Headquartered in Ottawa, FBCL is a Schedule III Part I Crown corporation whose incorporation was authorized by Order in Council (PC 1998 1512 on August 26, 1998). Incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act, the Corporation replaced the former St. Lawrence Seaway Authority (SLSA) as the corporate body responsible for operating and managing non-navigational SLSA structures. These include properties of the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), in the Montreal region, and, in a joint venture with its U.S. partner, the Seaway International Bridge Corporation Ltd.(SIBC), in Cornwall.
At the same time, FBCL assumed responsibility for the management of the Canadian portion of the Thousand Islands International Bridge. FBCL does not, however, operate the bridge. The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority (TIBA), a U.S. corporation, is the operating agency.
In 2000, FBCL was also assigned 91.3% ownership in the company that owns the Canadian half of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge and is represented on the Joint International Bridge Authority, the entity overseeing the operations of the crossing.
As a result of these various assignments, FBCL is today directly responsible for two international bridges in Ontario and six facilities in the Greater Montreal area. These assets are operated through three subsidiary corporations.
The Corporation also represents the interest of the government of Canada for the Canadian portion of the Thousand Islands International Bridge in Ontario. In this case, the operating agency, TIBA, is not a subsidiary but a US entity bound by an operating agreement.
FBCL owns and manages some of the most important and strategic fixed-link crossings in Canada. Each year, over 148 million vehicles and more than $67 billion worth of merchandise cross FBCL’s structures, making them among the busiest in North America. These structures play a vital role in connecting Canadians’ transportation and economic network with the world.
FBCL AT A GLANCE
Assets and Infrastructure
Total Value of Fixed Assets
$925,000,000
Number and type of assets:
Length (km)
# Lanes
Structure
International Crossings
Sault-Ste. Marie
3.17
2
Arched truss bridge
Seaway International
2.86
Suspension bridge
Thousand Islands
2.35
Domestic Crossings
Champlain
3.40
6
Cantilever bridge
Jacques Cartier
5
Mercier
1.90
4
Through truss bridge
Tunnel
Melocheville
0.23
Reinforced concrete
FBCL also manages one expressway (Bonaventure Expressway) and one ice control structure (adjacent to the Champlain Bridge)