Save the Quebec Bridge

Mayor Bruno Marchand must be very firm in his expectations regarding the Quebec bridge file. His grocery list for the election campaign.

in all Last week it said it had to “stop being smart”.Bruno Marchand, however, refrained from putting pressure on the Quebec government.

However, the position of Francois Legault and his team regarding these heritage jewels and the necessary infrastructure is unacceptable. This has dire consequences for the entire region.

Since when does a tenant refuse to pay rent because there is a change of owner, as the outgoing government did?

We need to look beyond the federal-provincial dispute where the CAQ tries to include the debate on purely electoral grounds.

Ensure its stability

A third link or, the existing two bridges are absolutely necessary for the region’s economy. So we have to look at their maintenance and ensure their sustainability.

It certainly allows it if the federal maintenance plan gets it.

Parts that cannot be replaced or are difficult to replace are given priority.

The bridge’s steel will be replaced when it is 30% instead of the current 50%. We refresh the paint on 80% of the structure every 20 years.

But without the Quebec deal, the deal that makes the federal owner of the first link is at risk of falling apart.

This is all the more dramatic as the outgoing government competes for an additional amount of between 3.5 and 5 million a year at most.

Remember that the Quebec government, the main user of the Quebec bridge, pays rent to three different owners of the bridge and has done so continuously since 1947.

The rent has reached seven million per annum for the past three years. As Mr. Legault revealed last year, the amount the federal government claims from the Quebec government, unchanged, is $375 million over 25 years.

In his report, therein News magazine Obtained a copy, negotiator Yvonne Charest estimates costs indexed at 2% per year due to inflation. The agreement between CN and Quebec expires on September 30. The rent will be increased depending on the occasion.

Back to square one

The other problem is that if the federal government withdraws, Quebec, unwilling to become a buyer, will be left alone before CN.

From this point of view, the maintenance deficit of the Quebec bridge continues with obvious effects on its “lifespan”. We return to step one, without considering the region’s interests.

And it remains to be seen how Bruno Marchand’s position will change as he reveals his list of priorities today. But he clearly has every reason to demand that the Quebec government stop playing its game.