Abandoning InnoVitam: Bruno Marchand underestimates the consequences for the eastern sector of the city

Bruges | The mayor of Quebec plays down the consequences of abandoning the InnoVitam project and expects the Quebec government to financially help develop the eastern sector of the city.

Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon confirmed to Radio-Canada that the government will not move forward with establishing an innovation zone in the eastern region of the city, a project that the municipality called “Innovitam”, but which it had previously called “Innovitam.” It has been in decline for several months. The minister told the government institution that the matter was “irrelevant,” and there were other projects for the Quebec region.

For Mayor Bruno Marchand, this does not mean that the city will not develop the eastern sector or that it has cleared 15 parcels of land there for nothing.

Finance

“We will develop this sector. We will do that. It is the sector of the future. Now, the question of financing, whether it is called InnoVitam or Machin owl, what is important to me is that the government supports us. When Mr. Fitzgibbon says there will be other projects in Quebec, we will work on it We will take his words seriously, and we will expect that he will be in Quebec.

The minister cited the Rabasca land in Lévis. This worries opposition leader Claude Villeneuve, who fears that Levis will take precedence over the capital. From Bruges, where he is on duty, the mayor reacted.

Levis was not outdone

“You have to lack self-confidence to think that Levis has overtaken you. Quebec is a capital city, and it has more than the lion’s share. And that Levis is developing, that’s a good thing.”

The land had to be cleared, anyway, the city’s mayor explains. “The decontamination process makes it possible to create housing and parks that could not be built on contaminated land.”

Concrete action is now expected from the government. “The money the Quebec government is providing to support economic development is important.”

Asked Thursday about abandoning Innovitam, Transport Minister Genevieve Guilbault confirmed that “there are many projects” for the greater National Capital Region.

She cited the metropolitan economic zone that aims to “attract investments, companies, foreign students and major events” to Quebec and Lévis.

– In cooperation with Tayeb Mualla