Expenses scandal at Port of Montreal: To finance VP's exit

Our Bureau of Investigation has learned that Genevieve Deschamps, vice-president of finance at the Port of Montreal, who made some questionable expenses at the restaurant, is no longer employed by the federal corporation. According to our information, this decision was taken after a meeting with the senior management.

The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) confirmed the departure of Mr.^me Deschamps, however, declined to comment.

This summer, we revealed that some members or former members of senior management made a number of surprising expenditures, including expensive meals with colleagues. The expenses are not in accordance with the company's operating expenses policy. A vp and former CEO also had to reimburse some expenses following our inquiries.

Finance Department headed by Mr.^me Deschamps is responsible for application and compliance with this policy and is responsible for verifying the accuracy of reimbursement requests. We asked APM to be their VP in July. Either the cost overrun has been previously notified or it has not followed the procedure.

“M^me Deschamps doesn't remember hearing this kind of information,” communications director Rene Larouche answered us at the time.

Salty restaurant additions

M^me Deschamps, while acting as CEO, contributed to large restaurant expenses himself. For example, in December 2023, she paid a $377 bill with her corporate credit card for an alcoholic meal at a beach club in the United Arab Emirates with another vp, Guillaume Brossard. Both colleagues are participating in COP 28. Their five-day trip, including three to the COP, cost $24,000.

In September 2023, in Brussels, she spent $260 on a meal, including cocktails, and $80 on foie gras for dinner with a colleague. She also charged a $225 meal a few weeks later, with only a credit card statement as supporting document. No meeting with the client or colleague was recorded. Every time, APM settles the credit card bill.

She is not alone. His colleague Mr. Brossard paid with an APM credit card for a celebratory dinner for a colleague at the Ritz-Carlton in Geneva. Total bill, including oysters, lobster roll and cocktails: $316. Mr. Brossard was forced to pay back two years later, after our questions.

Former CEO, Martin Imbleau's bills are also huge and include several luxury restaurants and hotels. Although APM policy prohibits this type of spending, after our questions he had to refund the $470 minibar bill.

Since then, the Port of Montreal has revised its policy. It is now specifically stated that the daily allowance will limit the amount spent on meals with colleagues without customers during travel. Alcohol is no longer refundable.

The previous policy already mentioned the existence of the allowance, but APM explained to us that the mandate regarding meals while traveling was “vague”.

M. Imblew, M^me Deschamps and Mr. Brossard all reached APM in 2021. Actually, Mr. Imbleau recruited two of his colleagues who had worked at Énergir. Mr. Imbleau finally left APM in September 2023 and it was Mr.^me He was replaced by Deschamps on a temporary basis. In February, a new CEO, Julie Gascon, was appointed and began work to tighten cost controls.