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Press Release

A CANADA-QUEBEC INVESTMENT FOR A GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IN QUEBEC CITY

Quebec City, Quebec, January 28, 2010 – The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister for La Francophonie and Minister responsible for the Quebec City Region, and Ms. Line Beauchamp, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, and Mr. Sam Hamad, Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, are pleased to announce today their support for a green infrastructure project in Quebec City. This project represents a global investment of $57 million and will create more than 450 jobs in the region, directly and indirectly. To undertake this project, the Government of Canada is contributing up to one third of eligible costs, up to $16,577,504. The contribution from the Government of Quebec of approximately $17.7 million will be added to the municipal contribution. This announcement was made with His Worship Régis Labeaume, Mayor of Quebec City.

The Quebec City project involves the construction of a system to treat organic waste, including biomethanization and composting equipment. This will enable the treatment of 85,000 tons of organic waste, which, until now, had been incinerated. The biomethanization technology transforms organic waste into biogas, a green fuel that can be used to replace fossil fuels, such as biocarbons to fuel vehicles or biocombustibles for heat.

"This federal investment of more than $16.5 million demonstrates the commitment of the governments of Canada and Quebec to work together to benefit our economy and our environment. The project announced today will enable the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) while stimulating job creation in the Quebec City Region," said Minister Verner.

“This project will help to reduce significantly the volume of waste that is incinerated and will contribute to achieving our objectives in the fight against climate change. It will also enable us de promote the development of a renewable energy that will generate numerous jobs over the coming years,” declared Minister Line Beauchamp.

“This project will help the Capitale-Nationale region become one of the leaders in sustainable development in Quebec. In this regard, the region is already doing a good job, and has been for many years”, added Minister Sam Hamad.

The Government of Canada contribution to this project will be provided through the new, $1-billion, five-year, nation-wide Green Infrastructure Fund, which is part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan announced in the January 2009 Budget. This Fund supports sustainable energy generation and transmission, as well as wastewater treatment and solid waste management at the municipal level. The federal government is working with provinces, territories and other stakeholders to identify and approve projects to be funded under this program.

The financial support from Quebec is being granted under a program for the treatment of organic matter through biomethanization and composting, le Programme de traitement des matières organiques par biomgthanisation et compostage, which will benefit from a total investment of about $650 million, of which at least $187 million will come from the Government Quebec. Projects funded under this program will create approximately 5,200 jobs, directly and indirectly. This program aims to implement one of the major project components of the new Quebec policy regarding the management of residual materials, by progressively banning the landfilling of organic matter by 2020, while contributing to the achievement of the Quebec target for GHG emissions reduction.

The federal government is also evaluating other biomethanization projects to be undertaken in Quebec under the Green Infrastructure Fund. The total federal investment in these biomethanization projects could reach more than $170 million.

To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit http://www.actionplan.gc.ca. For more information on Government of Canada investments in infrastructure, visit http://www.creatingjobs.gc.ca/. The www.infrastructure.gouv.qc.ca web site provides information on Government of Quebec investments in infrastructure.

Information on the program for the treatment of organic matter through biomethanization and composting, le Programme de traitement des matières organiques par biomgthanisation et compostage, is available at www.mddefp.gouv.qc.ca/programmes/biomethanisation.

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Attachment: Backgrounder

SOURCE:

Frédérik Boisvert
Political Advisor
Office of Canada’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure
613-991-0700

Dave Leclerc
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks
418-521-3911

INFORMATION:

Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148

Media Relations
Ministry of Sustainable Development,
Environment and Parks
418-521-3991

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