QUEBEC - The Quebec government is reassuring the public that infrastructure contracts won't be affected by the conviction of two large construction companies.
Treasury Board President Michelle Courchesne says Constructions Louisbourg Ltd. and Simard-Beaudry Construction Inc. might be forced from certain public infrastructure projects after pleading guilty to tax evasion.
The companies are involved in several contracts including the new McGill University superhospital in Montreal and some major roadwork projects.
But Courchesne says provisions allow for other firms to pick up the work should those two companies face sanctions.
Quebec's building-code authority is investigating to determine whether they should face reprimands that could include losing their licences.
Administrators of the $1.3-billion hospital project have issued a statement saying work would continue on schedule.
The Liberal government faced a barrage of questions Tuesday about the hospital, on which Simard-Beaudry is a subcontractor doing excavation and infrastructure work
SNC-Lavalin, which is part of the group overseeing the hospital project, will take over the work if Simard-Beaudry loses its licence.
The hospital has been two decades in the making and is one of Canada's most expensive and largest public-private work partnerships.
It is scheduled to open in 2014.
The two construction companies are being forced to pay $8.26 million in fines and back taxes.
