We’ll make you feel right at home

Build on solid ground

Québec enjoys a stable political and environmental climate. And when it comes to privacy laws, there is a particular emphasis on those under both federal and provincial legislation.

• Canada ranks among the top 10 countries in terms of democracy (World Audit, 2018).
• It is protected from most natural disasters, with low risks of lightning strikes, flooding and forest fires.
• Québec’s constitutional and legislative framework meets the strictest requirements in terms of privacy and the protection of personal information. Any company or person established in Canada enjoys protection under Canadian law.

Sound exactly like the safe haven your data center needs? We thought so.

We connect you to more than just the grid

Hydro-Québec introduces you to strong, reputable partners who will work with you to see your project through from start to finish. Think financial partners like Investissement Québec, MESI (Québec department of economy, science and innovation), Revenu Québec, Caisse de dépôt et de placement du Québec (Québec pension fund) and the Québec department of finance, as well as active business community partners like Montréal International, Québec International and chambers of commerce.

We help you find the savings

In addition to Hydro-Québec’s low rates and options to help you save, the Québec government is one of the most proactive in the world when it comes to business support. To facilitate your search, here are some of the main incentives that could further lower your prices, if you are eligible.

Discover how fine your bottom line can look

Make Québec your data center’s home base and plug into a host of potential fiscal benefits for companies:^*

• A 15-year tax holiday in Québec equivalent to up to 15% of invested capital, for investments of over C$100 million (C$50 million if investment made in certain regions)
• Quick depreciation for IT equipment acquired (typically fully expensed over a 2-3 year period at the federal level and a 1-year period in Québec)
• A full rebate on the Québec and federal sales taxes (QST and GST) on the majority of purchases and expenses, for example, on all equipment purchased, including servers and cooling equipment
• Partial refund of QST on electricity in 2019 (50%) and in 2020 (75%) and full refund beginning in 2021
• Property taxes that are payable only on the building and not on its contents
• ESSOR Program (jointly administered by Investissement Québec and MESI, the Québec department for the economy, science and innovation) supports investment projects in Québec. Financial assistance with a maximum term of 10 years in the form of:
  • A loan or loan guarantee covering up to 50% of project costs and/or
  • A loan guarantee covering as much as 70% of a net loss

Wait! There’s more...

Wait! There’s more...

• E-Business Development Credit (EBRD), which provides a 24% credit up to a maximum of C$20,000, plus a 6% non-refundable tax credit for IT companies (maximum C$5,000)
• A considerable tax credit for major digital transformation projects, which represents 24% of salaries up to C$20,000 per year per employee for eligible contracts entered into before January 1, 2019

^* These incentives and programs are managed and administered by the government of Québec. Eligibility requirements apply and programs are subject to change.