A First in Eastern Québec: Auberge Internationale du Témiscouata Joins The Electric Circuit

MONTREAL, Aug. 23, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The founding partners of The Electric Circuit—Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert, RONA, METRO, the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) and Hydro-Québec—are pleased to announce the signing of a partnership agreement with Auberge Internationale du Témiscouata for the installation of a public charging station for electric vehicles in its parking lot by the end of September. This dynamic company is now the first member of The Electric Circuit in eastern Québec.

"As a lodging service located off the highway that leads from Québec to the maritimes, our geographical location is a perfect place to install a charging station for electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles for both long-haul and regional trips," said Yann Daigneault, Director of Auberge Internationale du Témiscouata. The corporate vision we launched in early 2012 included an ambitious sustainable development plan with dedicated funding through 2020 coming from 20% of our profits. This fund will help us implement sustainable projects initiated by the hostel or its partners. The transportation component of this plan began with car-sharing, carbon offsetting, and now, the installation of a public charging station for electric vehicles for our customers and the community," added Mr. Daigneault.

"The Electric Circuit continues its expansion, this time in eastern Québec," said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Hydro-Québec's Senior Director - Strategic Planning, on behalf of The Electric Circuit's founding partners. "This new member is a first step towards the development of The Electric Circuit in this region, and we intend to continue this trend."

The Electric Circuit

The Electric Circuit is a major milestone in the rollout of the charging infrastructure needed to support the arrival of plug-in electric vehicles in Québec and is in line with the Québec government's 2011-2020 Action Plan for Electric Vehicles.

Nearly 80 240-V Electric Circuit stations are already available in parking lots of the AMT, as well as those of many RONA hardware stores, Metro grocery stores and St-Hubert Restaurants in the greater Montréal and Québec areas. More than 150 charging stations will be available in Québec by the end of 2012. After that, the roll-out of 240-V and even faster (400 V) charging stations will expand as more electric vehicles hit Québec roads.

Electric vehicle owners do most of their charging at home and at work, but The Electric Circuit allows drivers to travel worry free, knowing they can top up their batteries on the road. Users of the public charging network also have access to a 24/7 telephone help line run by CAA-Québec as well as a charging station locator service. The Electric Circuit Web site, www.theelectriccircuit.com, is updated as new stations are deployed.

About Auberge Internationale du Témiscouata

Auberge Internationale du Témiscouata is a socially-minded business that offers lodging for travellers, rents out community space and organizes tourist activities. The hostel is located on the banks of Lac Témiscouata in the Bas Saint-Laurent region. It serves as a base camp for outdoor destinations such as the bike path in Petit Témis Interprovincial Linear Park, canoe-camping tours and treks at the nearby parc national du Bic.
The hostel would like to thank its main partner, Boralex, for its support in installing the public charging station.
For more information, please visit www.aubergeinternationale.com.

SOURCE: Electric Circuit

For further information:

For information:

Mathieu Rouy
Hydro-Québec for The Electric Circuit
514 289-2311
[e-mail]

Yann Daigneault
Director, Auberge internationale du Témiscouata
1 888 688-1149
[e-mail]