About the Company

EBC is a family business founded in 1968 by Fernand Houle and his brother Germain. They built the company on their core values of respect, integrity and a job well done — values that the current president, Marie-Claude Houle, is proud to uphold.

 

Since Ms. Houle assumed the leadership of the company in 1999, annual revenues have soared from $100 to $700 million, making EBC one of the two largest construction companies in Quebec. We have a team of 1,500 employees with offices in Quebec City, Montreal, Brossard, Val-d'Or, Ottawa, Timmins and Vancouver. In its 47 years, EBC has carried out over 600 projects totalling more than $7 billion. From Newfoundland and Labrador to New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia, as well as the international arena, clients have chosen EBC for our professionalism and our respect for budgets and timelines. This rigorous approach is applied to all our projects, whether building construction, civil engineering, earthworks, mining, marine works, energy transport, wind power, etc.

 

Milestones in EBC's history:

 

BUILDING


 

In 1968, Fernand Houle and his brother found Entreprises Bon Conseil, later shortened to EBC. At that time, the team focused primarily on the construction of institutional buildings. Their first major contract is the expansion of the Quebec City Academy, forerunner of the Cégep de Sainte-Foy college.

 

DIVERSIFICATION

EBC soon expanded its areas of operation to include bridge, tunnel and viaduct construction. The first civil engineering contract is was challenging: constructing the pillars for the Quebec Bridge interchange. This job is so successful that other specialties were added, including earthworks (roads, aqueducts, sewers, etc.). As a result, EBC still stands out from its competitors, who tend to limit their work to building construction.

 

In 1978, GLR, a power line specialist, joined the EBC Group. Its main client is Hydro-Québec.

 

In the early 80s, in order to better serve its clientele, EBC decided to restructure the company by creating three divisions: Building, Civil Engineering and Earthworks. This tripartite structure allows for greater efficiency in realising both specialized smaller projects and major mandates involving several divisions. Today, our team still manages $500,000 projects and $100 million projects with. The same rigour and efficiency.

Also during the 80s, EBC carried out its first turnkey contracts, with direct involvement in project design and optimization.

 

MAJOR HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS

In the late 70s, EBC was awarded its first contracts in James Bay, primarily in connection with the LG3 and Opinaca projects.

 

In 1991, the company built its first tunnel (drilling and blasting) with the construction of the LA-1 diversion tunnel in James Bay.

 

In 1991, EBC built its first hydroelectric plant: Brisay at the outlet of the Caniapiscau Reservoir. The successful completion of this complex mandate marked a turning point for the company. In 1995, Hydro-Québec commissions EBC to build the SM-3 dam in Quebec’s Côte-Nord (North Shore) region, a $191 million project for which EBC invested $20 million in equipment.

 

 

 

EBC's reputation extends beyond Quebec's borders. In 2008, the firm won its first contract in Manitoba: all the civil engineering and earthworks for the Wuskwatim Generating Station, a $400 million project commissioned by Manitoba Hydro. In 2011, Regional Power Inc. turned to EBC for the construction of the Long Lake hydroelectric plant in northern British Columbia near the Alaskan border. In 2012, EBC and its partners obtained their first Labrador contract for the Lower Churchill project at Muskrat Falls.

 

To date, we have carried out more than a billion dollars in hydropower contracts. This experience encompasses a variety of projects, including hydroelectric stations, dams, tunnels and substations, built for Hydro-Quebec, the James Bay Energy Corporation, Algonquin Power and various private energy developers.

CONQUERING THE MONTREAL MARKET

 

In 1990, EBC opened an office in Brossard to boost its presence in the Greater Montreal region. This successful strategy led to the construction of several large-scale projects.

 

 

In 2002, the Metropolitan Transportation Agency (ATM) hired EBC to carry out excavation and concrete work for the subway extension to Laval. This project earned the company two Armatura Awards. At the same time, by acquiring the company Hydrotech Marine, EBC added underwater construction services to its list of specialities.

 

 

 

In 2010, EBC opened a new office in Old Montreal, enabling it to forge closer links with its Montreal-based clients and business partners. These include McGill University, Concordia University, the University of Quebec, the Westcliff Group, Sacresa, the Maurice Group, the Montreal Transportation Society (STM) and many others.

 

The success of the Building division is undeniable. In the last years, EBC obtained several prestigious contracts, including a $200 M contract for the CHUM, the construction of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, valued at ±$60 M, the contract for the Deloitte Tower office renovation in Montreal, and the Ottawa Art Gallery, a $80 M contract, which will include a hotel and condominium units.

 

 

RENEWABLE ENERGY
 

Since 2006, essential player in green energy sector with wind turbines, EBC continues to stand out to ensure its presence in this sphere of activity. In February 2013, EBC obtained its most important wind farm contract, namely the Rivière-du-Moulin project, a 175-wind turbine farm located near the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. EBC is one of the largest wind farm builders in Canada, with over 1 436 MW completed or in progress.

 

 

MINING DEVELOPMENT

 

In 2010, Cliffs Natural Resources awarded EBC a major mining contract in connection with the construction of the Bloom Lake mine in Fermont. This experience positionned EBC for upcoming work on Quebec's Plan Nord. Also in 2010, the company consolidated its expertise by acquiring Don Bourgeois and Sons. EBC clients can now benefit from the expertise of this team, in operation across North America, which has specialized in underground mining since 1979.

 

 

MAJOR PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON

 

For the Civil Works / Earthworks division, in 2013 and 2014, EBC obtained three power station contracts in British Columbia, and opened a business office in Vancouver to ensure effective follow-up of the construction sector in this province.

 

In addition, in 2014, EBC creates a sister company in Timmins, Ontario, Northec Construction Inc., in order to develop the mining and infrastructure sectors in Northern Ontario.

 

Finally, in 2015, EBC is proud to announce that it is part of the consortium selected for the construction of the Champlain Bridge, with SNC Lavalin, Flatiron and Dragados, a project estimated at 2.2 billion dollars.

 

All this success has been made possible by our bilingual, mobile and highly skilled team. Thanks to the expertise and determination of our 1,500 employees. In 2014, EBC successfully completed $550 million of works, shared within the province of Québec and others in Canada. And the best is yet to come! In 2015, EBC is proud to have a work backlog of more than 800 million dollars. Want to join us in taking on these challenges?