The chief executive of the Port of Montreal has parted ways with the eastern Canadian gateway after just two years on the job, amid soaring cost estimates for a major new container terminal project.
“The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) announced today (April 3) that Julie Gascon has ceased her position as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective as of today,” the agency said in a brief statement posted to its website.
An MPA spokesperson referred to information in the statement when asked for comment.
A Board of Directors committee will lead the port on an interim basis during the search for Gascon’s replacement, according to the statement.
“With the Contrecoeur terminal expansion project actively progressing, the Port of Montreal is entering a new phase in its development, which will take place as part of a new strategic cycle for the MPA,” said board chair Nathalie Pilon, in the statement. “The organization is in an excellent position to fulfill its mandate and contribute to Canada’s competitiveness in global markets.”
A native of Montreal, Gascon began work at Montreal in February 2024, after serving in positions with Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard.
In September 2025 the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney – who supports the project – said the estimated cost of the new Contrecouer container terminal had soared from C$1.6 billion ($1.15 billion) to $1.65 billion. The revelation came just after the MPA signed a development agreement with terminal operator DP World of Dubai.
Contrecouer is expected to double Montreal’s annual container capacity by more than 50% to about 3 million containers. But it has come in for criticism over environmental concerns, and because its inland location and harsh winter weather makes it more difficult and expensive to reach than U.S. East Coast ports.
On April 1 French carrier CMA CGM announced it was adding a direct Montreal call to its Canada-U.S.-Latin America CAGEMA service.
In February, a Canadian pension fund threatened to withdraw its support for the project after it was revealed that longtime DP World Chairman and Chief Executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem was a close friend of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Sulayem later resigned.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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