Telesat, feds announce new Gatineau campus

GATINEAU—Telesat Corp. is building a new campus in Gatineau, Que. that is expected to open by the end of the year and bring 300 new jobs to the area. Executives from the satellite communications company made a joint announcement of the project with government officials on Friday, March 7. The $25 million facility is part of Telesat’s Lightspeed program, partially backed by a $2.14 billion loan from the federal government, a $400 million loan from the government of Quebec, and a $109 million investment from the government of Ontario. The program aims to establish a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network made up of around 200 satellites, which the company has said are scheduled to begin launching in mid-2026, with global service planned for late 2027. The new Telesat Lightspeed campus will serve as the “nerve centre” of the constellation, said Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg during the press conference. “They will be operating this global satellite fleet right here from Gatineau,” he explained. “They'll be flying the satellites, they'll be maintaining them in their orbit, they'll be looking after their operations.” Beyond being the site for Telesat’s satellite operations centre, Goldberg highlighted that it will also host the company’s network operations centre, data centre, and cybersecurity centre. Chief technology officer Michel Forest noted that the approximately 300 jobs that the campus is expected to create will include telecom test engineers, software developers, cybersecurity experts, and network monitoring personnel. “So we are talking about both technicians and engineers with a wide range of skills,” he said in French. Telesat’s headquarters are located “just across the river” in Ottawa, which was a key reason why Telesat decided to build its campus in Gatineau, Forest explained. He added that it is also easier to find employees with the necessary skills in the region. Beyond the 300 new positions, Employment Minister Steven MacKinnon (Gatineau, Que.) emphasized the “much larger impact” that Lightspeed is having on employment in Canada, stating that approximately 2,000 jobs across the country are needed “through Telesat and its supply chain.” Telesat has a multi-billion dollar deal with aerospace manufacturer MDA Ltd. to build the company’s satellites, the construction of which is also taking place in Quebec, Goldberg noted. “This project is much more than an investment in cutting-edge satellite technology, it will place Canada in a strategic position in the global space economy,” said MacKinnon in French. “It is a question of connectivity and technological sovereignty.” The company also said it will create 200 post-secondary co-op jobs and provide $1.6 million in scholarships to students in Canada. Goldberg emphasized the importance of Telesat Lightspeed for Canada’s security, highlighting its potential in supporting connectivity and national sovereignty. “ helps Canada and the Government of Canada look after the sovereignty of this nation, look after our borders, make sure that we can stand on our own two feet, looking after and advancing our interests—our interests here at home, but working with our allies as well, who also need an advanced state of the art capability like this.” Liberal MPs Sophie Chatel (Pontiac, Que.) and Stéphane Lauzon (Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, Que.), as well as Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, joined MacKinnon and the Telesat executives in the announcement. MacKinnon made his appearance on behalf of Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne. phalentm@thewirereport.ca

Telesat, feds announce new Gatineau campus

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By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald
| March 7, 2025

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Telesat, feds announce new Gatineau campus

News | By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald | March 7, 2025

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By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald
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