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The Port of Quebec has unveiled a new vision and intends to spend $1.7 billion over the next decade to bring technology up to snuff and ensure the harbour is prepared for climate change.

Multiple projects are planned but a big part of the project is ensuring the century-old wharves are transformed to meet the modern realities of rising water levels and storm surges.

Real-time tracking sensors will also monitor the condition of the wharfs, provide data to a virtual replica, and help optimize long-term infrastructure.

Meanwhile, a specialized surface water management system will also be installed, along with equipment to set up shore power for merchant ships once international standards are finalized.

The plan will be rolled out in two phases over the next 10 years. Procurement for the first phase of the project will take place this year, with reconstruction work beginning in summer 2027.

Work will be sequenced strategically in order to minimize disruption to neighbouring communities and avoid paralyzing operations or compromising the fluidity of the supply chain. The ambitious project is the largest infrastructure investment in the history of the port.

Olga Farman, president and CEO at the port, said the renewal plan cements the strategic role of the maritime hub in the national supply chain, and Quebec City as the heart of sustainable logistics on the St. Lawrence River.

“This plan is about much more than construction; it’s a driver of prosperity for the entire region,” she said in a written statement. “Every dollar invested, every job created, and every wharf updated strengthens not only our ability to deliver, but our ability to connect and showcase Québec.”

In the first phase of the project, three wharfs in the Anse-au-Foulon sector will be rebuilt. The project aims to achieve Envision certification, an environmental standard in sustainable infrastructure that assesses projects against 64 criteria related to quality of life, climate resilience, resource management and governance.

According to the port, the approach is part of the anchorage’s commitment to responsible and sustainable action, which involves maintaining an ongoing dialogue with citizens through public consultations, greater transparency and regular communication with communities.

The port intends to subject each project to a stringent impact assessment and mitigation process.

The port, about 1,100 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean, is the last deepwater harbour in the St. Lawrence corridor, with a depth of 15 metres.

Beyond rebuilding the wharfs, the initiative will make the Québec and Canadian supply chains more resilient, enhance intermodality and keep workers safe thanks to high monitoring and engineering standards, the port says, while generating significant economic spin-offs.

The port’s assessment indicates up to $1.6 billion in value will be added to the GDP over 10 years, along with $800 million in tax revenues, and 5,000 to 7,000 jobs over the life of the plan.

The port and its employees handle more than 26 million tonnes of goods every year, with a commercial value of more than $15 billion. It is ranked fourth out of the 17 Canadian port authorities in terms of revenue.

Recently, a 60-metre section of one of the wharfs at the port collapsed into the St. Lawrence River, something the governing board maintains is an example of the foreseeable consequences of postponing investment in infrastructure that has reached the end of its useful life.

When the collapse was reported, Port of Québec teams mobilized and collaborated with port partners to secure the site, protect the public and employees and ensure navigation was safe.

However, given the asset’s advanced state of decay, the progressive deterioration of the materials and the harsh environment to which it is exposed, this type of failure is not surprising, the port said.

Wharf 25, built around 1905, is a 224-metre-long structure of wooden caissons topped by a concrete copewall. With the collapse of the copewall, the protective role of the wharf is now compromised, making the infrastructure even more vulnerable to erosion and river conditions.

The wharf had already been decommissioned for safety reasons, and the affected area had been closed for almost 10 years.

As a result of the incident, though, the port has stepped up its calls for the federal government to act quickly to modernize and rebuild the wharfs. The port maintains there is an urgency, as the venue is essential to safety, the protection of trade routes and the resilience of supply chains.

A significant proportion of the port’s wharves are made up of structures built in the early 20th century. Although as-needed repairs have been carried out over the years, the port said that the infrastructure has reached their limits.