Moderna’s decision to set up in Laval is a reminder of the importance of accelerating the decontamination of industrial land on the eastern part of the island of Montreal in order to prevent the sector from being ruled out again from the outset when a point will be interested in Quebec, estimates the business community of the metropolis. The opposition to the Hôtel de Ville, Ensemble Montréal, sees it as a “statement of failure” of the Plante administration.
The American pharmaceutical giant confirmed on Thursday that its new Canadian manufacturing plant for messenger RNA vaccines will open in Laval. Its construction, a project valued at $180 million, should begin this year. When completed in 2024, the plant will hire 75 employees responsible for manufacturing operations.
“It’s extremely strategic,” insisted Thursday the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM), Michel Leblanc, about the eventual arrival in Laval of this plant, which will be able to manufacture approximately 100 million doses of vaccine per year. The metropolitan region, known for its research and development companies, will also be able to distinguish itself in the production of vaccines, he rejoices in an interview.
The land of the Laval biotechnology park where Moderna wishes to settle was ceded to it by the National Institute for Scientific Research (INRS), confirmed the latter to the To have to. The company will use this factory to produce vaccines against COVID-19, but also to develop treatments against Alzheimer’s and HIV, among others.
“The arrival of Moderna in Quebec is a sign of health innovation. It is major, and we are very proud of it, ”reacted on Twitter the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé. The mayor of Laval, Stéphane Boyer, described the arrival of this company in his city as a “true privilege”. “We welcome them today with enthusiasm and will follow this dossier with great attention,” he added.
“An acknowledgment of failure”?
The CEO of the East Montreal Chamber of Commerce, Jean-Denis Charest, also welcomed Moderna’s decision to settle in Laval on Thursday. In interview at To have to, However, he deplored that the east of the metropolis was ruled out from the outset by the multinational because of the complexity imposed by the presence of numerous contaminated industrial sites.
“It’s very rare for someone to take on a project and say they’ll do it in 10 or 15 years,” says Mr. Charest. However, this is what the east of the island of Montreal had to offer Moderna: the possibility of having land only once it has been decontaminated. “It puts Montreal East in a bad position for this kind of project,” laments Mr. Charest.
In recent years, several large sums have been granted by Quebec for the decontamination and revitalization of land in the east of the island, including an amount of $100 million disbursed in December 2019. But these sums are slow to materialize. materialize into actions, exasperated Mr. Charest, who believes that measures must be taken to accelerate the revitalization of the sector he represents. “When the next Moderna arrives, East Montreal needs to be fully considered. »
A position shared by Michel Leblanc. “What I do know is that Moderna’s intention was to settle quickly [dans la région], and in this sense, the fields in the East were not ready, confides Michel Leblanc. It reminds us of the importance of starting the decontamination of land in the East as quickly as possible. »
The official opposition at Montreal City Hall also sees in Moderna’s decision to settle in Laval “an acknowledgment of failure” on the part of the administration of Valérie Plante. “If the decontamination of the lands in the East had been a priority for her, we would certainly have had better negotiating leverage with Moderna,” reacted in writing the spokesperson for Ensemble Montreal in terms of economic development, Julien Henault-Ratelle.
Joined by The duty, the office of the minister responsible for the Montreal region, Chantal Rouleau, said it was “well aware that soil decontamination is a key element in accelerating the revitalization” of the east end of Montreal. “We will continue our efforts, with the City, to ensure that we get results. »
“The economic development of the East of Montreal is a priority, and it passes in particular by the decontamination of the grounds which is in progress, and which we wish to see accelerate”, for its part assured the cabinet of Mr.me Plante au Devoir, which indicates that the arrival of Moderna in Laval is “nevertheless” “excellent news”.