MONTREAL, Que. — The government of Quebec has announced it will invest $300 million into the development of industrial ports in the province.

The announcement was lauded by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), which hopes to take advantage of the funding.

“We believe in the merits of the concept of industrial port areas, and we are very pleased with these major investments. Montreal is a natural, ideally suited site to implement such a concept. Like the Port of Montreal, ports are real engines for attracting business and there will definitely be no shortage of interest in developing business in this stimulating context,” said Sylvie Vachon, president and CEO of the MPA.

The implementation of industrial port areas throughout Quebec is part of the Quebec government’s Maritime Strategy 2015-2020 Action Plan, a policy made public in June 2015 and hailed by the MPA.

“The project to develop industrial and port areas is a perfect fit with our business strategy, called Port+, which aims to pool efforts toward common issues and opportunities, and to provide value-added services close to port facilities,” added Vachon. “Our project to develop a container terminal at Contrecoeur is also bound to contribute positively to the government’s commitment to maximize the attraction that a port holds for business.”

The MPA also hails the Government of Quebec’s commitment to invest in port and intermodal infrastructure through a $200-million budget provided for by the Ministry of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transport Electrification.