Misplaced Pages

#271728

114-733: Olympic Village is an underground station on the Canada Line of Metro Vancouver 's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station is located at the intersection of Cambie Street and West 2nd Avenue, adjacent to the Cambie Street Bridge in Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada. The station is located in the Fairview neighbourhood and serves the South False Creek residential and commercial areas, which included

228-738: A "civic landmark and centrepiece for the Capital District". In 2015, the Eglinton Crosstown (LRT) and Blue22 (airport rail link) projects in Toronto were awarded to SNC-Lavalin, who was one of only two bidders for the Crosstown line. Both lines have since been transferred to Metrolinx ownership. The Crosstown line is due to be completed in 2020, but has seen repeated delays and currently has no opening date, while Blue22 opened as Union Pearson Express in 2015. SNC-Lavalin

342-537: A "made-in-Canada version of a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) regime", called the "Remediation Agreement Regime", which was introduced in the March budget and came into effect in June 2018. By 2019, SNC-Lavalin, still facing criminal charges in regard to several contracts, began investigating the possibility of a DPA under the newly introduced Remediation Agreement Regime, as early as April 2018. On February 10, 2019,

456-947: A 30-year contract valued at $ 179 million to "design, build, finance and operate" the William R. Bennett Bridge in Kelowna , British Columbia . Construction which was completed in 2008. In 2004, the firm was awarded the contract for Canada Line , an extension of the SkyTrain rapid-transit system in Vancouver; the project was completed in 2009, ahead of schedule. The Goreway Power Station , an 869.8 megawatt gas-fired power generation facility in Brampton , Ontario, near Pearson Airport , constructed by way of an EPC agreement with SNC-Lavalin, began commercial operation in 2009, for Toyota Tsusho and Chubu Electric Power . The firm completed

570-583: A bench for people to sit in. Soon after the Canada Line opened, the sculpture was disfigured by skateboarders performing grinds on it. The work was repaired by Khouri at her own expense. Canada Line The Canada Line is a rapid transit line in Greater Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, that is part of the SkyTrain system. The line is owned by TransLink and InTransitBC and

684-551: A connection to the 99 B-Line service. There are currently only two routes serving Vancouver International Airport : the N10 NightBus, running parallel to the Canada Line along Granville Street , and route 412, running between Airport South and Bridgeport station . Riders on these bus routes are not subject to the YVR AddFare. The Airport Station exchange was downgraded to a regular bus stop on September 7, 2009,

798-436: A cost of $ 25 per tonne. In addition to the lost sales, this meant that SaskPower had been forced to pay Cenovus $ 12 million in penalties. In 2017, Cenovus sold its Saskatchewan operations to Whitecap Resources . By September 2018, "SaskPower and SNC-Lavalin had completed mediation and were headed to binding arbitration". In July 2018, SaskPower announced, in its annual report, that they would not be proceeding with retrofitting

912-434: A cost of $ 88 million to increase capacity on the line. The sole-source contract allowed for commonality between the two train models, and reduced the number of specialized tools and parts required. These were delivered in 2019 and 2020. During the planning and public consultation stages, the line was known as the "Richmond-Airport-Vancouver Line", or RAV for short. The name "Canada Line" was adopted in 2005 to coincide with

1026-525: A countersuit for wrongful dismissal, claiming lost wages and damages to his reputation, alleging that he had been framed and scapegoated by higher-level executives whose directives he was obliged to follow. By February 2012, SNC-Lavalin investors had found out that audited financial statements had been delayed to accommodate an internal review relating to SNC-Lavalin's operations. The internal review probed $ 35 million of unexplained payments in Libya. Prior to

1140-466: A division of Hyundai Motor Group . The trains are powered by conventional electric motors, rather than the linear induction motors used by the Expo and Millennium Line's Bombardier ART trains. Canada Line trains are operated by the same SelTrac automated train control system used in the rest of the SkyTrain network. The selection of Rotem was largely a consequence of the request for proposals process for

1254-549: A few weeks after the opening of the line. Bus routes that used this loop were discontinued (as in the case of the 424 and the 98 B-Line ), short-turned (as in the case of the 100, renamed 100 Marpole Loop), or redirected to Bridgeport station (as in the case of the 620, C90, and C92). Work began in May 2021 to extend the Millennium Line from VCC–Clark station west along Broadway to the new Arbutus station , allowing for

SECTION 10

#1732797797272

1368-554: A large portion of this funding will be used on the Expo and Millennium Lines, a portion will be used on the Canada Line stations. The federal government is contributing $ 30 million and the province is adding $ 40 million toward fare gates, or controlled access gates. Construction began in October 2005 and was completed in August 2009. At initial completion, the line comprised the following construction elements: In addition to

1482-550: A proposal to build a line along the Cambie corridor involving a minimal amount of tunnelling, at a saving of about $ 300 million over the previously fully grade-separated proposal. The province responded to the suggestion by withdrawing funding until after the 2010 Olympics; Minister of Transport Kevin Falcon said that such a change of scope could no longer be accommodated in the time left before 2010. Mayors and councillors sitting on

1596-500: A report that said Trudeau contravened section 9 of the Conflict of Interest Act by improperly pressuring Wilson-Raybould. The report details lobbying efforts by SNC-Lavalin to influence prosecution since at least February 2016, including the lobbying efforts to enact DPA legislation. The commissioner has also found that Trudeau acted improperly when using his position of authority over Wilson-Raybould in an effort to have her overrule

1710-436: A subsidiary company named Candu Energy to market the design and supply of CANDU reactors . On June 23, 2014, SNC-Lavalin acquired Irish engineering and construction business Kentz for approximately CA$ 2.1 billion (US$ 1.95 billion). In 2017, SNC-Lavalin acquired its UK rival WS Atkins —a British design, engineering and project management consulting firm, for approximately CA$ 3.36 billion with $ 1.9-billion investment from

1824-601: A temporary streetcar demonstration service, operated on the Downtown Historic Railway between Olympic Village station and Granville Island. Olympic Village is served by a single entrance located on 2nd Avenue at the southwest end of the Cambie Street Bridge. The following bus routes can be found in close proximity to Olympic Village station: Outside the station is a sculpture by Marie Khouri, Le Banc or The Bench , intended to double as

1938-459: A transfer to the Canada Line at Broadway–City Hall station. As indicated in material presented by the City of Vancouver at public meetings in early 2006, this station was designed with such a future extension in mind. A "knock-out" panel was installed in the concourse that would facilitate construction of a connection between the station and a Broadway-corridor SkyTrain extension. The Canada Line uses

2052-570: A two-month period centred on the Olympics. The Canada Line was built as a public-private partnership . Funding was provided by both government agencies and a private partner, the proponent. As of March 2009, the entire project was expected to cost $ 2.054 billion. The premier of BC stated that the project was on budget and ahead of schedule. When approved in December 2004, the cost was given as $ 1.76 billion. The public contributions to

2166-537: A way to further reduce the best and final offer, RAVCO no longer required that the proponent provide for 59 ticket vending machines and 38 ticket validating machines or for a police unit to operate on the RAV line. RAVCO also shifted responsibility for moving trolley wires from SNC-Lavalin to TransLink. Costs were also decreased due to decisions to single-track sections on the Richmond and airport branches. The Richmond branch

2280-807: A wide green centre median that is currently a grassy area with various species of trees, including cherry trees donated by the City of Yokohama on occasion of the 1967 Canadian Centennial. The residents had already been mobilized in 1989 in response to the possibility of elevated rail along Cambie Boulevard. In effect the residents were opposed to surface, trench, or elevated rail along much of Cambie Street. Even cut-and-cover construction raised concerns over construction impacts and temporary traffic diversions. Cost and ridership risks were also concerns to property tax–paying residents. Advertisements asked residents to join "to prevent Vancouver's worst traffic nightmare and from burdening ourselves and our children with unnecessary tax risks for years to come". The society suggested that

2394-543: Is 41 metres (134 ft 6 in) long and 3 metres (9 ft 10 in) wide, and longer and wider than the Bombardier ART fleet used on the Expo and Millennium lines. Each train has LED electronic displays on the exterior to indicate the terminus station and on the interior to display the next station and the terminus station, a useful feature considering the line has two branches. In 2018, twelve additional trainsets were ordered by Translink from Hyundai Rotem at

SECTION 20

#1732797797272

2508-609: Is a joint venture company owned by SNC-Lavalin, the Investment Management Corporation of BC (bcIMC), and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec . The BC government had committed $ 370 million, but when the bid came in over budget, it contributed an extra $ 65 million. TransLink also put in extra money by committing money from the sale of the Sexsmith Park and Ride in Richmond and from

2622-642: Is one of three main partners of the Rideau Transit Group, along with ACS Group and EllisDon Confederation Line , on a 12.5 kilometre rapid-transit line project in Ottawa with a 2.5 kilometre downtown subway tunnel as the centrepiece. The project, originally scheduled to be completed in 2018, is expected to be completed in Spring 2019. In 1995, SNC-Lavalin won a large infrastructure contract to renovate and modernize hydro electric power stations with

2736-528: Is operated by ProTrans BC . Coloured turquoise on route maps, it operates as an airport rail link between Vancouver , Richmond , and the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The line comprises 16 stations and 19.2 kilometres (11.9 mi) of track; the main line runs from Vancouver to Richmond while a 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) spur line from Bridgeport station connects to the airport. It opened on August 17, 2009, ahead of

2850-502: Is operationally independent from British Columbia Rapid Transit Company, which operates SkyTrain's Expo and Millennium lines but is considered a part of the SkyTrain network. Like the other two SkyTrain lines in Metro Vancouver, it is also light metro rapid transit, using fully automated trains on grade-separated guideways. However, the trains are powered by conventional motors with third rail electrical pickup rather than

2964-754: Is possible to transfer between those two stations via a short walk through Pacific Centre or Vancouver Centre Mall. Stations were configured to allow for the future installation of fare gates, and received fare gates in 2013 as part of full implementation throughout all SkyTrain stations. Every station has an up escalator and an elevator, but only the three terminal stations have down escalators. Until late 2019, six stations (Vancouver City Centre, Olympic Village, Broadway–City Hall, Marine Drive , Templeton , and YVR–Airport) were equipped with self-service flight check-in kiosks which allowed customers to check into their flights at Vancouver International Airport while at these stations. Provisions have been made to allow for

3078-477: Is the only station with a stacked configuration, and Broadway–City Hall station is the only station with a double-height ceiling over the platforms. Vancouver City Centre station is linked to Pacific Centre mall and Vancouver Centre Mall, in addition to having street level access. All direct transfers to the Expo and Millennium Lines must be made at Waterfront station; there is no direct connection from Vancouver City Centre station to Granville station. However, it

3192-486: Is the third name for this station: its original proposed names were "2nd Avenue" and later "False Creek South". Olympic Village is within a short walk of the False Creek Ferries and Aquabus ferry stop at Spyglass and Stamp's Landing. Both companies provide service to Granville Island , David Lam Park, Yaletown, Plaza of Nations and Science World, while False Creek Ferries provides service to Kitsilano and

3306-656: The Globe & Mail reported that sources close to the government said that the Prime Minister's Office allegedly had attempted to influence Jody Wilson-Raybould 's decision concerning SNC-Lavalin's request for a DPA, while she was Minister of Justice and Attorney General. When asked about the allegations, Justin Trudeau said that the story in the Globe was false and that he had never "directed" Wilson-Raybould concerning

3420-692: The Toronto Star reported that Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer met with SNC-Lavalin CEO Neil Bruce on May 29, 2018, to discuss the remediation agreement. The director of public prosecutions informed SNC-Lavalin on October 9, that its DPA option was rejected because "is not appropriate in this case". According to the National Post , "If the company is convicted it would be barred from bidding on federal contracts for 10 years, potentially costing it billions in forgone revenue." In response,

3534-467: The 2010 Winter Olympics . The Canada Line was anticipated to have 100,000 boardings per day in 2013 and 142,000 boardings per day by 2021, but it has consistently exceeded early targets. Ridership has grown steadily since opening day, with average ridership of 83,000 per day in September 2009, 105,000 per day in March 2010, and over 136,000 passengers per weekday in June 2011. During the 17 days of

Olympic Village station - Misplaced Pages Continue

3648-514: The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec . In late 2018, SNC-Lavalin agreed to form a joint venture with the Swedish-Swiss industrial giant ABB for the delivery of turnkey electrical substation projects. This new company, named Linxon, undertakes project design, engineering, procurement, and construction activities for a range of clients in the transport, utilities, and renewable electricity generation and transmission sectors. In 2021

3762-567: The Indian government . In 2007, the firm won the $ 4.6-billion Ambatovy mine engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) management contract, the largest capital project in Madagascar's history. It was completed in 2010. The nickel and cobalt mining and preparation plant was completed in 2010. SNC-Lavalin sold its share for $ 600 million. There has been controversy about the mine's environmental and health impacts. In December 2016,

3876-555: The Olympic Village built for the 2010 Winter Olympics . The use of the term "Olympic" was licensed for use from the International Olympic Committee . During the planning and approval process for the Canada Line, Olympic Village station was initially intended for completion along with the rest of the line. When the cost of the project had to be scaled back by TransLink (circa 2005), the station

3990-719: The Padma River in Bangladesh , resulted in the former SNC-Lavalin employees being cleared of all charges by a Canadian court. In May 2011, two former SNC-Lavalin International Inc. (SLII) employees Ramesh Shah and Mohammad Ismail met government officials in Bangladesh to discuss a bid for the $ 50-million supervision contract to build the Padma Bridge , a project estimated to be worth US$ 3 billion. Part of

4104-760: The Quebec Pension Plan and is the second largest pension fund in Canada, after the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), has increased its financing of Quebec enterprises from 2003 through 2013. SNC-Lavalin's management teams have been investigated in a number of allegations under the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act regarding contracts beginning with the SNC-Lavalin Kerala hydroelectric dam scandal (1995–2008) through to

4218-577: The director of public prosecutions , in the Court of Quebec . The charges allege that from 2004 to 2011, Morin orchestrated and solicited political donations from employees or their spouses to Canadian federal political parties anonymously on behalf of SNC-Lavalin, to be reimbursed afterwards. The amounts paid included about CA$ 110,000 to the Liberal Party and CA$ 8,000 to other Canadian political parties. In November 2018, Morin pleaded guilty to two of

4332-448: The 18.4 kilometres (11.4 mi) of track above, there are about 500 metres (1,600 ft) of track in the OMC. Opponents have claimed that the approval process was undemocratic and dishonest. In 2004, critics said that the projected ridership figures were grossly inflated; ridership projections were exceeded in 2010 and subsequent years. Opponents also argued that the official claim that

4446-597: The 1990s to build transportation projects in Malaysia and Turkey. SNC-Lavalin acquired a 27% share in Ontario's Highway 407 toll road for $ 175 million. In 2011, SNC-Lavalin sold part of its share of Highway 407, at a significant profit. In June 2011, SNC-Lavalin purchased the commercial reactor division of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) from the Government of Canada for CA$ 15 million. SNC-Lavalin established

4560-433: The 2010 Winter Olympics, the line carried an average of 228,190 passengers per day. Governance of the project was through Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc. (CLCO), formerly RAV Project Management Ltd. (RAVCO), a reflection of the original "Richmond–Airport–Vancouver" name). The line was built by SNC-Lavalin , and InTransitBC is under contract with TransLink to manage the line for its first 35 years, until 2044. The Canada Line

4674-768: The Arbutus corridor does not have the major concentration of transit destinations and origins that exist along the Cambie Street corridor, such as Vancouver City Hall , Vancouver General Hospital , Oakridge Centre , and Langara College , which are necessary to provide the ridership required for this project to be successful. Also the Arbutus corridor is longer than the Cambie corridor and would cause longer travel times. The Cambie corridor further had greater potential for future ridership growth. The Project Definition Report further specified that any service had to be able to travel from Waterfront station in downtown Vancouver to

Olympic Village station - Misplaced Pages Continue

4788-499: The BC minister of transport and premier reaffirmed that this was the final contribution and that any cost overruns would be the responsibility of the proponent. The Canadian Union of Public Employees opposed the use of a P3 to design, build, and operate the Canada Line. The P3 process did not allow precise plans to be developed with public consultation, but limited discussion to certain abstract parameters, while leaving actual design details to

4902-444: The Canada Line was underbuilt for its ridership, especially because more people moved into transit-oriented developments along the line following its completion. In 2019, former Vancouver city councillor Gord Price noted that the desire to have the line open in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, as well as not exceeding the budget, led to cautious decision making. In 2018, 20 additional trainsets were purchased to increase capacity on

5016-641: The Canadian Criminal Code . The company stated that, between 2001 and 2011, over $ 47.5 million had been paid to Al-Saadi Gaddafi. The money was directed through two representative companies, both listing Riadh Ben Aissa as the sole beneficial owner. In return for the bribes, Al-Saadi Gaddafi applied his influence to the construction contract bidding process, ensuring contracts were awarded to SNC-Lavalin Construction. Payments of personal benefits totalling over $ 73.5 million were also made through

5130-482: The Council of Tourism Associations, and Tourism Vancouver led the call on the premier. While the board ultimately voted to proceed, the incident had lasting repercussions for TransLink. When the results of the bidding process indicated that an elevated option in Richmond was the winning bid, Richmond council engaged in some last-minute opposition to the RAV line and refused to give RAVCO the green light. Objections to

5244-707: The Middle Arm of the Fraser River, connecting to stations on Sea Island and terminating at YVR–Airport station (15.0 km [9.3 mi]). Portions of the airport branch are at grade in order to accommodate a future elevated taxiway for aircraft over the line. Both branches narrow to a single track as they approach their respective terminus stations. Just before Bridgeport station is the Operations and Maintenance Centre (OMC) facility, which houses Canada Line trains that are not in use. Station construction

5358-602: The North Arm of the Fraser River , leaving Vancouver and entering Richmond . Just beyond Bridgeport station (11.1 km [6.9 mi]) at a flying junction , the line splits, with the Richmond branch heading south on elevated tracks along No. 3 Road and terminating at Richmond–Brighouse station (14.5 km [9.0 mi]). The airport branch turns west and crosses the Middle Arm Bridge over

5472-498: The Ontario government signed a $ 3.1 billion 99-year lease for Ontario Highway 407 with 407 International Inc. , a conglomerate of three private companies, including SNC-Lavalin. It was renamed 407 ETR. In the early 2000s, SNC-Lavalin won the contract to repair Montreal's Jacques Cartier Bridge . In 2002–2003 the firm completed a feasibility study of the Lac Doré Vanadium Deposit , in which they established

5586-724: The Prime Minister's Office attempted to influence Wilson-Raybould. On February 27, 2019, Wilson-Raybould spoke about the SNC-Lavalin controversy at a hearing of the House of Commons justice committee. In her first substantial public statement on the matter, she testified that she was inappropriately pressured to prevent the Montreal-based company from being prosecuted in a bribery case. On 14 August 2019, Mario Dion , conflict of interest and ethics commissioner, released

5700-469: The TransLink Board, however, could not come to an agreement on this alternate plan of action. The impasse created a stir in the business community, which joined together and called for the province to take over control of the project. "The Coalition FOR a Lower Mainland Rapid Transit Solution" in a newspaper ad called on the premier to "please rescue our rapid transit". The Vancouver Board of Trade,

5814-687: The West End. The station was within walking distance of Leg-In-Boot station on the Vancouver Downtown Historic Railway , a tram service that operated on weekends from 1998 to 2011, connecting Science World and Main Street–Science World station to Granville Island. The Downtown Historic Railway ceased operations in 2011 due to financial constraints. During the 2010 Winter Olympics , the Olympic Line ,

SECTION 50

#1732797797272

5928-759: The World Bank's global projects. The World Bank had originally offered to fund $ 1.5 billion of the $ 3 billion but pulled back following the allegations. However, on February 11, 2017, the Ontario Superior Court found no proof of the Padma bridge bribery conspiracy, dismissed the case, and acquitted the ex-SNC-Lavalin executives. According to the Dhaka Tribune , Justice Ian Nordheimer rebuked the Canadian police, saying: "Reduced to its essentials,

6042-459: The addition of the following infill stations in the future: Many transit services connect with the Canada Line and form an important part of the service. With the opening of the line, most bus routes in Richmond, and connecting services from White Rock, Tsawwassen, and Ladner, doubled their service frequency. Waterfront station provides connections to the R5 Hastings St , Expo Line , West Coast Express , and SeaBus . Broadway–City Hall provides

6156-437: The airport in 25 minutes or less. At-grade transit, either along Cambie or the Arbutus corridor, was ruled out as a result. The reason or origin for this exact requirement was not specified, although travel times were considered an important factor in attracting new riders and in retaining existing riders, who were now required to make an extra transfer relative to the existing bus service. All partner contributions were made upon

6270-436: The allegations involving the bribing of Libyan officials between 2001 and 2011. SNC-Lavalin won a large infrastructure contract to renovate and modernize hydroelectric power stations with the Indian government in 1995 which resulted in an alleged net loss to the Indian exchequer of 3745.0 million rupees , but led to no charges against the firm. SNC-Lavalin was subsequently accused of bribery and financial fraud related to

6384-405: The allegations were related to SLII common practice of list project consultancy costs (PCC), also known as project commercial cost, as a line item in internal budgets documents related to the bidding process. As a result of the original investigation by World Bank investigators who worked with RCMP officers, in September 2013, the World Bank blacklisted SNC-Lavalin and its affiliates from bidding on

6498-419: The backdrop of the transformative advances in electrification . Surveyer worked on hydropower projects with his partner, Augustin Frigon (1888–1952), an engineer, professor, and Director at the Polytechnique Montréal where Surveyer had earned his degree. In 1912, they worked on a power distribution network for the city of Grand-Mère on Saint-Maurice River . The project that increased the company's profile

6612-404: The beginning of construction. Some early documents also refer to it as the "Olympic Line", in recognition of the 2010 Winter Olympics , continuing the practice by which the Expo and Millennium lines were named after significant events occurring at the time of construction. This name was adopted for the demonstration modern streetcar service that operated along the Downtown Historic Railway for

6726-413: The bribery cases involving Arthur Porter at the McGill University Health Centre . According to a 2012 article in the Globe & Mail , these reports prompted calls for Canada to tighten bribery laws. According to the National Post , SNC-Lavalin employees allegedly were involved in fraud and forgery in relation to a $ 22.5 million kick-back described as "consulting fees" to Arthur Porter on

6840-413: The bribery scheme. The RCMP launched a subsequent investigation called Agrafe 2 into potential criminal charges against the company concerning the bridge contract. Two of the company's subsidiaries and two former executives, Normand Morin and Kamal Francis, were charged in September 2021. The prosecution encouraged the company to negotiate a plea deal, given the top management had completely changed since

6954-467: The bribes were discovered, the audit committee of the company's board launched an investigation into the matter, led by directors such as Claude Mongeau , then the CEO at Canadian National Railway . During the audit committee investigation, the Financial Post wrote a story critical of full-time CEOs serving on the boards of directors of other companies, calling out Mongeau specifically. Charges were laid against senior executives from 2014 through 2019 in

SECTION 60

#1732797797272

7068-405: The bridge bike path was paid for by TransLink and not considered part of the cost of the Canada Line. The Olympic Village station cost an additional $ 29   million. RAVCO was set up by the agencies funding the transit line to oversee project design, procurement, construction, and implementation. This TransLink subsidiary, later renamed Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc (CLCO), made distributions to

7182-448: The budget come from the following sources: These sums are all in 2006 dollars, except for the government of Canada's contribution, which will be paid out when constructed, and is estimated to be equivalent of $ 419 million 2003 dollars. The private partner was expected to contribute $ 200 million, and be responsible for any construction cost overruns. As of November 7, 2009, InTransitBC has invested $ 750 million. InTransitBC

7296-537: The builder as work progressed. The table below lists the year-by-year contributions (in millions of dollars) made by various governments on a year-by-year basis up to December 31, 2008. Contributions by TransLink are total disbursements minus contributions from the City of Vancouver, the government of British Columbia, and the government of Canada. Calculations show that TransLink has contributed $ 271   million to date. It has committed an additional $ 52   million in its 2009 budget. The private sector will operate

7410-529: The case. Wilson-Raybould refused to comment on the matter citing solicitor-client privilege . Under pressure from the Conservative Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party (NDP), on February 11, 2019, the conflict of interest and ethics commissioner launched an inquiry into allegations of political interference and a possible violation of the Conflict of Interest Act in the SNC-Lavalin case. On February 18, 2019, Gerald Butts , Trudeau's principal secretary, resigned and denied that he or anyone else in

7524-551: The choice of technology and platform length to the proponent) and a maximum travel time between the airport and downtown Vancouver of 24 minutes. The fleet consists of 32 fully automated two-car articulated trains, for a total of 64 cars. The capacity of the trains is estimated at 334 people per pair of cars (comfortably) or 400 people at crush load . The trains have a top speed of 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) in normal operation and 90 kilometres per hour (56 mph) in catch-up mode. Each married pair of gangway-connected cars

7638-486: The city of Montréal and the company’s French-Canadian roots. The new name also evoked the word ‘realise’, as in ‘make happen’. The new name was used immediately on all communications materials and the Toronto Stock Exchange (new ticker symbol TSX: ATRL). The legal name switch requires shareholder approval at the company's 2024 annual general meeting. SNC-Lavalin sold the Scandinavian businesses of Atkins to French engineering firm SYSTRA for $ 102 million in 2023. In 1999,

7752-427: The company's oil & gas business, including the former Atkins and Kentz oil and gas businesses, was sold to Dubai -based Kentech Corporate Holdings. After the transaction was completed Kentech changed its name to Kent plc. On September 13, 2023, SNC-Lavalin announced it was rebranding to become AtkinsRéalis. President and CEO Ian Edwards said the new name combined the Atkins legacy brand and ‘Réalis, inspired by

7866-412: The company's share prices dropped, leaving it vulnerable to a hostile takeover. According to the Montreal Gazette , Quebec Premier François Legault said that SNC-Lavalin was one of ten publicly traded companies headquartered in Quebec that the province considers to be "strategic" and therefore in need of protection from a takeover that would force the company to leave the province. On February 8, 2019,

7980-431: The construction of Ermine Power Station for SaskPower in Saskatchewan in 2009. In 2010 the firm completed the construction of a $ 1.3 billion hospital at the McGill University Health Centre . (See discussion regarding controversy, below.) The firm was awarded the 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards for its work in structural and civil engineering for the Halifax Central Library project in which they created

8094-400: The contract in 2008. A government investigation resulted in the expulsion of several Indian government officials. Former Federal Bridge Corporation CEO Michel Fournier was charged with taking $ 2.35 million in bribes from SNC-Lavalin in return for the contract to repair the Jacques Cartier Bridge in the early 2000s. Fournier pleaded guilty and sentenced in 2017 to five years for his part in

8208-765: The contract to build the new $ 1.3 billion hospital at the McGill University Health Centre 's CEO in violation of the Quebec Health Act . SNC-Lavalin were awarded the contract even though they were outbid by $ 60 million. The case led to an investigation by the Charbonneau Commission . Porter resigned from the post on December 5, 2011, in light of substantial public pressure. Porter was arrested in Panama on fraud charges on May 27, 2013, which alleged that he took part in

8322-882: The deposit as the largest vanadium deposit in North America. In 2005 SNC-Lavalin in partnership with Brun-Way Group, won the $ 543.8-million contract to build the Brun-way project to twin Route 2 , the New Brunswick portion of the Trans-Canada Highway from Woodstock, New Brunswick to Fredericton . The contract with the New Brunswick government was completed in 2007. In June 2005, the BC Department of Transport selected SNC-Lavalin for

8436-406: The director of public prosecution's decision not to negotiate a deal with SNC-Lavalin that would see the company avoid criminal prosecution over charges of corruption and fraud stemming from an RCMP investigation. The report analyses SNC-Lavalin's interests and finds that the lobbying effort advanced private interests of the company, rather than public interests. The report's analysis section discusses

8550-1334: The elevated line included its visual impact and the impact and cost of any extensions into Richmond. The line would have varied impact on businesses along No. 3 Road. In November 2004, a survey of 11,750 people was conducted by RAVCO to determine if people in Richmond supported an elevated or at-grade service in Richmond. Of the respondents, 58 percent favoured an elevated option. SNC-Lavalin The firm has approximately 37,000 employees worldwide, with offices in over 50 countries and operations in over 160 countries. The company's key service sectors are buildings, defence, mining, electrical power, transportation, and water; each sector offers services that includes design, studies, consultancy, financing , asset management , engineering , construction , procurement and operations and maintenance . Operations include mass transit and heavy rail systems, highways , bridges , airports and marine facilities, as well as industrial, commercial, cultural and healthcare buildings. Mining and metallurgy sector offers services to green fields and brown fields projects of any sizes or complexity including "mining commodities, fertilizers, and sulphuric acid facilities". Its power sector provides services in environment and water,

8664-406: The execution of the embezzlement" of $ 22.5 million of company funds. Duhaime was charged with several counts related to the bribe. In February 2019 he pleaded guilty to one count of breach of trust. The prosecution vacated some 15 further charges. An investigation into an alleged graft related to 2011 bids for the construction of the 6.51 kilometre (four-mile) USD$ 3 billion road—rail bridge crossing

8778-416: The fare or do not have a valid fare may be fined $ 173 and/or removed from the station or train. Canada Line attendants are the customer service staff for the Canada Line. They are easily identifiable by their green uniforms. They provide customer service, troubleshoot certain problems with the trains, observe and report safety issues, and check fares. The Canada Line uses a fleet of trains built by Rotem ,

8892-681: The firm won a BOO (build–own–operate) (BOO) contract from Crestwood Equity Partners valued at $ 100 million for multiple gas facilities in the Permian shale basin in the United States. In March 2016, it was awarded an $ 800M EPC management contract for a Middle East gas processing project. The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is SNC-Lavalin's "long-term partner". According to an article by Pierre Fortin in L'actualité , Quebec Deposit and Investment Fund (the Caisse), which manages

9006-467: The five charges, and was fined $ 2,000. The remaining three charges were dropped by the prosecution. A 2012 CBC News report, said that the first reports of murky affairs surfaced against the company in 2010 in relation to contracts in Libya. According to a CBC News article, a Libyan bribery and fraud scandal involving crimes that took place from 2001 to 2011 led to charges in "connection with payments of nearly $ 48 million" to Libyan public officials. In

9120-456: The head of SNC International, had "signed several of the contracts between SNC and commercial consultants for work in Africa" having declared that "he believed he was dealing with veritable consultants" and having been later cleared of any wrongdoing by investigators, as reported by La Presse . This included a contract with former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi 's controversial government. By

9234-518: The information provided in the [wiretap applications] was nothing more than speculation, gossip, and rumor." In 2015, internal documents from SaskPower (the crown corporation that is the principal electric utility in Saskatchewan , Canada), revealed that there were "serious design issues" in the carbon capture and storage system at its coal-fired Boundary Dam Power Station , resulting in regular breakdowns and maintenance problems that caused

9348-477: The introduction of a special fare in the Airport Zone. In November 2004, bid costs were reduced by postponing the construction of a walkway between Waterfront station and the cruise ship terminal, removing Westminster station, and moving Richmond Centre station and the end of the line several hundred metres north. TransLink would further pay for the cost of reinstallation of the trolley wires along Cambie. As

9462-577: The kick-back scheme. The CBC called it the biggest fraud investigation in Canadian history. SNC-Lavalin CEO, Pierre Duhaime in March 2012, was arrested on fraud charges by Quebec authorities on November 28, 2012. SNC-Lavalin sued Duhaime for millions of dollars in damages, claiming that he stained its goodwill by means of the McGill University Health Centre superhospital scandal. The company claims that Duhaime "facilitated

9576-750: The launch of the investigation, there had been months-long media speculation about the company's work in Libya and its ties to the Muammar Gaddafi family. In 2012, the RCMP investigated the company on these charges in the Project Assistance investigation and, in 2015, they charged SNC-Lavalin with "fraud and corruption", which the company indicated they would contest in court. On December 18, 2019, SNC-Lavalin Construction Inc. pleaded guilty to fraud contrary to section 380(1) a) of

9690-494: The line by 35 percent. Although the latest proposal for rapid transit did not include an option for rapid transit down the Arbutus corridor along the abandoned CPR right of way, Vancouver council reopened debate on this issue. Given that the rail right of way is currently zoned for transit use with space available for transit lines, running the line down the Arbutus corridor may have been more cost-effective than tunnelling under Cambie. The planners and RAVCO, however, countered that

9804-496: The line for 35 years in return for a share of its operating revenue. In early 2006, TransLink decided not to install turnstiles at Canada Line stations, but stations would be designed to accommodate controlled access to allow TransLink to install them for less cost if it wished to do so in the future. On April 9, 2009, TransLink, the provincial government, and the government of Canada announced joint funding of $ 100 million to introduce turnstiles at all 49 SkyTrain stations. While

9918-409: The line instead be constructed along Arbutus, where its impact and cost would be minimal. Despite the society's concerns, one of the final two proposals for the Canada Line in 2004 involved a trench in the centre of Cambie Street from 49th to 64th Avenues. On June 18, 2004, the TransLink Board voted 6–6 to oppose sending the project to the "best and final offer" stage. Opponents of the project favoured

10032-473: The line transitions back to a cut-and-cover tunnel (which is noted by the tunnel changing from a circular to a square shape), heading south under Cambie Street . This section has some portions where the two sets of tracks are stacked vertically. The line emerges from the ground just south of 64th Avenue, climbing to an elevated guideway. The line continues elevated across the North Arm Bridge over

10146-598: The linear induction system used on the other SkyTrain lines. The Canada Line begins in Downtown Vancouver at Waterfront station (0.0 km [0 mi]) in a cut-and-cover subway tunnel beneath Granville Street . It quickly goes into twin-bored tunnels, heading southwest beneath Granville Street, then curving southeast to follow Davie Street through Yaletown . The tunnels then dive deeper to pass below False Creek before rising back up to Olympic Village station (2.7 km [1.7 mi]). There,

10260-640: The most important projects was the work he oversaw on the recently nationalized Hydro-Québec 's Manic-5 project (1959–1970) on the Manicouagan River , north of Baie-Comeau . It was built for hydroelectric power production and supplies water to the Manic-5s power houses . The firm's first international contract was awarded in 1963, to design and build the 780 MW Idukki power station in Kerala State, India. SNC's main rival in Canada

10374-986: The newly formed company, SNC-Lavalin until 1999. He oversaw major projects including the TransCanada highway in Montreal, the Louis-Hippolyte-Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel , the Olympic Stadium in Montréal, and Alcan in the Ville de La Baie. He also oversaw projects in Benin and in Algeria. Bernard Lamarre's younger brother, Jacques Lamarre , a civil engineer , became SNC-Lavalin's CEO in 1996 and left his post in 2009. According to Ingram, SNC-Lavalin partnered with Bombardier in

10488-474: The offences had occurred. Bribery payments were made through a Lebanese intermediary to Fournier, and were disguised as fictitious work on projects in Algeria and Libya. In May 2022 the company negotiated a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay fines, surcharges and victim compensation totalling $ 29.6 million to settle the matter. In 2016, commissioner of Canada elections was probing political party donations made by SNC-Lavalin employees. According to

10602-548: The original company name. In the 1970s, Lavalin designed and built the fabric roof for Montreal's Olympic Stadium and built the James Bay Project , in a partnership with the United-States-based Bechtel . According to a 1986 Maclean's article by Anthony Wilson-Smith, Lavalin was Canada's "largest engineering firm, with $ 625 million in operating revenues in 1985 and 5,700 employees. SNC

10716-513: The private partner. Before the building of the line, TransLink had projected that it would require a 100,000 passenger/day average to reach the "break even point". They also projected that it would take about three years for capacity to reach this point and that TransLink would be responsible for the loss. However, the Canada Line reached its projected ridership goal in late 2010, three years early. In 2017, TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond suggested that

10830-421: The project had nothing to do with Vancouver's bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics was not credible. Opponents of the RAV line's public-private partnership (P3) believe it was politically motivated and that it will cost more money because of the private involvement. However, the private involvement allowed for construction costs to be known and fixed up front. After raising its contribution to $ 435 million,

10944-453: The public-private partnership, whose terms did not allow Bombardier to consider efficiencies in combining operations or rolling-stock orders for the new line with those for the existing system. This placed all bidders on a level playing field, albeit at the cost of not necessarily picking the most efficient choice for long-term operation. The RFP also required that the system have a capacity of 15,000 passengers per hour in each direction (leaving

11058-538: The representative companies to Ben Aissa and Sami Bebawi, a former vice-president of SLCI. As part of its plea agreement with the Public Prosecution Service, SLCI was fined $ 280 million and given a three-year probation order. In exchange, the remaining corruption and fraud charges against SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., SNC-Lavalin Construction Inc. and SNC-Lavalin International Inc. were stayed. After

11172-525: The rest of the stations have 40-metre (130 ft) platforms that can be easily extended to 50 metres. The termini at YVR–Airport and Richmond–Brighouse stations are single-tracked, whereas the Waterfront station terminus is double-tracked. The double-tracking is necessary to accommodate the three-minute headways between trains on the Waterfront–Bridgeport portion of the line. King Edward station

11286-471: The same article, it was reported that the company was also accused of "defrauding Libyan organizations of an estimated $ 130 million". In 2015, SNC-Lavalin was charged with bribing Libyan officials in exchange for construction contracts between 2001 and 2011. In 2011, the RCMP began an investigation called Project Assistance which was triggered by a tip from Swiss authorities. According to an August 16, 2013 Financial Post article, Michael Novak, who had been

11400-695: The same fare system as the rest of the transit system managed by TransLink, with two exceptions: The Canada Line operates on a "Fare Paid Zone" system. Passengers are required by law to possess a valid fare when they are in Fare Paid Zones. Fare Paid Zones are clearly marked, and fares can be bought from Compass Vending Machines at all stations. Fare inspections are mostly conducted by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service . Passengers who fail to pay

11514-522: The source that provided information to CBC News, the investigation found that SNC-Lavalin reimbursed all of those individual donations—a practice forbidden under the Canada Elections Act —but Elections Canada reached an agreement with the company to avoid prosecution. In May 2018, former SNC-Lavalin executive vice president Normand Morin was charged with making illegal donations to Canadian federal political parties, on recommendation from

11628-569: The specifications set in the Project Definition Report. Any "significant change" would allow each partner to reconsider its respective contribution. As the Arbutus corridor proposal could not meet the specifications, this could put participation of funding partners in jeopardy. Residents along Cambie Boulevard created the Cambie Boulevard Heritage Society in 1994, which opposed any alteration to

11742-600: The summer of 2013, police alleged that the "unknown commercial consultants" had never existed and that Ben Aissa had "set up shell companies so he could pocket the [$ 56 million] himself". By July 2014, Aissa was jailed in Switzerland for "suspicion of corruption, fraud and money-laundering in North Africa". When SNC-Lavalin pulled out of Libya in 2011, it left behind $ 22.9 million in Libyan banks. In 2013, Roy filed

11856-595: The transmission and distribution of energy, hydro power , nuclear power , renewables and thermal power generation, energy from waste, electrical power delivery systems", and "clean and sustainable power technologies". In 1911, Arthur Surveyer established a consulting engineering office, Arthur Surveyer & Cie., in Montréal after completing studies in Belgium and at the Polytechnique Montréal and working for several years with public works. Against

11970-458: The two aging facilities near Estevan —Boundary Dams 4 and 5 (BD4 and BD5) with carbon capture and storage (CCS). According to a February 11, 2019 CBC News article, SNC-Lavalin has "received about $ 765,800,000 in [Saskatchewan provincial] government contracts from 2009 to 2018". Following a 2017 public consultation process, the Government of Canada moved forward with the establishment of

12084-474: The unit to be operational only 40% of the time. SNC-Lavalin had been contracted to engineer, procure, and build the facility, and the documents asserted that it "has neither the will or the ability to fix some of these fundamental flaws". The low productivity of the plant had in turn meant that SaskPower was only able to sell half of the 800,000 tonnes of captured carbon dioxide that it had contracted to sell to Cenovus Energy for use in enhanced oil recovery at

12198-430: Was Lalonde, Valois International Limited, a company that was established in 1936 by engineers Jean-Paul Lalonde and Romeo Valois. Bernard Lamarre, who would later become director and CEO in 1962 and lead Lavalin for 29 years, had married Louise Lalonde, Jean-Paul Lalonde's daughter in 1952, and began working at Lalonde, Valois International Limited. In 1972, the company changed its name to Lavalin —combining syllables from

12312-417: Was deferred until after the opening of the Canada Line; however, the City of Vancouver owned the station site and decided to fund the station's construction to spur redevelopment of its lands and the nearby Southeast False Creek neighbourhood, and the station's construction was restored to the initial phase. The station opened in 2009 and was designed by the architecture firm VIA Architecture. "Olympic Village"

12426-523: Was designed as a two-stage process. Sixteen original stations opened at the same time as the line did. Three additional stations are planned, and may be built in the future. The stations are listed below. Each Canada Line station is slightly different in appearance, designed to blend in with the surrounding neighbourhood. For example, Langara–49th Avenue station is designed to fit into the area's low-density residential neighbourhood. The five busiest stations have platforms 50 metres (160 ft) long, while

12540-506: Was provided as follows: one third from the City of Vancouver, one third from TransLink, and one third from surplus funding available to CLCO. In February 2007, TransLink approved the addition of a pedestrian and bicycle path to the Canada Line Bridge and agreed not to postpone the construction of a station at 2nd Avenue (Olympic Village station), but instead build it to be ready when the line opens. The $ 10   million cost of

12654-583: Was signed in 1946, and the firm's name was changed to Surveyer, Nenniger and Chênevert. The name would eventually be abbreviated to SNC. In 1967 Camille A. Dagenais OC , became president and CEO of SNC Group, a position he held until 1975. When Dagenais was inducted into the Order of Canada, he was honoured for his accomplishments at SNC—specifically for large-scale hydro development projects in Canada and internationally, for example, in India and Greece. One of

12768-406: Was single-tracked from Ackroyd Road onward in large part due to Richmond's city council pressuring for the visual profile of the overhead line to be reduced for esthetic reasons. On July 11, 2006, a decision was made to relocate Broadway station half a block north at a cost of $ 3   million to allow for better integration of the station with Broadway and a new development in the area. The funding

12882-487: Was the Saint-Maurice River hydroelectric power station, which they designed and supervised. The company specialized in hydraulics, managing hydropower projects and flood control, and soon branched out into the industrial sector, particularly in pulp and paper, and mining and metallurgy. Surveyer formed a first 10-year partnership with Emil Nenniger and Georges Chênevert in 1937. A second partnership agreement

12996-511: Was the second largest". Wilson-Smith also said that they were "among the largest engineering firms in the world". Lavalin branched out in other industries, such as cable television—Canada's The Weather Network and MétéoMédia were founded by Lavalin in 1988. Lavalin's shares were sold to Pelmorex in 1993. By 1990 Lavalin Inc included over 70 companies worth CA$ 1.2 billion. It was forced to sell to its rival SNC in 1991. Bernard Lamarre remained with

#271728