The cost of the Port of Montreal expansion in Contrecoeur is now estimated at $2.3 billion

The cost of the Port of Montreal’s expansion project in Contrecoeur has ballooned before construction has even begun.

The project, originally estimated at under $1 billion before the pandemic, had climbed to $1.2 billion in 2023 when the Montreal Port Authority presented a financial update.

In February, Premier François Legault welcomed the project’s completion, pegging the cost at $1.6 billion.

On Thursday, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Ottawa now considers it a $2.3-billion project, a jump of nearly 44 per cent from last year’s figures.

He made the remarks in Edmonton while announcing that the expansion has been added to the list of initiatives supported by the federal Major Projects Office.

“We are in discussions with the Port of Montreal to finalize the federal contribution. The federal government fully supports the Contrecoeur project,” LeBlanc said. “We recognize that there is a public funding component to cover the necessary amounts to reach $2.3 billion to complete the project by 2030 (…) the federal government is already a financial partner in the project, and we will be there to ensure it is indeed completed.”

Julien Beaudry, chief of staff and vice-president of communications at the Port of Montreal, declined to confirm the $2.3-billion figure.

But he acknowledged costs are being driven higher by additions such as investments in electrification to make the project carbon neutral.

“There are different figures circulating regarding the assessments. The figure will only be official once we’re finished,” Beaudry said. “This is a project whose costs fluctuate, both with inflation and the business decisions we make to make it both optimal and environmentally friendly.”

He added that negotiations with private partners are ongoing and said an official update will come once the financing package is finalized.

LeBlanc also stressed that being added to the Major Projects Office list does not guarantee new funding. “The Major Projects Office is not a source of public funding. These will be decisions that the government will make (…) It is not a savings account for cost overruns.”

The Contrecoeur expansion is expected to be completed by 2030.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews