Government of Canada provides early decision on the Matane Port Facilities Expansion Project in Quebec

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) completed an assessment of the Matane Port Facilities Expansion Project, in Quebec, and determined that its potential adverse effects within federal jurisdiction would be limited or addressed through other means.

March 5, 2026 —  Ottawa, Ontario —  Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) completed an assessment of the Matane Port Facilities Expansion Project, in Quebec, and determined that its potential adverse effects within federal jurisdiction would be limited or addressed through other means.

To arrive at its section 16 decision under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA), IAAC engaged other jurisdictions, federal experts, stakeholders, the public, and Indigenous Peoples to review the project description and identify potential effects within federal jurisdiction and frameworks to address these potential effects. 

IAAC is of the view that the potential adverse effects within federal jurisdiction would be limited or addressed through existing federal and provincial laws and regulations. These include but are not limited to the Fisheries Act, the Species at Risk Act, the Canadian Navigable Waters Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 and the Safe Food for Canadians Act, as well as Quebec's Environment Quality Act, the Act respecting threatened or vulnerable species, the Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife and the Act respecting the conservation of wetlands and bodies of water.

As a result, the federal impact assessment process is now complete. As a next step, Société portuaire du Bas-Saint-Laurent et de la Gaspésie (the proponent) will be required to seek any necessary federal and provincial authorizations and permits for the project.

The documents and list of factors considered can be found in IAAC's Notice of Early Decision with Reasons.