June 20, 2001- The Honourable Martin Cauchon, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today announced the construction of new customs facilities at the Armstrong-Jackman border crossing on Highway 173, southeast of St. Théophile, Quebec.

"We are taking action now to ensure that the Armstrong facility can keep pace with the increasing growth in trade and tourism," said Mr. Cauchon. "The new facility will demonstrate our commitment to the goal of supporting economic growth and protecting Canadians in this region and throughout the country."

The actual building, built in 1949, is not good enough to face increasing needs of today.  The Armstrong is no boring place.  More than 270 000 travellers and 700 buses used that route last year.  It's a total of 194 000 vehicules of all kinds that entered Canada through Armstrong.  The majority of Beauce businesses are using the Armstrong station, like Canam-Manac and Boa-Franc for example.

The Armstrong project, which is expected to cost up to seven million dollars, will equip the border crossing with a modern facility that is better able to respond to the expansion of trans-border trade and tourism, and assures Canadians of an increased level of protection at the border. The site evaluation assessment will be completed by mid-July, and followed immediately by the design phase. Final completion of the new facility is expected in 2003.

Before the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency begins the design phase of the facility, Canadian officials will explore with their U.S. counterparts the potential for a joint facility as made possible under the Canada-United States Accord on our Shared Border. The Accord calls on both governments to cooperate in establishing a joint approach to the management of our common border.

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HERVÉ POMERLEAU JUMPS ON THE OCCASION

During the official announcement by Mister Cauchon and Beauce MP,Claude Drouin, at the Benedict-Arnold Hotel of St.Georges, Hervé Pomerleau, president of the Pomerleau Group and president of "Les Amis de l’autoroute 73" (Friends of the Highway 73), jumped on the occasion to tell people about how it's important to continue the construction of Highway 73 to St.Georges.  Right now, the highway ends in St.Joseph, in the center of the Beauce county.

Quebec Transport Minister, Guy Chevrette, gave his accord to the next portion that would be added from there to Beauceville.  Once the work will have begun, an impact study will start for the next part that would link Beauceville to St. Georges.

The ultimate goal of the "highway 73 Friends" is to get the Highway to St.Georges but also to keep going south and connect to Interstate 95 near Waterville, Maine, thus creating a true Quebec-Boston link.  But this would happen in a long term.