Tourisme St-Jean-sur-Richelieu et Région welcomes electric vehicles

Fourteen new Electric Circuit public charging stations to be installed in the region

SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, QC, Aug. 12, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Chair of the Board of Tourisme Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu et Région, Mélanie Dufresne, and, on behalf of the partners of the Electric Circuit, the President and CEO of Hydro-Québec, Thierry Vandal, announced today, in the presence of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Northern Plan, Pierre Arcand, a partnership agreement for the installation of 14 public charging stations for electric vehicles (EV) in the MRC du Haut-Richelieu. Commissioning of these 240-V charging stations, which will be completed by the end of the year, will allow EV drivers wishing to take advantage of the region's attractions to travel with peace of mind, knowing they can count on a network of public charging stations to fill up if needed.

"More and more Quebecers are taking advantage of rebates on the purchase or lease of electric vehicles offered by the government, especially since this mode of transportation has significant environmental and economic advantages," said Pierre Arcand. "We salute this initiative by Tourisme Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu et Région and the Electric Circuit, which will benefit the community while contributing to the success of transportation electrification in Québec."

"This is an important step that will help convince drivers to purchase electric vehicles and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the MRC du Haut-Richelieu," added Michel Fecteau, Mayor of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Prefect of the MRC du Haut-Richelieu. "The Electric Circuit will benefit tourism development in our region."

"Tourisme Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu et Région and its partners, especially the Conseil Économique du Haut-Richelieu (CLD), which played a key role in this project, welcome the signing of this partnership agreement," said Mélanie Dufresne. "The rollout of these charging stations on our territory ties in perfectly with the tourism development objectives of our region."

"We are delighted to welcome Tourisme Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu et Région to the Electric Circuit and ensure a standardized charging offer in the MRC du Haut-Richelieu," said Thierry Vandal, on behalf of the Electric Circuit partners. "This major rollout will improve the service offering along the Québec-Vermont Electric Charging Corridor and is excellent news for EV drivers traveling across the border."

The MRC du Haut-Richelieu goes electric
The Electric Circuit public charging offer in the MRC du Haut-Richelieu will expand gradually as more electric vehicles arrive in the region. The initial locations covered by the agreement are:

• Municipality of Henryville: CLSC - 125, rue de l'Église (one charging station)
• Municipality of Lacolle: Cyclist rest area - 103, rue de l'Église Sud (one charging station)
• Municipality of Noyan: Parking at MacCullum Park - 2007, chemin de la Petite-France (one charging station)
• Municipality of Saint-Alexandre: Pavillon des loisirs - 440, rue Bernard (one charging station)
• Municipality of Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu: City hall - 795, rue des Loisirs (one charging station)
• Municipality of Saint-Georges-de-Clarenceville: 100, rue Principale (one charging station)
• City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu 
  City hall - 188, rue Jacques-Cartier Nord (one charging station)
  Le Bougainvillier professional centre - 315, rue MacDonald (one charging station)
  Saint-Luc library - 347, boulevard Saint-Luc (one charging station)
• Municipality of Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix - Blockhaus de la Rivière-Lacolle, 1, rue Principale (one charging station)
• Municipality of Saint-Sébastien: 190, rang des Dussault (one charging station)
• Municipality of Saint-Valentin: Municipal parking, 790, chemin de la 4^e-Ligne (one charging station)
• Municipality of Sainte-Brigide-d'Iberville: Municipal centre, 510, 9^e Rang (one charging station)
• Municipality of Venise-en-Québec: Tourism welcome office, 250, avenue de Venise Ouest (one charging station)

The fourteen 240-volt charging stations are in addition to the two already in service in the region. Last September, the city of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and the Electric Circuit inaugurated a first charging station at the Fernand-Charest cultural centre. Another charging station is in service at the St-Hubert restaurant on Boulevard du Séminaire Nord.

To use an Electric Circuit charging station, drivers pay a fee of $2.50 using their access card. Tourisme Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu et Région will keep all income generated from the use of the charging stations it has purchased.

Québec-Vermont Electric Charging Corridor
The new charging stations under this agreement with densify the Québec-Vermont Electric Charging Corridor inaugurated last fall. Linking Montréal to Montpelier via Burlington, the charging corridor is the result of a partnership between Québec and Vermont. Some 40 public charging stations are currently available to electric vehicles drivers in Vermont, through the Drive Electric Vermont network, and nearly 300 are offered in Québec as part of the Electric Circuit.

The Electric Circuit
The Electric Circuit is the largest public charging network in Québec. It is a major initiative in providing the charging infrastructure required to support the adoption of rechargeable electric cars in Québec.

The network comprises a fast-charge (400-V) station and close to 300 Level 2 (240-V) charging stations in parking lots of the AMT, RONA stores, Metro grocery stores and St-Hubert restaurants throughout Québec. Since its launch in March 2012, 70 private and institutional partners have joined the Electric Circuit. It continues to expand in order to offer greater geographical coverage and serve more EV drivers in many regions of Québec.

Electric Circuit users have access to a 24/7 telephone help line run by CAA-Québec, as well as a charging-station locator service. The Electric Circuit Web site, theelectriccircuit.com, and mobile application for iOS et Android are updated as new stations are installed or commissioned.

Location of the 72 charging stations now in service in the Montérégie region

400-V fast-charge station

Boucherville
St-Hubert restaurant - 500, rue Albanel (1 charging station)

240-V charging stations

Acton Vale
Municipal parking lot - rue Landry (1 charging station)

Belœil
RONA store - 500, rue Serge-Pépin (2 charging stations)

Boucherville
Montarville library - 501, chemin du Lac (2 charging stations)
Metro grocery store - 535, rue Samuel-De Champlain (2 charging stations)
Discount Car and Truck Rentals Boucherville - 1240, rue Volta (1 charging station)
Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville (Sépaq) - 55, île Sainte-Marguerite (1 charging station)
RONA head office - 220, chemin Du Tremblay (1 charging station)
St-Hubert restaurant - 500, rue Albanel (1 charging station)
AMT terminus - 220, boul. de Montarville (2 charging stations)

Bromont
Université de Sherbrooke - 45, rue de l'Aéroport (2 charging stations)
St-Hubert restaurant - 100, boul. de Bromont (1 charging station)

Brossard
Metro grocery store - 2004, boul. de Rome (2 charging stations)
RONA store - 9800, boul. Leduc (2 charging stations)
St-Hubert restaurant - 6325, boul. Taschereau (1 charging station)
AMT parking lot - 4700, boul. Lapinière (2 charging stations)

Candiac
St-Hubert restaurant - 107, chemin Saint-François-Xavier (1 charging station)

Chambly
Metro grocery store - 1233, rue Périgny (2 charging stations)
AMT parking lot - 3001, boul. Fréchette (2 charging stations)

Châteauguay
St-Hubert restaurant - 290, boul. D'Anjou (1 charging station)
AMT parking lot - 42, boul. Saint-Jean-Baptiste (2 charging stations)

Granby
City hall - 87, rue Principale (1 charging station)

La Prairie
AMT parking lot - 25, boul. Taschereau (2 charging stations)

Longueuil
PJC Jean Coutu pharmacy - 3216, boul. Taschereau (1 charging station)
Université de Sherbrooke - 150, place Charles-Le Moyne (1 charging station)
City of Longueuil - 7025, boul. Cousineau (1 charging station)
City of Longueuil - 300, rue Saint-Charles Ouest (1 charging station)
City of Longueuil - 4250, chemin de la Savane (2 charging stations)

McMasterville
City hall - 255, boul. Constable (1 charging station)

240-V charging stations

Rigaud
Municipal library - 102, rue Saint-Pierre (1 charging station)

Roxton Pond
Parc national de la Yamaska (Sépaq) - 1780, boul. David-Bouchard (1 charging station)

Saint-Basile-le-Grand
AMT commuter train station - 121, rue de la Gare (2 charging stations)

Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
AMT commuter train station - 1200, rue Lenoir (2 charging stations) Parc national du Mont-Saint-Bruno (Sépaq) - 330, rang des Vingt-Cinq Est (1 charging station)
RONA store - 1221, boul. des Promenades (2 charging stations)
Hydro-Québec - 705, boul. Clairevue Ouest (1 charging station)

Saint-Hubert
DeSerres store - 4055, boul. Taschereau (1 charging station)
First Capital Carrefour Saint-Hubert - 5984, boul. Cousineau (1 charging station)
First Capital RBC - 5915, boul. Cousineau (1 charging station)

Saint-Hyacinthe
Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe - 3000, avenue Boullé (3 charging stations)
Hydro-Québec - 4825, avenue Pinard (1 charging station)

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Centre culturel Fernand-Charest - 190, rue Laurier (1 charging station)
St-Hubert restaurant - 260, boul. du Séminaire Nord (1 charging station)

Sainte-Julie
St-Hubert restaurant - 1900, rue Raymond-Blais (1 charging station)

Saint-Lambert
AMT commuter train station - 101, rue Mercier (2 charging stations)

Sorel-Tracy
Chalifoux dairy - 1049, boul. Fiset (1 charging station)
City hall - 200, rue Victoria (1 charging station)
St-Hubert restaurant - 381, boul. Fiset (1 charging station)

Varennes
Hydro-Québec IREQ - 1800, boul. Lionel-Boulet (2 charging stations)

Vaudreuil-Dorion
Réno-Dépôt store - 3010, boul. de la Gare (2 charging stations)
St-Hubert restaurant - 601, avenue Saint-Charles (1 charging station)

 

SOURCE: Hydro-Québec

Louis-Olivier Batty
Hydro-Québec, for the Electric Circuit
514 289-4214
[email protected]

Sylvie Brosseau
Communications et affaires corporatives
Conseil Économique du Haut-Richelieu (CLD)
450 359-9999, extension 238
[email protected]