Some facts about Quebec-based SNC-Lavalin
Posted September 8, 2016 4:55 pm.
Last Updated September 8, 2016 5:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – The federal commissioner of elections announced Thursday that Montreal-based SNC-Lavalin made nearly $118,000 in improper payments to federal parties between 2004 and 2011. Here are some facts about the global engineering giant and its history:
— In 2013, a company vice-president told Quebec’s Charbonneau corruption inquiry that SNC-Lavalin helped raise money for Quebec political parties despite a three-decade-old law against corporate donations. Yves Cadotte testified that dozens of SNC executives, and sometimes their spouses, donated just over $1 million to the Quebec Liberal party and the Parti Quebecois between 1998 and 2010.
— Since 2001, the firm has been linked to bribery scandals involving millions of dollars in Bangladesh, Libya and Montreal. The company blames rogue officials who have since left or been fired. It is suing some of those officials. Charges against the company and some former officials are before the courts.
— The company, which dates back to 1911, is Canada’s largest construction and engineering firm and a major player around the world.
— The original SNC played a key role in the construction of Quebec’s James Bay hydro megaproject and in 1991, merged with Lavalin, another major engineering and building firm, to form SNC-Lavalin.
—The present company is deeply involved in major projects across Canada and around the world.
— The company has offices in 50 countries, employs about 37,000 people and reported $10 billion in revenues in 2015.
