Brossard, January, 2024 – On the occasion of the “Grande Rencontre” to be held with the Mayor of the City of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier, on January 19th, the South Shore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIRS), along with the partners co-signing this letter, wishes to express its resolute support for the future Aerospace Innovation Zone. Such an initiative allows Quebec to position itself as a champion on the global stage and is of crucial importance for the economic growth of our region.

The presentation in the form of three hubs (Mirabel, Saint-Laurent, and Longueuil) within this project will reinforce Quebec’s strategic positioning on the global stage in the aerospace field and further stimulate research, development, and innovation. The Chamber fully recognizes the economic, technological, and social benefits that this Innovation Zone will provide to the aerospace sector as a whole and to our community.

It is worth noting that Longueuil’s aerospace vocation is historically and firmly rooted. The city relies on renowned industrial players such as Pratt & Whitney Canada, a true trailblazer for the entire ecosystem celebrating its 95th anniversary, and Héroux Devtek, another multinational present in the area since 1942.

The region also hosts numerous SMEs that have chosen the South Shore as their location, in addition to housing prestigious academic institutions such as the École nationale d’aérotechnique (ENA), the largest college-level institution in aeronautics in the world, and the Centre de technologie en aérospatiale (CTA).

Last fall’s significant announcements also mark the arrival of new players in the region and attest to the undeniable appeal of the South Shore for the future of the aerospace industry, both domestically and internationally. This includes the new terminal at Montreal Saint-Hubert Airport in partnership with Porter, the École de technologie supérieure (ETS), as well as the Swiss company H55, a technological and commercial subsidiary of the inspiring Solar Impulse project.

We take this opportunity to applaud the vision of the Government of Quebec, which, by assigning clear leadership to Aero Montreal in the project, demonstrates its commitment to the development of the aerospace sector, a key industry for the local economy. This is also a recognition of the historical role played by Aero Montreal in promoting collaboration, competitiveness, and innovation within Quebec’s aerospace cluster.

It is worth recalling that the Innovation Zone aims to accelerate the transition towards sustainable air mobility and decarbonization of the industry by facilitating the transition from idea to market, attracting private (local and foreign) investments, promoting clean and sustainable growth, as well as territorial and human development.

The Chamber and its partners are convinced that the future Aerospace Innovation Zone will confirm Quebec’s position as a global leader in the field. By fostering synergy between the hubs of Mirabel, Saint-Laurent, and Longueuil, this initiative will contribute to the creation of quality jobs, the attraction of strategic investments, and the emergence of innovative projects.

The Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ), the Alliance des chambres de commerce de la Montérégie (ACCM), and Développement économique de l’agglomeration de Longueuil (DEL) co-sign this letter and join their voices with that of the Chamber to support the initiative. We strongly encourage all stakeholders, both public and private sectors, to unite their efforts to realize this large-scale project and to work together to ensure the success of the future Aerospace Innovation Zone.

The South Shore Chamber of Commerce and Industry is proud to support this highly structuring initiative and will deploy the necessary efforts to ensure its full success.

The green transition of aviation is happening right here!

 

Jean-François Lévesque, président-directeur général 

Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de la Rive-Sud (CCIRS) 

 

Cosignataires 

Charles Milliard, président-directeur général 

Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ) 

 

Julie La Rochelle, présidente 

Alliance des chambres de commerce de la Montérégie (ACCM) 

 

Julie Éthier, directrice générale 

Développement économique de l’agglomération de Longueuil (DEL) 

À propos de la Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de la Rive-Sud 

Depuis 1959, la Chambre agit comme catalyseur de la croissance économique de la Rive-Sud, en plus d’être un porte-parole reconnu auprès de la communauté d’affaires, du public et des différents paliers de gouvernement.  

Elle exerce une influence significative en mobilisant et en donnant une voix aux entreprises et aux acteurs économiques de son territoire, établissant ainsi sa position en tant que réseau indispensable pour la communauté d’affaires de la seconde région économique en importance au Québec. 

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Pour toute information complémentaire ou demande d’entrevue :  

Annabelle Lacroix
Conseillère, Communications et marketing
Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de la Rive-Sud
communications@ccirs.qc.ca
450-463-2121, poste 224