SNC-Lavalin - Criminal enterprise in Canada's construction business ?

 SNC-Lavalin has been involved in numerous significant projects and controversies within Quebec. The company, founded in 1911, played a pivotal role in Quebec's economic development by constructing major infrastructure projects, including hydroelectric dams that helped power the province's growth and the James Bay hydro project. It has also been involved in building key public infrastructure such as the Montreal Olympic Stadium, the Jacques-Cartier bridge repair contract, and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) hospital complex.

However, SNC-Lavalin has faced multiple allegations and legal actions related to its activities in Quebec. Between 2003 and 2012, the company participated in a bid-rigging scheme involving several engineering firms, rigging bids on municipal infrastructure contracts in Montreal and the Quebec City area, leading to a $1.9 million settlement with the Competition Bureau. In a separate case, the company was implicated in a bribery scandal related to the $1.3-billion MUHC hospital project, where bribes totaling $22.5 million were allegedly paid to two MUHC employees, Arthur Porter and Yanai Elbaz, to secure the contract. Porter died in jail while fighting extradition, and Elbaz was sentenced to 39 months in prison.

Additionally, former executives, including Pierre Duhaime and Normand Morin, were charged and pleaded guilty to various offenses related to bribery and fraud in connection with Quebec projects. Morin was sentenced to 42 months in prison in 2024 for corruption and fraud related to the Jacques-Cartier bridge repair contract, where bribes totaling 2.3 million Canadian dollars were paid. The company also faced scrutiny for its political activities, including allegations that it orchestrated illegal political donations to federal parties between 2004 and 2011, which were unrelated to the federal charges but led to a guilty plea from Morin in 2018.

In response to these scandals, the Autorité des marchés publics in Quebec imposed a five-year ban on multiple SNC-Lavalin entities from receiving public sector contracts in the province as of February 2020. Despite these challenges, SNC-Lavalin remains a major employer in Quebec, with 3,400 employees in the province as of 2019, and is viewed as a key economic asset by the Quebec government due to its historical significance and role in the province's industrial development. The company rebranded to AtkinsRéalis in 2023.