Montreal successfully defends CDPQ Infra Inc. against an action challenging the REM project

Our Montreal office successfully defended CDPQ Infra inc., a subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and promoter of the Réseau express métropolitain, a C$6.3bn public transportation infrastructure project and the largest in Quebec since the Montreal subway, inaugurated in 1966.  

Members of the Montreal Climate Coalition alleged the project had not been subject to effective consultation, despite the fact that the environmental assessment procedure had been followed, and sought to have the public consultation declared "flawed, irregular, void and contrary to equity as well as to fundamental justice.”

In December 2017, the Quebec Superior Court held that the coalition’s action had no chances of success and granted CDPQ Infra’s motion to have the application dismissed.

The Montreal Climate Coalition appealed the Superior Court’s decision.

On September 28, 2018, the Court of Appeal dismissed a motion by coalition members for the issuance of a safeguard order that sought to halt project construction on the light-rail line extending to the Montreal airport and, on November 26, 2018, the Court of Appeal dismissed the coalition’s appeal.

The team included Jean G. Bertrand, Andres Garin and Dominique Noël.