International delegation on City-Port relations in Trois-Rivières

(Posted on 21/06/18)

The Port of Trois-Rivières, the City of Trois-Rivières and Innovation et développement économique Trois-Rivières in Canada have hosted an international delegation of nearly 100 participants on 14^th June. This event was organised as part of the International Association of Cities and Ports 16th World Conference (IACP) held this past week in Quebec City.

The Port of Trois-Rivières is an important player in regional, national and international economic development for major industrial sectors such as the aluminum industry, forestry and agri-food.

Founded in 1988, the IACP is the only international organization dedicated to the advancement of port cities. Over the last 30 years, it has brought together both public and private sector actors interested in a best practices approach to city-port relations. In this regard, the IACP expressed its interest in learning more about the Trois-Rivières experience.

This visit provided an opportunity for participants to discover the efforts made by the City and Port to enhance the Trois-Rivières waterfront. Some of the issues discussed included the development the City’s Trois-Rivières sur Saint-Laurent project, the Port’s On Course for 2020 Plan and the creation by the two partners of the Industrial Port Zone (IP Zone). The program also included a visit to the Boréalis Museum, Old Trois-Rivières, the Harbour Park, the Port’s facilities and the IP Zone. A meeting with various business and socio-cultural community representatives as well as with actors from the Trois-Rivières political arena completed the day’s program.

As Mr. Gaétan Boivin, President and CEO of the Trois-Rivières Port Authority explained, “The Trois-Rivières community can be proud of the interest shown by other port cities in our achievements in terms of city-port relations. It demonstrates our success and the potential for collaboration between the City and the Port in the realization of projects to promote the advancement of our community”. Mr. Mario De Tilly, Executive Director for Innovation et développement économique Trois-Rivières, thanked the guests for their visit to Trois-Rivières, adding that “We are confident that it will allow us to initiate lasting relationships between our communities to support our respective development efforts.”

IACP President, Mr. Philippe Matthis, added that he was delighted by this visit and impressed by the level of partnership between the City and the Port of Trois-Rivières. “The results are a source of inspiration for other port communities around the world.”

As part of the 18 Canadian Port Authorities and active since 1882, the Port of Trois-Rivières offers a wide range of facilities and services to the maritime industry throughout the year. The Port of Trois-Rivières accommodates 55,000 trucks, 11,000 railcars and more than 200 merchant and cruise ships annually originating from over 100 different ports in more than 40 countries around the world. It handles over 3 million metric tonnes of traffic and generates nearly 1,000 direct jobs.