In the early 2000, Quebec’s construction industry found itself in turmoil: the collapse of the Souvenir’s overpass, the failure of the Gaspesia project in Chandler, the collapse of the Concorde overpass, the water meter scandal, the Faubourg Contrecoeur affair, the illegal strikes of constructions workers... In 2011, the Peoples outcry and negative reaction forced the government to launch a commission of inquiry led by the Hon. Judge Charbonneau to examine the public contract process and project management related to the construction industry. The scandals unveiled by the commission over its four-year duration only served to undermine public confidence towards the construction industry. These revelations found no new scandalous methods or elements, many of the scandals and illegal acts being already depicted in earlier commissions of inquiry.
The objectives of this research are to examine the elements at the source of those breaches of ethics, the elaboration or participation in illegals activities, of corruption, or conspiracy to defraud or commit illegal acts that where already being perpetrated at the time by actors inside the industry, and finally to offer solutions to restore the construction industry to a greater standing. In order to understand the causes of those scandals, an analysis of Quebec’s commissions of inquiry was made. Going back to the early years of the Canadian confederation, we found that those illegal stratagems and acts where being perpetrated. We also noted that those systems and stratagems evolved as the industry evolved. We found that the commissions of inquiry examining those events resulted in the creation of a set of recommendations included in their reports, some of them leading to laws and regulations that are still applicable in the current industry. Sadly, we cannot ignore the cyclical nature of a trend toward illegal activity in the industry that is indicated by these reports.
However, actors within the industry are trying to counter those illegal systems, to regain control of their industry. Interviews with industry professionals, for architectural firms, engineering firms, contractors and for public institutions, show a true desire for change. Based on their experience and knowledge of the industry, the solutions suggested by those interviewed are generally an echo to the previous reports of the surveyed commissions of inquiry. However, many of those solutions, that have been presented to governments, were never applied. Therefore, it is of great importance that the professionals of the industry pressure the government to apply the modifications requested to ensure a more ethical industry.
| Date | 15 Jul 2022 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Gabriel Lefebvre (Supervisor) |
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Lepage, J. (Author),
Lefebvre (Supervisor),
15 Jul 2022Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Construction Engineering