Federal approval of an amendment to the Québec City Tramway Project (TramCité), including funding approval

Summary

Administered by Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC), the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) is one of the ways the Government of Canada provides funding to Canadian communities, especially to support the construction, expansion and improvement of public transit infrastructure for projects that:

• improve the capacity of public transit infrastructure,
• improve the quality or safety of existing or future transit systems; and
• improve access to a public transit system.

In 2019, the Treasury Board of Canada approved a federal contribution for this project. A Treasury Board submission was required to obtain the authority to amend the scope, costs, implementation schedule and governance of the Québec City Tramway Project (TramCité), as well as the approval of an additional federal contribution under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program of up to $332,318,576 for a total federal contribution of $1,440,000,000 for the amended project.

The project aims to build a 19 kilometre tramway in Québec City with 29 stations connecting the Le Gendre, Sainte-Foy, Université Laval, Parliament Hill, Saint-Roch, and Charlesbourg sectors in Québec City.

A climate, nature and economic lens was undertaken during the evaluation of the project amendment request to assess the environmental and economic impacts of the proposal and the project as a whole.

Key findings from the strategic environmental analysis

Effects on greenhouse gas emissions

The analysis determined that the project will have positive effects on the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the transportation sector. These effects stem from a reduction in individual travel time and road congestion resulting from the modal shift brought upon by the project.

Effects on biodiversity and the environment

The main environmental disturbances will be temporary and will occur during the construction phase. These will primarily include noise and dust generated by construction activities, site machinery and heavy vehicle traffic. Measures will be implemented to mitigate the impacts of these disruptions.

Tree relocations and removals will be necessary. Trees will be replanted to compensate for canopy losses where it is impossible to keep them on site. Deforestation work will be carried out in accordance with applicable regulations.

The project will also have impacts on wetlands. The losses will be compensated in accordance with current regulations and mitigation measures will be implemented to mitigate the impacts. Rehabilitation and monitoring programs will also need to be implemented.

Climate change impacts and adaptation solutions

The project promotes climate change resilience and supports ongoing adaptation to future impacts. The improved canopy and new public spaces will help reduce the heat island effect and air pollution.

The project faces climate vulnerabilities such as heat waves and precipitation intensity. Mitigation measures have been identified to address theses impacts.

Key findings from the cross-cutting considerations

Implications for Indigenous Peoples

The Government of Canada will engage with Indigenous peoples as appropriate and fulfill any legal duty to consult obligations.

Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS)

The project contributes to the following Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) goals:

• FSDS Goal 9: Foster innovation and green infrastructure in Canada
• FSDS Goal 13: Take action on climate change and its impacts.

Public perspectives

Various public consultations have been held as part of the project, and a Good Neighbor Committee has been set up.