Trois-Rivières, July 2nd, 2010 – The Trois-Rivières Port Authority is pleased to announce that Mr. Luc Forcier, CA, Director – Finances and Administration, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec (Ordre) after the votes were counted last June 9. Mr. Forcier will officially take up his duties as a member of the Board of Directors next September 30.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the general administration of the Ordre and enforcing the provisions of the Professional Code, the Chartered Accountants Act, and their respective regulations. More specifically, Mr. Forcier’s presence on the Board of Directors of the Ordre will help convey the opinions of the region’s chartered accountants on topics of interest within the profession, including the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and the profession’s main policy directions.

Finally, having a hand in the affairs of the profession is nothing new for Mr. Forcier; in fact, he has been involved with the Regroupement des CA de la Mauricie et du Centre-du-Québec for several years, and has even held the chairmanship since 2008.

Founded in 1880, the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec has over 17,800 members and 1,900 candidates to the profession. It is primarily dedicated to the protection of the public by enforcing the strictest controls for entering the profession and applying the highest professional and ethical standards.


As one of the 17 Canadian Port Authorities, the Port of Trois-Rivières has been active for more than 100 years, offering a wide range of facilities and services year-round to the maritime industry. It is a major player in economic development at the regional, national and international levels. For more information visit www.porttr.com

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For information:
Mr. Jacques Paquin
Vice-President, Marketing and Business Development
819-378-2887, ext. 28

Trois-Rivières, May 11, 2010 – At its Annual General Meeting, the Trois-Rivières Port Authority (TRPA) submitted its annual report on activities in 2009. Completing the funding for Phase 1 of its strategic plan On Course for 2020 and initiating the process of modernization of its facilities were among the year’s highlights. This work will lay the foundations for the future development of the Port of Trois-Rivières.

Port users and the regional community all testified to the importance of modernizing the port’s infrastructures for the economic development of the region. “Our modernization plan was well received by the federal and provincial governments. Their contributions, combined with an investment of $5.9 million from the TRPA’s own fund, will position the Port of Trois-Rivières at the forefront of the maritime port industry’s needs and expectations, while remaining within a framework of sustainable development”, stated Mr. Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the TRPA. It should be pointed out that the Government of Canada granted $5.9 million from the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, while the Government of Québec contributed $2 million through its Programme d’aide à l’intégration modale.

In terms of traffic at the Port of Trois-Rivières, figures for 2009 matched the previous year at 2.6 million metric tons. This was a remarkable performance given the current economic slowdown. Operating revenues fell from $4.55 million in 2008 to $4.16 million in 2009, on account of changes observed in the traffic mix. “In spite of this, the TRPA’s financial position remains strong, allowing for the continued implementation of Phase 1 of its modernization plan On Course for 2020”, explained Mr. Pierre Ducharme, Chairman of the Board.

The TRPA is continuing its involvement with various maritime associations as a way of advancing Trois-Rivières’ position on different issues, including infrastructure funding and promotion of maritime transportation, with its economic and environmental benefits. It also was involved in the integrated analysis of the economic impact generated by shipping and port activities in the St. Lawrence corridor and headed the organization of a seminar entitled Le transport de marchandises en région : une force mobilisatrice, held by the Association québécoise du transport et des routes (AQTR). In Trois-Rivières, the TRPA joined the 375th anniversary celebrations by hosting the opening show on wharf no 10 and also took part in many special features and other coverage that marked this important event. The TRPA was awarded the Radisson in the category Entreprise de services à l’entreprise (Business services to businesses) by the Commission scolaire du Chemin-du-Roy at the 25th Gala Radisson held for the Trois-Rivières business community.

The TRPA also emphasized the contributions of its partners. In 2009, users of the Port of Trois-Rivières invested more than $3 million in the purchase and modernization of their equipment and also in staff training, in order to improve their performance and become more competitive, while reducing their operations’ environmental impact.


As one of the 17 Canadian Port Authorities, the Port of Trois-Rivières has been active for over a century, providing a wide range of facilities and services year-round to the maritime industry. It is a major player in economic development at the regional, national and international levels. For more information, visit www.porttr.com
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Source:
Danielle Cantin
Communications Danielle Cantin inc.
Telephone: (819) 373-7135
Cell.: (819) 691-5176

Information:
Jacques Paquin
Vice-President, Marketing and Business Development
Trois-Rivières Port Authority (TRPA)
Telephone: (819) 378-2887

Trois-Rivières, May 11, 2010 – Prior to its Annual General Meeting, the Trois-Rivières Port Authority (TRPA) hosted a conference lunch where the Mayor of Trois-Rivières, Mr. Yves Lévesque, and Mr. Pierre Ducharme, Chairman of the Board of the TRPA, introduced their shared vision for the development of the banks of the St. Lawrence and St. Maurice Rivers. As both a port city and an urban port, Trois-Rivières must find the right balance between social, environmental and economic considerations in the use of its riverbank areas. “Joint action is essential when the Port and the City are planning and implementing their respective projects”, explained Pierre Ducharme from the TRPA.

Indeed, the Port’s modernization plan, On Course for 2020, and the City’s development project Trois-Rivières sur Saint-Laurent provided a unique opportunity for cooperation which led to the linkage of these two visions of development. The agreement reached by the City and the Port cover several projects that will be beneficial both to the Port and the people of Trois-Rivières. This agreement encompasses, among other things, the consolidation of port boundaries by redesigning access roads, developing the intersection of Notre-Dame Centre, Saint-Roch and de la Fosse Streets and creating a new city park and a pathway.

The redesigned traffic lanes will improve access to the port by directing heavy traffic to the western portion of the port, thus avoiding the downtown core and reducing truck holdups on nearby streets. In addition to preserving the aesthetics of the neighboring area, port boundaries will be delineated to meet legislative requirements regarding safety and access to port facilities. This will also result in improved modal transfers and higher productivity for the port.

“Several riverbank areas along the St. Lawrence will become accessible to the citizens of Trois-Rivières. New parks will be developed at the intersection of Saint-Roch and de la Fosse Streets and in the extension of Harbourfront Park. Also, a riverside promenade between Harbourfront Park and the site of Trois-Rivières sur Saint-Laurent will soon be accessible to the public with the opening of a pathway along warehouse 1. Almost 2 km of shorelines along the St. Lawrence and St. Maurice Rivers will be available to citizens and tourists” stressed the Mayor of Trois-Rivières, Yves Lévesque.

A close cooperation built over several years between the City and the Port will help the Trois-Rivières Port Authority carry out Phase 1 of its plan which aims to a more harmonious interface between port activities and city life. The people of Trois-Rivières will enjoy new public spaces and better access to the riverbanks, while reaping greater economic benefits from port activities, whose environmental impact will be reduced. In short, this landmark agreement between the TRPA and the City of Trois-Rivières is seen as a concrete application of sustainable development principles.

Trois-Rivières, January 7, 2010 – Traffic in the Port of Trois-Rivières in 2009 was similar to that of 2008, with 2.6 million metric tons. These results are remarkable in view of the economic recession. In fact, several ports on the St. Lawrence had a marked decrease in traffic and the Trois-Rivières Port Authority had estimated an 8% decrease.

As for tonnage by category of merchandise, dry bulk cargo increased by 18% to reach 2.2 million tons. This increase is mainly due to the grain sector which continued the strong growth that had started in 2008. This growth compensated for the 50% decrease in general merchandise traffic which went from 300,000 to 150,000 tons and the 30% decrease of bulk liquid that went from 400,000 to 300,000 tons. These decreases are essentially due to the economic conditions.

“2008 was already an excellent year and we can only be pleased with the results from 2009,” states Mr. Gaétan Boivin, President and Chief Executive Officer of the APTR. “There are some sectors that suffered from the economic crisis, but we can only hope that they will recover, even partially, in 2010. However, as a whole, the level of traffic remained strong and the Port of Trois-Rivières is both optimistic and realistic about 2010, because we know that things are still far from being back to normal,” he concludes.

“The situation should improve in the long term, especially since the facilities that have been or will be developed in 2009 and 2010 during phase 1 of On Course for 2020 will start to bear fruit in 2011, or even before the end of 2010,” adds Mr. Ducharme, president of the APTR Council.

One of 17 Canadian port authorities, the Port of Trois-Rivières has been in operation for over 400 years and offers a broad range of facilities and services to the maritime industry. It plays an important role in regional, national and international economic development. For more information, visit www.porttr.com

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Source:
Jacques Paquin
Vice-president of Marketing and Business Development, APTR
(819) 378-2887, ext. 28

Trois-Rivières, January 7, 2010 – Mr. Gaétan Boivin, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Trois-Rivières Port Authority, is pleased to announce that Mr. Michel Parent has been appointed Director of Operations. Mr. Parent boasts thirty years of experience in the maritime environment as a marine engineer, project manager and operations manager.

“He joined the APTR team during phase 1 of On Course for 2020, the modernization and development plan that will be carried out between 2009 and 2020 and will require a total investment of $146 million,” states Mr. Ducharme, Chairman of the Board of the APTR. “There is no doubt that his project management skills and extensive maritime knowledge make Mr. Parent a tremendous asset to our organization,” adds Mr. Boivin.

Mr. Parent is pleased to join the Port Authority of Trois-Rivières’ team. He is aware of the magnitude of the job and will put all his energy into working with the APTR team, the Board of Directors and various partners of the port in order to complete On Course for 2020. This modernization plan will improve the port’s facilities in order to better meet commercial needs, improve the link between the port area and the surrounding urban area and reduce the environmental impact of port activities.

Mr. Parent holds a degree in marine engineering from the Institut maritime du Québec à Rimouski. He has also taken several specialized courses in marine engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering at the École de technologie supérieure. Director of Operations for the past 22 years at Oceanex, a company that specializes in short sea shipping, the maritime sector and everything involving ships hold no secrets from Mr. Parent. His many accomplishments include replacing part of the fleet, implementing new information technologies for ship management and negotiating collective agreements.

Trois-Rivières, July 9, 2009 – The Trois-Rivières Port Authority welcomes with great satisfaction a contribution of $5.9M from the Government of Canada, which completes the critical funding required to start phase 1 of On Course for 2020, the modernization plan put forward by the Port of Trois-Rivières. This funding announcement was made today by Mr. Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada. This contribution is part of the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, which is aimed at propping up the economy in the short term. This program targets projects that would not have gone forward without the help of the Canadian Government and whose level of readiness allows for their completion by March 2011. Moreover, the project’s relevance must be clearly demonstrated and it must get complementary funding from other levels of government or developers. The TRPA projects meet all these criteria.

“The infrastructure modernization and development plan will be carried out between 2009 and 2020 and its implementation will require a total investment of $146 million”, stated Mr. Pierre Ducharme, Chairman of the Board of the TRPA. The work planned in 2009-2010, estimated at $14,8 million, will improve the city-port interface, reduce the environmental impact of port activities and increase the port’s operational efficiency and competitiveness. “The projects that will be undertaken include laying out the port’s perimeter and adding new access roadways, so that port activities can fit more harmoniously within an urban setting. We’re also planning to expand our outside storage space while improving our inside storage. We will also add new rail tracks which, in addition to increasing our rail capacity, will facilitate car handling. Overall, port capacity will go up 22%”, said Mr. Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the TRPA.


“In cooperation with port users, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of port activities by adding dust collectors, developing green spaces, providing better control of heavy traffic and lowering energy consumption. Lastly, the Government of Canada’s contribution will allow the TRPA, in conjunction with the City of Trois-Rivières, to develop a pathway along hangar 1 to connect Harbourfront Park with the “Trois-Rivières sur Saint-Laurent” project ” added Mr. Boivin.

“In accordance with our plan On Course for 2020, completion of all these projects was predicated on obtaining public financing in addition to the TRPA’s share”, noted Mr. Pierre Ducharme, Chairman of the Board of the TRPA. Today’s announcement comes on top of the $2M announced recently by the Government of Québec. The remainder of the funding, $6.9M, will come from the TRPA’s own funds. “It should be stressed that without this contribution, we could not complete the work planned for 2009-2010. I join all members of the Port of Trois-Rivières and the regional communities in thanking Mr. Paradis and his team for their support and confidence in this important regional project”, added Mr. Pierre Ducharme.

The investments made by the TRPA in 2009-2010 will generate direct and indirect spinoffs resulting in a $7.6 million ($9.5 million with induced effects) in added value to the Canadian economy, the creation of 102 jobs (133 jobs when induced effects are included) and $1.9 million in tax revenues for the Governments of Québec and Canada ($2.4 million when induced effects are included).

“These projects are welcome news in the region. We’re embarking on major new developments that will create great opportunities for our businesses. In addition, the transformation of our current port into one that meets the needs of tomorrow will facilitate the emergence of new national and international markets and will bolster short-sea shipping. In this gloomy economic climate, the Port of Trois-Rivières will help create much needed jobs in our region and in Québec”, concluded Mr. Ducharme.