By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

St. Laurent Mayor Alan DeSousa, who recently attended the Farnborough Air Show in the UK, is looking forward to the Boeing aerospace and mobility research centre planned for the Technoparc, located in the borough just off the Trans Canada Highway.

Boeing, with the Quebec government, announced this past May a commitment to invest $240 million in the Greater Montreal area, of a total $415 million in Quebec — Quebec is contributing $85 million. At the same time, Premier François Legault announced an aerospace innovation zone in Longeuil, Mirabel and Montreal — specifically St. Laurent, that will house the research facilities. Other investors in the overall project include Pratt & Whitney Canada, Airbus, Bombardier, Flying Whales Québec and Thales Canada.

Regarding the air show, DeSousa said that “all of the companies that are in aeronautics from St. Laurent were present, whether they be Bombardier or CAE, but also the companies from the Greater Montreal region,” he explained. “The aeronautical industry is the top generator in exports for Quebec, and a quarter of that is in our territory.”

Regarding the research centre, “Boeing has committed $80 million to that endeavour, and we’re quite keen and excited. The land is in the Technoparc, there would be the National Research Council and we would also have the universities such as McGill, Concordia and the Université de Montréal.

“There will be workspace for people to do research, there will be collaboration activities, there will be space sharing, the opportunity to create jobs in terms of the green planes (planes that are quieter and more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly), and autonomous planes (more automated planes with less functions for pilots). These are things that I had the privilege of sharing at the air show, this opportunity we have and that is about to unleash itself. I’m very pleased to say it was well received.” n