‘On the good path’: Québec City mayor praises Edmonton’s transit line

As Quebec City goes through the early stages of its own transit rail system, officials are in Edmonton learning the dos and don'ts of such a project.

Edmonton officials welcomed a delegation from Québec City this week, hoping to share ideas on civic projects.

On Tuesday, the group from Québec City – which included the city’s mayor Bruno Marchand – walked along Edmonton’s downtown core and boarded the train at Churchill LRT Station.

“We’re here to see what you have built since 1978,” Marchand replied when asked why Edmonton. “We’re in 2026 and we’re starting.”

Québec City is in the early stages of its TramCité project – building a modern transit system that will run 19 kilometres with the aim of reducing public transit times for city commuters.

Marchand said he hopes to learn from the successes and challenges that Edmonton has faced with its transit expansion.

“Of course, it was not perfect. Those projects are huge. Those projects are complicated. Those projects have to be integrated in the neighbourhood,” Marchand explained. “But when we look at what you have (for) more than 40 years, you have done a lot.”

Bruce Ferguson, Edmonton’s LRT expansion and renewal branch manager, said Mayor Andrew Knack and Marchand first connected at a conference and discovered the two cities shared a lot of similarities.

“I think we’ve got a lot of lessons and a lot of experiences that we want to share,” Ferguson said at a stop on the Valley Line LRT. “I know people like to focus on some of the negativity, but we actually had a lot of great things go on and work really well as a part of the project, including something like the Davies Station that’s here.”

“I think you did quite a good job. I know that you feel that it’s not perfect, but when you compare yourself, I think you can be proud of yourself about the LRT,” Marchand added. “I think you’re on the good path.”

In a news statement on Monday, Knack said the visit is a “wonderful opportunity to share our learnings with a fellow municipality that is as deeply and equally as committed to balancing the current and future needs of their residents as we are.”

Adding, “This recognition also confirms that the strides that Edmonton is making to advance core services are working and effective.”

The Québec delegation and Edmonton staff will also tour the city’s waste management operations and sit in on city building project meetings during their visit.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson