Premier Philippe Couillard says self-driving cars are coming, and the province is welcoming them with open arms, encouraging developers to test-drive them "in true winter conditions".
"It's not a question of if, it's a question of when," the premier says of the arrival of self-driving cars. "We want to use Quebec as a testing range for self-driving vehicles or intelligent vehicles."
This is just a small part of a $12-billion plan to get Quebecers into green alternatives such as car-sharing, public transportation, and cycling.
They've pledged an additional $3 billion on top of an already promised $10 billion towards sustainable mobility over the next 5 years.
The provincial government has goals for 70 per cent of Quebec residents to have access to buses, trains, bike paths and car pooling services that will make driving seem inconvenient.
"You're sitting in your car in a traffic jam trying to cross the bridge and you see every 3 minutes, REM trains going by your side window," says Couillard. "It will not take long before you decide to leave the car at home because the offer is so superior."
He thinks that as public transportation improves, so will the environment, as well as public safety, but remains vague on when self-driving cars could be seen on Quebec roads.
They plan to reduce the use of gas and output of emissions by some 40 per cent by 2030.