, Port-Cartier, and Baie-Comeau industrial port zones. The data collected will further the work already being done by the Sept-Îles Observatory and be used to establish an environmental baseline for the Baie Comeau and Port Cartier industrial port zones.<

One of the members of the scientific crew is Viridiana Jimenez, assistant director of the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise (CEIP, a division of INREST). Jiminez will handle sampling and data collection for the industrial port zones and assist the other research teams on board the vessel.

“This is the second time INREST has participated in an Odyssey mission. It gives us the opportunity to forge solid ties with both RQM and the research teams on board during the missions, who benefit from Ms. Jimenez’s support and advice,” said Marie-Pier St-Onge, mission leader and scientific mission coordinator for the Quebec Maritime Network.

“CEIP was just launched in July and already it’s joining RQM’s Odyssey mission and contributing to the environmental monitoring being done for our precious bay ecosystem in Sept-Îles. We’re pleased and proud that this leadership is also going to benefit our neighbouring port zones, and wish all the research teams on board the Coriolis II a highly productive mission,” said Pierre D. Gagnon, president and chief executive officer of the Port of Sept-Îles.

By partnering with the research teams involved in the winter missions (on board the Amundsen in March 2020) and summer missions (on board the Lampsilis in summer 2020) and in September 2020 (on board the Coriolis II), INREST and CEIP are supporting data collection in Québec’s industrial port zones. The data acquired by CEIP through its partnership with RQM will be used for environmental monitoring and to implement the Enviro-Actions management model in the Sept-Îles port zone. The knowledge acquired by the CEIP team will also be shared with other port zones,” said Julie Carrière, executive director of INREST.

The mission on board the Coriolis II ends September 28.

To see the teams in action, follow the RQM or INREST Facebook or Twitter accounts.

About INREST/CEIP
The Northern Institute for Research in Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (INREST) is a non-profit organization investigating environmental and occupational health issues. INREST is internationally recognized for its industrial-port-area environmental monitoring station for marine ecosystem conservation—Quebec’s biggest—and the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise. CEIP is a division of INREST. Its flagship project is dedicated to protecting and preserving industrial zone and port zone ecosystems throughout the province by creating environmental observatories, deploying instruments throughout maritime Quebec, and using them to collect real-time data as per the Enviro-Actions management model, among other things.

About the Port of Sept-Îles
The Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with state-of-the-art facilities and a projected volume of just under 35 million tonnes in 2020. Its marine ecosystem observatory makes it a pioneer on the St. Lawrence Seaway and reflects the Port’s commitment to sustainability.

About the Quebec Maritime Network
Implemented in 2016, the Quebec Maritime Network (RQM) is a network of 166 institutions whose members include all Quebec universities as well as cégeps, college centres for technology transfer, research centres, public and semipublic organizations, community organizations, and companies in the maritime industry. It is hosted and managed by UQAR and is tasked with making the province a world leader in sustainable maritime development. RQM’s funding partners are Quebec’s Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation and Fonds de recherche du Québec.

About Odyssée Saint-Laurent
Odyssée Saint-Laurent is an ambitious research program run by the Quebec Maritime Network. It is structured around three themes—Discovery, Applications, and Open Innovation—and receives $15 million in funding from Ministère de l’Économie de l’Innovation du Québec. The aim of the program is to add to our knowledge of St. Lawrence ecosystems, specifically their biodiversity and the environmental stress factors affecting them, and to develop tools, technologies, and new practices in sustainable maritime development.

 

Source :

Mathieu Dumulon-Lauzière
Communications Officer
Quebec Maritime Network
581 337-1435

Julie Carrière
Executive Director
INREST
418 968-4801, ext. 5720
julie@inrest.ca

Pierre D. Gagnon
President and Chief Executive Officer
Port of Sept-Îles
418 968-1231

Sept-Îles, July 17, 2020 – It is with great enthusiasm that Institut nordique de recherche en environnement et en santé au travail (INREST) and the Port of Sept-Îles announce today the inauguration of the first research centre on industrial port ecosystems, the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise (CEIP), a division of INREST.

This innovative initiative, which will support the research activities of the environmental observatory of the Bay of Sept-Îles, was made possible by a major Quebec government grant ($351,000) through the Blue Fund program, set up to support initiatives in line with the objectives of the Quebec Maritime Strategy (http://www. fil-information.gouv.qc.ca). This project was also the result of the long-term financial support provided by big industry partners, the city, and the Port of Sept-Îles, demonstrating the leadership and regional cooperation that have gone into the CEIP project.

We would like to especially thank CEIP members on the North Shore: IOC/Rio Tinto, Aluminerie Alouette, Quebec Iron Ore, the City of Sept-Îles, and Développement économique Sept-Îles.

The Port of Sept-Îles is also pleased to announce a grant of $250,000 over five years to help INREST develop CEIP.

CEIP’s mission is to offer services and scientific expertise on the environment and occupational health. Experts and researchers in a variety of fields provide centralized R&D services and technical support adapted to the specific environmental, management, and operational challenges of industrial port areas to managers in the North Shore region and other maritime regions of Quebec, Canada, and abroad.

“Our industrial port community’s commitment to the only environmental monitoring observatory on the St. Lawrence sets us apart on the national scene,” said Pierre D. Gagnon, President and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles. “This unique initiative has many other benefits, including the creation of local scientific expertise that will help the region attract and retain talent as well as the broad-ranging impacts of the research projects and numerous future partnerships.”

CEIP conducts collaborative research projects to meet the specific needs of its members and partners. A research fund, administered by an executive committee made up of CEIP members and partners, supports the centre’s flagship project, namely the implementation of the Enviro-Actions management model developed by INREST. This innovative model comprises five steps, including the establishment of environmental observatories in industrial port areas along the St. Lawrence and the instrumentalization and collection of near-real-time data and satellite images.

CEIP supplies project proponents with objective scientific data that helps promote the social acceptability of their projects. The model also provides invaluable information for environmental impact studies and reduces the time and cost of collecting baseline data.

“The community has invested significant amounts of money in research to carry out the first three steps in the “Enviro-Actions” management model, i.e. the creation of an environmental observatory,” said Julie Carrière, Executive Director of INREST and CEIP. This constantly updated portrait of the Baie de Sept-Îles makes the port area a key research site in Quebec and across Canada. The next step will be the instrumentalization of this study area which will allow CEIP to develop protocols and methodologies based on a standardized concept and to export the expertise of CEIP’s team and collaborators to other industrial and port areas in Quebec and across Canada.

CEIP will also help meet the commitments of the recently created Université Laval research chair on coastal ecosystems and industrial, maritime, and port activities, of which INREST and the Port of Sept-Îles are founding members.

About INREST and CEIP

The Northern Institute for Research in Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (INREST) is a nonprofit organization investigating environmental and occupational health issues. INREST is internationally recognized for setting up the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise and Quebec’s biggest environmental observatory in an industrial port area for the purpose of conserving marine ecosystems.

The Centre for Industrial Port Expertise (CEIP), a division of INREST, in partnership with a number of universities and research centres, is committed to implementing the Enviro-Actions management model developed by INREST. The model includes the installation of environmental observatories in all industrial port areas along the St. Lawrence and the instrumentalization and collection of near-real-time data and satellite images. This will provide project proponents with objective, socially acceptable scientific data. The near-real-time data will help speed up the process of applying for environmental permits and make it more cost effective.

Any company, industry, government body, municipality, Indigenous community, port authority, or port can become a member of CEIP.

About the Port of Sept-Îles

The Port of Sept- Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, equipped with a range of state-of-the-art facilities. The projected volume for 2020 is just under 35 million tonnes. Its marine ecosystem observatory makes it a pioneer on the St. Lawrence system and shows how sustainability is firmly anchored in the Port’s values and actions.

-30-

Sources :

INREST

Julie Carrière
Executive Director
Tel: 418-968-4801, ext. 5720
Email: julie@inrest.ca

Port of Sept-Îles

Pierre D. Gagnon
President and Chief Executive Officer
Tel: 418-968-1231

SEPT-ÎLES, May 1, 2020 – The Port of Sept-Îles acknowledges the judgment issued by the Superior Court of Québec in the district of Mingan in its legal case with Pomerleau Inc. regarding construction of the multi-user wharf. The court awarded a total of $13,313,671 in damages to Pomerleau in the ruling.

As indicated by the Court, Pomerleau initially brought proceedings against the Port of Sept-Îles on July 20, 2015, for a total of $68.3 million in damages. That figure was amended by Pomerleau on multiple occasions, down to a final $30.5 million at the end of the trial—significantly higher than the amount granted in the judgment.

The Port of Sept-Îles plans to go over the judgment with legal counsel before commenting or deciding on the next step.

About the Port of Sept-Îles

With its diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with a projected volume of close to 35 million tonnes in 2020. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. Annual economic impacts are estimated at nearly $1 billion and almost 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

– 30 —

Source :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs, Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

Sept-Îles, March 6, 2020 – The Port of Sept-Îles and INREST Northern Institute for Research in Environment and Occupational Health and Safety are proud today to welcome the Canadian Coast Guard’s research icebreaker Amundsen. The Amundsen carries the Odyssée Saint-Laurent research program’s third winter oceanography mission, collecting advanced data on the St. Lawrence Estuary ecosystem in winter.

Lead investigator Jean Carlos Montero-Serrano will come aground briefly with his 25-member research team from a dozen institutions, including INREST, to meet local stakeholders and media for a quick rundown of what the mission will be looking for.

That will include sampling at locations within the waters of the Port of Sept-Îles. Those samples will yield strategic winter results to complement the data already collected by the Bay of Sept-Îles Environmental Observatory.

“The Port and the Observatory are tremendously lucky to have this opportunity,” said Port of Sept-Îles president and CEO Pierre D. Gagnon. “The data we have access to as part of the Odyssée Saint-Laurent research loop will boost our understanding of this precious ecosystem and help us manage our operations sustainably.”

Sept-Îles’s port area is nationally and internationally recognized for maritime research, thanks to the tremendous amount of high‑quality data generated by INREST and its partners.

“We and our research partners,” said INREST director Julie Carrière, “have developed a host of resources, like the Environmental Monitoring Observatory for the industrial port area and the research chair on coastal ecosystems and industrial and maritime port activities. They make it possible for us to collaborate on this mission today and to really make a difference in the field of ecosystem conservation. And all this,” said Dr. Carrière in conclusion, “is only possible through the support of our funding partners, such as the Port of Sept-Îles.”

For Réseau Québec maritime, which is organizing the mission, today’s event really shows the benefits of collaboration in coastal environmental research.

“The future of the St. Lawrence Estuary depends on everyone pitching in,” said Réseau Québec maritime director Dany Dumont. “The only way to get a complete picture of the province’s marine industry is if researchers, industry, and the community all get together and share their expertise and resources.”

CCGS Amundsen’s 2020 winter mission runs until March 14. Follow it on the RQM or INREST Facebook or Twitter accounts.

About INREST

The Northern Institute for Research in Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (INREST) is a nonprofit organization investigating environmental and occupational health issues. INREST is internationally recognized for its industrial-port-area environmental monitoring station for marine ecosystem conservation—Quebec’s biggest—and its industrial port expertise division, CEIP centre.

About the Port of Sept-Îles

The Port of Sept- Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with a projected volume of just under 35 million tonnes in 2020 going through diverse, state-of-the-art facilities. Its marine ecosystem observatory makes it a pioneer on the St. Lawrence system and shows how sustainability is firmly anchored in the Port’s values and actions.

About Réseau Québec maritime

Réseau Québec maritime is a network of 166 institutions founded in May 2016, connecting all the province’s marine sector universities, Cégeps, college centres for technology transfer, research centres, public and semipublic organizations, community organizations, and industries. It is hosted and managed by UQAR, tasked with making the province a world leader in sustainable marine development. RQM’s funding partners are Quebec’s Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation and Fonds de recherche du Québec.

About Odyssée Saint-Laurent

Odyssée Saint-Laurent is an ambitious research program at Réseau Québec maritime. It focuses on three themes—Discovery, Applications, and Open Innovation—and receives $15 million in funding from Ministère de l’Économie de l’Innovation du Québec. The aim of the program is to add to our knowledge of St. Lawrence ecosystems, their biodiversity and environmental stress factors affecting them, and to develop tools, technologies, and new practices in sustainable marine development.

-30-

Sources :

Réseau Québec maritime

Mathieu Dumulon-Lauzière

Communications Advisor

581-337-1435

INREST

Julie Carrière

Executive Director

418-968-4801, ext. 5720

Port of Sept-Îles

Pierre D. Gagnon

President and Chief Executive Officer

418-968-1231

Sept-Îles, February 17, 2020 – It is with great pride that the Port of Sept-Îles and Recyk & Frip recently announced a partnership to support the improvement and ongoing development of Recyk & Frip’s goods recovery and resale services in Sept‑Îles, Uashat mak Mani-utenam, and the surrounding areas.

Spread over two fiscal years, the $60,000 contribution from the Port of Sept-Îles will be used to renovate and maintain the Recyk & Frip building and make it a safer and more enjoyable place for staff and volunteers to work. This partnership is a great fit with the Port of Sept-Îles philosophy and its donations and contributions policy, which aims to improve the well-being of families in the community.

Recyk & Frip plays an increasingly important role in the community, supporting and helping people in different kinds of emergency situations and meeting important needs. The organization also plans to ramp up its education and awareness‑building efforts.

NEARLY EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE!

The two partners invite people from the local and regional communities, and anyone else, to access this incredible resource for recovering, reusing, recycling, and sharing items of all kinds and, especially, for finding new ways to shop and give objects a second life.

Sources :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

Maryse C. Gagnon
General Manager
Recyk & Frip
418 960-5553

Québec, February 5^th, 2020 – The Université Laval, the Institut Nordique de Recherche en Environnement et en Santé au Travail (INREST), and the Port of Sept-Îles have announced today the launch of the Research Chair in Coastal Ecosystems and Industrial, Port and Maritime Activities. The event took place in the presence of the Minister for Transport and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region, Chantal Rouleau, and the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Minister Responsible for the Côte-Nord Region, and acting Minister Responsible for the Capitale-Nationale Region, Jonatan Julien.

The Chair’s mission will be to further the knowledge on coastal ecosystem functions in industrial port zones, in order to identify practices that will ensure a sustainable management of these environments.

“It is estimated that coastal regions account for over three quarters of the economic value of the world’s ecosystem services, i.e. the benefits to human populations that arise from ecosystems, particularly through the fishing, tourism, and transport industries, or flood protection”, said biologist Philippe Archambault, professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering of Université Laval, and one of the founders of the project. “However, there is still little data on these environments, hence the necessity to establish a research structure that will allow us to better understand the complex interactions that take place in them.”

Specifically, the Chair’s objectives will be:

To measure the footprint of human activities associated with industrial port zones;

• To describe and quantify the effects of these activities on different coastal sectors;
• To develop methods and tools to distinguish the main natural environmental changes from those associated with human activities;
• To advise and guide organizations in planning and establishing sustainable solutions in order to adapt to the issues that will have been identified.

This Chair is made possible thanks to a $1 M contribution over five years from INREST ($500,000) and the Port of Sept-Îles ($500,000).

“It is with pride that we support the Université Laval and INREST in this partnership to establish this Chair”, declared Pierre D. Gagnon, President and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles. “Having initiated the first observatory in the St. Lawrence and the Bay of Sept-Îles in partnership with INREST and the City of Sept-Îles in 2013, it is with conviction and without the slightest hesitation that the Port Authorities support the creation of an innovative Chair that will develop fundamental research to further our knowledge about our precious coastal ecosystems. There is no doubt that this initiative will stimulate the creation of numerous research projects, partnerships, and collaborations in various regions of our majestic St. Lawrence.”

“The launch of this new Research Chair is a significant moment in INREST’s history and that of its partners”, added INREST’s Executive Director, Julie Carrière, PhD. “This project, which will allow us to develop tools that are adapted for port, industrial, and maritime activities, was initiated by Philippe Archambault and myself, while we were working together on the Environmental Monitoring Observatory for the Bay of Sept-Îles and on projects from the Canadian Healthy Oceans Network (CHONe II), which were partly funded by the Port of Sept-Îles. The collaboration between INREST and the Chair will allow the Institute to increase its reach throughout the scientific community, as well as the port and industrial communities, at provincial, national, and international levels.”

“The creation of this Research Chair is fully in line with the initiatives that our government wishes to see come to life as part of Quebec’s new maritime vision for 2035”, highlighted the Minister for Transport and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region, Chantal Rouleau. “This maritime vision, which is currently under development, will constitute a flagship element that will guide the government in order to reconcile economic, social, and environmental progress in Quebec.”

“As Minister Responsible for the Côte-Nord Region, I am very happy about the active participation of two institutions from Sept-Îles in this Chair”, commented the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Minister Responsible for the Côte-Nord Region, Jonatan Julien. “As acting Minister Responsible for the Capitale-Nationale Region, I am proud to see these two regions, which I have had the privilege of representing, work together on a common project. And as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, I feel even happier, considering the importance of the natural resources sector in the regional economy.”

About INREST

The Institut Nordique de Recherche en Environnement et en Santé au Travail (INREST) is a non-profit organization that focuses on matters relating the environment and occupational health and safety. INREST stood out on the international scene by establishing the largest environmental observatory in an industrial port zone for the conservation of Quebec’s marine ecosystems, as well as by creating the Centre for Industrial Port Expertise (CEIP), a division of INREST.

About the Port of Sept-Îles

Boasting diversified and cutting-edge facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is the largest ore-handling port in North America, with an anticipated volume of close to 35 million tons for 2020. A pioneer in the St. Lawrence with the establishment of the first environmental observatory for its marine ecosystem, sustainable development is firmly anchored in its values and its actions.

Source :

Jean-François Huppé
Relations médias
Université Laval
418 656-7785
jean-francois.huppe@dc.ulaval.ca