(Montreal) The REM de l’Est project in Montreal is of interest to WSP Global, but the Montreal engineering firm is awaiting the publication of a call for tenders in due form before working in more detail on its proposal.
Posted at 5:01 p.m.
“The call for tenders has not been submitted yet, so there is nothing for us to bid on at this time,” said the company’s president and CEO, Alexandre L’Heureux, in interview on the sidelines of a speech before the Canadian Club of Montreal, Monday. If there is a call for tenders and the work is well done, we would definitely be interested in bidding. »
CDPQ Infra, a subsidiary of the Caisse de depot et placement du Québec, announced in March that it had decided to delay the final presentation of the project to the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE), which was scheduled for this spring, in order to obtain better support from its partners, including the City of Montreal.
“Of course we are preparing upstream, but as long as we do not know the results of all this, it is difficult to have optimal preparation, said the big boss of WSP. We are waiting for more details to bid. »
Mr. L’Heureux avoids commenting on the debates that led to the postponement of the call for tenders. “I don’t have an opinion on what the politician should or shouldn’t do. All I can say is that when I look at the speed at which the first REM developed, I think it’s been a great success so far. »
WSP had tried to obtain the engineering and construction contract for the first REM route, but the company had been beaten by its rival SNC-Lavalin.
Map of Biden
The horizon is clearer for the infrastructure investment plan in the United States, which raises great hopes for the management of the Montreal company.
US lawmakers last fall approved a US$1.2 trillion bill aimed at modernizing the country’s infrastructure. US President Joe Biden’s government investment plan is considered one of the most ambitious in modern US history.
Mr. L’Heureux still believes that society will see the fruits of this from 2023. “We will not see anything in 2022, we will have to wait until 2023. That, I am confident: we will see some [des retombées]. »
During his address, the leader said he did not fear the effects of rising protectionist sentiment. He mentioned that the company has a strong local footprint south of the border with nearly 12,000 employees in the United States.
By comparison, the company’s presence in Ukraine and Russia is negligible, said the executive who gave an update on the impact of the conflict on WSP’s activities. “We have nothing in Russia. We work very little in Ukraine. We have less than $750,000 in revenue in this region. Out of 10 billion, it’s minimal. »
Mr. L’Heureux reiterated the goal of doubling the size of the company in the long term. He added that his industry was fragmented and there remained opportunities for acquisitions.