A FIRST IN QUEBEC

La Coop fédérée chosen by the Ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources Naturelles (MERN) to install multi-fuel stations in Quebec

Montréal - October 3, 2016 – Through its subsidiary, Énergies Sonic inc., La Coop fédérée is pleased to announce that it will participate in the pilot project to install multi-fuel stations in Quebec, one of the commitments by the Government of Quebec within the framework of its 2030 Energy Policy. La Coop fédérée is proud to be a part of a group of enterprises, leaders in their domain, comprising Toyota Canada, Gaz Métro, Air Liquide, and the crown corporation, Hydro-Québec, which will make up the steering committee.

In April 2016, La Coop fédérée favourably welcomed the new Quebec energy policy put forward by the Government of Quebec. “Even during the public hearings by the Commission énergétique du Québec in 2013, La Coop fédérée underlined the importance for Québec to become and remain a world leader in the development of renewable energy, and in the fight against climate change, with an ambitious policy. I would like to thank the Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, and the minister responsible for the Plan Nord, Pierre Arcand, as well as the ministry’s teams, for their confidence in our capabilities and expertise in this matter. It is a great challenge that we have been entrusted with and we have the firm intention to be successful,” declared Ghislain Gervais, president of La Coop fédérée.

La Coop fédérée and its network of agricultural and retail cooperatives recognize the importance of energy issues as they are users as well as being distributors. La Coop fédérée has one of the strongest regional footprints in Quebec.

La Coop fédérée has been present in the energy sector since 1958 through its Sonic brand which distributes various energy products and operates 185 service stations across Quebec. It also operates 22 self-service truck stops, 14 regional storage sites and provides sales, installation and maintenance services for heating and storage equipment. Sonic has over 220 employees.
“We need to meet the energy requirements of individuals and businesses wherever they are located. The government’s energy agreement is very ambitious. To get there within the 2030 timespan, we must count on the players who are already in the game for a major transformation of Quebec’s energy portrait. We will bring our full collaborative effort to the table to ensure the advancement and realization of this pilot,” declared Gaétan Desroches, CEO for La Coop fédérée.

Recently, La Coop fédérée announced an agreement to group together its Énergies Sonic inc. subsidiary with another Quebec leader in the sector, Groupe Filgo. Groupe Filgo was founded in 1956 and is present in several regions of Quebec across three principal sectors of activity: the distribution of petroleum products destined for residential and commercial customers, a network of service stations and convenience stores, and the distribution and sale of lubricants. The group employs nearly 640 people and operates 145 service stations, 15 distribution centres, 12 self-service truck stops and 10 regional storage sites. The new entity created by grouping together the two organizations will be wholly owned by Quebec-based interests.

About La Coop fédérée
Founded in 1922, La Coop fédérée is the largest agri-food organization in Quebec. It is owned by more than 90,000 members grouped together within 72 cooperatives located across several Canadian provinces and it is present throughout the agri-food chain. As a wholesaler, La Coop fédérée provides agricultural producers with the goods and services necessary for their operations. Its activities are separated into three divisions: Agribusiness (livestock and crop productions, and marketing grains, under the Elite and La Coop brands), Retail and Innovation (energy, hardware and farm machinery under the Sonic, Unimat, BMR, and Agrizone brands), and Meats (under the Olymel, Flamingo and Lafleur brands). La Coop fédérée employs 12,200 people with revenues reaching $5.992 billion. Including its affiliated cooperatives, La Coop fédérée counts more than 18,350 employees and combined revenues of $9.6 billion. 
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Source:
Ben Marc Diendéré
Senior Vice-president, 
Communications, Public Affairs & Brand Image
Twitter : @Marc_Ben

Media contact: 
Marie-Hélène Cliche
Director of Corporate & Web Communications
514-347-5939 | marie-helene.cliche@lacoop.coop