Business View Magazine - October 2016 27
“Today, thanks to the cooperation between liaison com-
mittee members, the working group and Valero Energy,
we can appreciate the image conveyed by these frescoes.
They have become a socially acceptable balm on these
two tanks which were long perceived as intruders in the
landscape,” stated Alexandre Faber, Chair of the Commu-
nity Liaison Committee involving the Valero Energy Jean
Gaulin Refinery, after the unveiling.
The Jean Gaulin Refinery is covering the entire cost, as
part of a $5 million enhancement program announced in
June 2015 to address concerns from the public. With a nod
to history, a liaison committee comprised of Valero Energy
company stakeholders, the City of Lévis, various organiza-
tions, and the community at large chose a trompe-l’oeil
adaptation of an 1870 picture from Montreal’s McCord Mu-
seum. The work portrays the industrial past of Lévis and
the importance the St. Lawrence River has had in its de-
velopment.
Gilles Lehouillier, Mayor of Lé-
vis, praised the welcome addi-
tion to his city. “I salute Valero
Energy’s commitment to its
community and its sustain-
able development efforts. By
creating these magnificent
frescoes in cooperation with
local stakeholders, the com-
pany has responded to con-
cerns expressed by the public,
to whom we wish to provide a quality living environment.
Valero Energy’s vision fits nicely with the new initiative
embraced by the City of Lévis, which is particularly aimed
at enhancing the river and its affluents, major urban parks
and the interconnectedness of its bicycle paths.”
General Manager of Valero Energy’s Jean Gaulin Refin-
ery, Ms. Martine Péloquin, spoke of the project as a proud
collaborative accomplishment for the company and the
community. “We are very happy with the comments we
have received since the work started in July. This further
confirms the merits of the interventions we have made in
cooperation with the people from the area. It is a source of
pride for Valero Energy and all of its employees to deliver
concrete initiatives that can positively impact the commu-
nity.”
Being a good neighbor
The Jean Gaulin Refinery began operations in 1971. It is the
largest refinery in Quebec, the second largest in Canada
in terms of capacity, and handles crude oil from overseas,
the Gulf of Mexico, and North America – shipped by pipe-
lines and tankers to its year-round deep-water port on the
St. Lawrence River.
As a major employer in the region (approx. 480 per-
manent and 200+ contract employees), Valero Energy
believes that fostering a positive relationship with the
community is essential, from a corporate and human per-
spective. With that in mind, the energy giant has invested
millions of dollars to develop a greenbelt on lands next
to the refinery, and implement enhancement programs
featuring tree plantings, the fresco paintings on the tanks
along the bicycle path, St. Lawrence River dock updates,
and changes to the pipe system structure linking the dock
and the refinery.
For a mega-production facility like the Lévis refinery,
achieving harmony with the environment takes a great
deal of vision and concentrated planning. The greenbelt
project was designed to create
a green buffer zone between
the industrial park where the
Jean Gaulin Refinery is locat-
ed and the nearest residential
areas. Valero’s $9.5 million in-
vestment spearheaded the
acquisition and development
of Le Parc de la Jetée, le Parc
Valero les Écarts, the Abbey
Woodland and the Auberivière
golf course. The general public now has access to an area
1.6 times larger than the Battlefields Park in Quebec City.
The land is co-managed with organizations in the region
as recreational space.
Next on tap for Valero’s Lévis refinery: the phase-by-phase
installation of a stylized screen to minimize the presence
of pipes bordering the river. This company truly sees the
big picture – and it is beautiful.
About Valero
Valero Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries, is an
international manufacturer and marketer of transportation
fuels, other petrochemical products and power, employ-
ing close to 10,000 people. Approx. 7,500 outlets carry
the Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, and Beacon
brands in the United States and the Caribbean, Ultramar
in Canada and Texaco in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Valero is a Fortune 500 company based in San Antonio,
Texas.
