Quebec Premier François Legault was at MDA in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue on Friday, September 13, to announce a $475 million investment in the future Telesat Lightspeed network, a major project to deploy a constellation of 198 new-generation satellites in low-Earth orbit, integrated with a state-of-the-art terrestrial network.

Québec Premier François Legault made the announcement in the company of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Christine Fréchette, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for Greater Montréal, and François-Philippe Champagne, federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

“Not only are we consolidating 650 existing jobs, but we're also creating 967 high-paying jobs in a leading-edge sector. It's also a strategic project for Quebec. With the Telesat and MDA project, the message we're sending out today is that Quebec continues to stand out. The future of aerospace is in Quebec,” said the Premier.

The Quebec government announced its financial participation in the project in 2021. Initially, 650 jobs were expected to be created, but today, an additional 317 jobs will be created thanks to the enhanced project, for a total of 967. The project represents a total investment of over $6.1 billion, including more than $2.6 billion in Quebec.

“This agreement with Telesat Lightspeed, which represents the largest space technology program ever designed and built in Canada, will have a significant impact on the growing network of Canadian suppliers and talent, and will provide essential support to the sector as it continues to prosper,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

MDA
As part of the implementation of the Telesat Lightspeed network, MDA has been appointed prime contractor for the development and manufacture of the satellites. To carry out this project, MDA is leveraging its advances in flexible payloads, including the on-board processor and active antennas, key technologies for reconfigurable satellites in low-Earth orbit.

The Quebec government, through Investissement Québec, is providing $75 million to strengthen MDA's capabilities as a prime contractor for space technologies.

Projects to be carried out by MDA include the establishment of Canada's first high-volume satellite manufacturing plant 5.0.

“MDA has been a world leader in the design, development and production of satellite systems for decades. These investments will enable us to build our next generation of manufacturing capabilities for our new line of digital satellite products, MDA AURORA, as well as invest in our leading-edge workforce to further strengthen our global position,” said Mike Greenley, President and CEO of MDA.

Telesat
The $400 million loan to Telesat will support the development, manufacture, marketing and operation of low-Earth orbit satellites. These satellites, which will form the Telesat Lightspeed network, are designed to provide a global, high-bandwidth telecommunications service with performance comparable to that of a fiber-optic network.

Telesat will also set up a specialized center in Gatineau, in the Outaouais region, for satellite control and operation, cybersecurity, data processing and information technology support. These facilities will enable the development of strategic Quebec expertise in telecommunications technologies and satellite cybersecurity.

“We're delighted to sign these funding agreements with the governments of Canada and Quebec as we make great strides in the development of the revolutionary Telesat Lightspeed constellation, the largest space program in Canadian history. Telesat Lightspeed will bridge the digital divide in Canada and around the world, create and sustain thousands of high-quality jobs across the country, generate billions of dollars in investment in the local economy, stimulate innovation and domestic exports, and ensure that Canada and Quebec are at the forefront of the new and growing space economy,” adds Dan Goldberg, President and CEO of Telesat.

“Canadians are our government's priority, as today's announcement with Telesat and MDA demonstrates. Designed, built and operated in Canada, Telesat's Lightspeed satellite network will be the largest in Canadian history. It will create thousands of jobs, grow our economy and connect Canadians to high-speed Internet. We're enabling Canadians to seize the opportunities available to them, and giving everyone a fair chance to succeed,” concludes the Prime Minister of Canada.