Outgoing OC Transpo GM to head up Quebec infrastructure agency

OC Transpo GM Renée Amilcar announced she will head a new Quebec agency as Ottawa reflects on her legacy. CTV’s Dylan Dyson reports

Outgoing OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar has been named the first president and CEO of a new agency in Quebec.

Quebec transportation minister Geneviève Guilbault announced Wednesday that Amilcar would head up the new Mobilité Infra Québec, an organization the province says will conduct feasibility analyses, planning, and implementation of complex transportation infrastructure projects, including public transit projects.

• READ MORE: Renée Amilcar leaving OC Transpo in July

Guilbault also named former Bombardier executive Ann MacDonald as the chair of the Mobilité Infra Québec board of directors.

“The creation of Mobilité Infra Québec is a revolution in the capacity and efficiency of carrying out complex transportation projects in Quebec. The goal: to deliver projects faster for less money, in part by innovating and diversifying revenue sources,” Guilbault said in a news release, translated from French.

“Ms. Amilcar and Ms. MacDonald both possess the leadership, experience, and commitment necessary for the implementation and success of MIQ, and I look forward to working with them going forward.”

Amilcar’s departure from the City of Ottawa was announced Tuesday. Her last day at OC Transpo will be July 18. She has been with the City of Ottawa since October 2021 and has overseen major changes in the city’s transit system, including the launch of the north-south LRT Lines 2 and 4, construction of the expansion of the east-west Line 1 LRT and the major overhaul of the bus network, dubbed “New Ways to Bus.” Prior to her time in Ottawa, she served as executive director of bus services for the Société de Transports Montréal.

“I am proud to accept the position of President and CEO of Mobilité Infra Québec, to once again serve Quebecers. I have followed with great interest the work that led to the creation of MIQ, and I fully support the Minister’s vision: to be efficient and closely aligned with the needs of the population, and to evolve our ways of doing things,” Amilcar said in a release, translated from French. “With my expertise and experience at both the national and international levels, I am committed to working tirelessly to deliver the best projects at the best cost.”

Mobilité Infra Québec will be administered by a board of directors composed of nine to 11 members, including the Chair of the Board, the CEO, and the Deputy Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility or their representative.

Transit union, riders react to departure

City councillors and the mayor were quick to react Tuesday to news Amilcar was stepping down from her role at OC Transpo, speaking highly of what she’s accomplished in under four years.

But the president of the union that represents OC Transpo employees said Wednesday he believes the transit system is still struggling to improve.

“I can’t say that it’s in a better state than when she arrived. I can say that we’re heading in the right direction at this point,” said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279 president Noah Vineberg.

“Mostly for the public, it’s just been a system that seems to be falling short every time. And now, with New Ways to Bus, it seems to have even fallen more on its face or more behind than ever. I do think there is work to be done, and I do think that we’re in a position to get that work done.”

Vineberg said drivers regularly hear riders’ frustrations.

“We get it at the doors of the busses. We get it, we are the face and everybody from our mechanics through our property maintenance personnel, everybody’s feeling the pressure of the public being let down and we need to be better.”

Transit riders say they were surprised to hear of Amilcar’s upcoming departure.

“I figured that she said she’s in it for the long haul to make this transformation happen. So, it was a bit of a surprise hearing that it was going to happen, now that she’s moving on,” said Laura Shantz, spokesperson for the Ottawa Transit Riders group.

Shantz said OC Transpo has improved some of its communications, but riders are still dealing with delays.

“We actually hear from OC Transpo about what’s going on and why a little more, but in terms of how riders are served, we’re still seeing many of the same gaps we saw back then. We still are seeing people struggle to get where they need to go on time.”

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Dylan Dyson