Author name: Gatineau Bulletin

In the presentation of the City’s annual report on infrastructure projects, it was announced that in 2023, 89% of commitments were met. However, there are some major delays regarding yellow water in homes throughout the city. The net surplus of the $744.4 million budget is projected at $1.8 million, which is equivalent to 0.2% of the budget.

Residents may have to deal with yellow water for years to come

Despite the commitments met by the city, there are some major delays regarding yellow water in Gatineau homes.

This was brought up by a resident of Deschênes in the municipal council meeting on October 17. The resident said she has orange- and yellow-coloured water that stains her sinks, toilet, and bath. She has been complaining about this problem since 2018.

The Aylmer resident is not the only one on Gatineau’s territory with this problem. The problems stem from corrosion of the iron water mains, which make up 774 km, or 64%, of the network. The corrosion leads to deposits which are often in older neighbourhoods. The iron concentration in the water is safe for consumption but affects the colour and taste of the water.

The $56 million project to fix the yellow water problem is behind schedule. Some areas that are experiencing the issue are not included in the plans. Despite councillors expressing urgency to fix the problem, the current plan is not scheduled until 2028.

Deschênes Councillor, Caroline Murray, stated that the proposed plan was insufficient to meet the needs of the population living with yellow water. Later in the week, an amendment was made to provide more funds to fix the problem.

Aylmer Projects requiring more funding

During the investments and infrastructure budget discussions on day one, the city administration went over the projects, their costs, and timelines. Construction costs have increased by 48% from 2016 to 2023. For two of Aylmer’s projects, the city recommends allocating additional funds to complete them.

The first is the extension of Bruxelles Road in the Plateau between the Agora development and the Donalda-Charron library. An additional $620,000 is required to complete the project.

After re-evaluating the cost of the construction plans for the expansion of the Front Community Centre, the project needed an additional $2 million to complete the project.

The presentation also indicated a delay for the sports complex in the west of the city. The original plan foresaw the completion of construction by 2028, but this deadline has been pushed back to 2029. Gille Chagnon, Lucerne Councillor, voiced his concerns about this delay stating that the sports complex is an infrastructure need in Aylmer.

Gatineau held a public information session for residents about a variety of by-law changes, one of which was a modification regarding indoor wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. No participant in the public consultation voiced concerns for the modification.

The bylaw modification would prohibit the installation of indoor wood-burning appliances or fireplaces that don’t have environmental certification. The by-law is set to be approved by the municipal council on November 14. Montreal instated a similar law modification a few years ago.

The modification to the by-law will only apply to new solid burning appliances when requesting a permit to install it on or after November 18, when the regulation will come into effect if approved. Already installed appliances will not require a certification.

To get an environmental certification for a wood-burning appliance, residents must contact the manufacturer at the time of purchase to ensure the product is certified. Proof of certification will be required when applying for the installation permit.

This type of heating poses environmental and health risks. When wood is burned, it releases contaminants int the air such as carbon monoxide, black carbon, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter, among others.

Environment Canada states that an uncertified wood stove running for nine hours emits as much as a certified stove running for 60 hours, and a car driven 18,000 km. Residential wood heating is responsible for 44.1% of all fine particle emissions from human activity.

Photo: Wood Stove

Photo credit: Stock photo

Screenshot of Daniel Champagne, executive committee president and Versant councillor, speaking at the first meeting for the beginning of budget 2024 discussions on October 30.

Last week, the City of Gatineau discussed the budget for 2024. The executive committee announced their proposal of a 2.9% tax increase. This number is under the inflation rate; however, president of the executive committee Daniel Champagne said “Our proposal: a 2.9% increase in the municipal tax. Why? To ensure fairness. Increasing the burden on our citizens would be too much more. We have looked at each option, but our choice is based on accountability. Yes, we want to improve services, but not at the expense of the ability of our citizens to pay.”

Although 2.9% may sound minimal, combined with the abnormally high residential assessment rate, this could cause significant increases in municipal taxes for some Gatineau residents.

The new assessment roll for 2024-2026 shows a 57.32% increase in property value. However, for residential property, the increase is the highest at 71.9%. The average value of single-family home properties is $454,600, compared to $256,000 in the last assessment roll. For condos, the value jumped from $168,900 in the last assessment roll to $306,300 in the new one.


The most significant increases are on the outskirts of the city where prices and values were previously lower. For Aylmer specifically, the increase for residential properties is 73.78%.
“Those who have more expensive properties may see a decrease in taxes, where residents with more affordable homes will see tax increases,” said Champagne during a press conference.

The assessment roll is an inventory of all real estate in the municipality. Each property is evaluated and given a value based on the selling prices of similar properties in similar environments. The evaluation also takes into account the specific characteristics of each property.

Under the Municipal Taxation Act, Gatineau is required to do a reassessment of the roll every three years. Properties must be evaluated 18 months before the new assessment roll comes into effect; in this case, the new roll starts on January 1, 2024. The evaluations therefore reflect the real estate market of July 2022. It’s important to note the significant increase in home prices between 2019 and 2022 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Municipal Taxation Act allows municipalities to spread the values across three years to mitigate the sudden increase and its effect on taxes for residents.

In the opening statements before commencing Gatineau’s 2024 budget, Champagne said “It’s crucial to note that 66% of residents will face important increases due to the new assessment roll. Approximately, 25% of citizens will see their taxes increase by 15% over the next three years, especially properties that were of lower value.”

For some, this increase will translate to hundreds of dollars to pay yearly for their municipal taxes.

Resources for citizens

Residents can consult the city’s website to see their new evaluation https://www3.gatineau.ca/servi…. Residents will also receive a leaflet about the new assessment roll along with their municipal tax bill in February 2024.

Residents who feel that the value presented in the new assessment is not representative of the market can speak with the evaluator at the city’s Evaluation Service and, if there is an error, the evaluator can fix it. If there remains a difference of opinion, citizens can submit a revision request form.

Photo Credit: Screenshot, Sophie Demers

Throughout the month of November, to thank members of the Canadian Armed Forces for their service, veterans with commemorative veteran plaques, will have free municipal parking. This is the first initiative of its kind for Gatineau. Municipal parking refers to parking spaces with municipal parking meters which can be street parking or in parking lots.

“Free parking for veterans in November is a modest but sincere gesture to express our gratitude to those who have sacrificed for peace and freedom,” said Lucerne councillor Gilles Chagnon.

Veteran commemorative plaques are only available for veterans. In order to acquire a plaque, a request must be made to the Royal Canadian Legion. The plaques are then issued by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).

“Veterans Affairs Canada lists more than 17,000 veterans in the National Capital Region and we are fortunate to have several of them within the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau, whether they are police officers or civilians,” said Simon Fournier, Director of the Gatineau Police Department. “We are very proud to recognize their service.”

Photo: From left to right: Gille Chagnon, Lucerne Councillor, Paulette Clément, President of the Aylmer Legion, Simon Fournier, Director of Gatineau police department, Lieutenant-colonel G.M.A. Blais, and Jean Lessard, Rivière-Blanche councillor.

Photo Credit: City of Gatineau

In the presentation of the City’s annual report on infrastructure projects, it was announced that in 2023, 89% of commitments were met. However, there are some major delays regarding yellow water in homes throughout the city. The net surplus of the $744.4 million budget is projected at $1.8 million, which is equivalent to 0.2% of the budget.

Residents may have to deal with yellow water for years to come

Despite the commitments met by the city, there are some major delays regarding yellow water in Gatineau homes.

This was brought up by a resident of Deschênes in the municipal council meeting on October 17. The resident said she has orange- and yellow-coloured water that stains her sinks, toilet, and bath. She has been complaining about this problem since 2018.

The Aylmer resident is not the only one on Gatineau’s territory with this problem. The problems stem from corrosion of the iron water mains, which make up 774 km, or 64%, of the network. The corrosion leads to deposits which are often in older neighbourhoods. The iron concentration in the water is safe for consumption but affects the colour and taste of the water.

The $56 million project to fix the yellow water problem is behind schedule. Some areas that are experiencing the issue are not included in the plans. Despite councillors expressing urgency to fix the problem, the current plan is not scheduled until 2028.

Deschênes Councillor, Caroline Murray, stated that the proposed plan was insufficient to meet the needs of the population living with yellow water. Later in the week, an amendment was made to provide more funds to fix the problem.

Aylmer Projects requiring more funding

During the investments and infrastructure budget discussions on day one, the city administration went over the projects, their costs, and timelines. Construction costs have increased by 48% from 2016 to 2023. For two of Aylmer’s projects, the city recommends allocating additional funds to complete them.

The first is the extension of Bruxelles Road in the Plateau between the Agora development and the Donalda-Charron library. An additional $620,000 is required to complete the project.

After re-evaluating the cost of the construction plans for the expansion of the Front Community Centre, the project needed an additional $2 million to complete the project.

The presentation also indicated a delay for the sports complex in the west of the city. The original plan foresaw the completion of construction by 2028, but this deadline has been pushed back to 2029. Gille Chagnon, Lucerne Councillor, voiced his concerns about this delay stating that the sports complex is an infrastructure need in Aylmer.

Gatineau held a public information session for residents about a variety of by-law changes, one of which was a modification regarding indoor wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. No participant in the public consultation voiced concerns for the modification.

The bylaw modification would prohibit the installation of indoor wood-burning appliances or fireplaces that don’t have environmental certification. The by-law is set to be approved by the municipal council on November 14. Montreal instated a similar law modification a few years ago.

The modification to the by-law will only apply to new solid burning appliances when requesting a permit to install it on or after November 18, when the regulation will come into effect if approved. Already installed appliances will not require a certification.

To get an environmental certification for a wood-burning appliance, residents must contact the manufacturer at the time of purchase to ensure the product is certified. Proof of certification will be required when applying for the installation permit.

This type of heating poses environmental and health risks. When wood is burned, it releases contaminants int the air such as carbon monoxide, black carbon, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter, among others.

Environment Canada states that an uncertified wood stove running for nine hours emits as much as a certified stove running for 60 hours, and a car driven 18,000 km. Residential wood heating is responsible for 44.1% of all fine particle emissions from human activity.

Photo: Wood Stove

Photo credit: Stock photo

From October 10 to 13, Gatineau police state, they received over a dozen reports of fraud resulting in thousands of dollars lost by citizens. The type of fraud that is being reported is the “grandparents’ fraud”.

The target is usually older family members, such as parents and grandparents. An individual will receive a call from someone claiming to be their son, grandson, son-in-law or the partner of a grandchild. The fraudster will say they were in a car accident, and they hit someone. Usually they claim to have hit a pregnant woman, and were then arrested. In some cases, the person pretending to be the loved one will say they admitted to the police officers that they were using their phone while driving.

They will then claim they only had one call and the call will soon be cut off. They will then ask the victim to pay their bail and not to tell anyone about it. The phone call will end with the imposter saying their lawyer will contact the victim.

The parent or grandparent will then receive a second call from someone claiming to be the lawyer. The pretend lawyer will ask the individual to withdraw the money for bail and not to mention to the bank clerk what it is for, because they would then have to fill out documents and that would take too much time. Once the victim has the cash, a fake bailiff or a courthouse employee will meet them at their house to collect the money.

Gatineau police say that, in some cases, the fraudster will meet the individual in a public place to reassure them.

Police say it’s important to remember that no one is safe from fraud. Older individuals are often the target because of the wealth they may have accumulated and, in some cases, their vulnerability.

Gatineau police fraud prevention tips

Police say that it’s important to question the fraudster on the phone who is claiming to be a loved one. The way to do this is to ask questions that are specific or personal enough that the perpetrator would not be able to guess the answer. Another way police suggest to verify the individual’s identity is calling the person the individual claims to be, using the phone number you have for them.

Authorities advise against transferring money. Fraudsters’ tactics usually involve creating a sense of urgency, giving the victim the sense that they can’t check if the person is who they claim to be. Citizens are also advised against sharing personal or banking information over the phone.

Residents are invited to contact 819-246-0222 if they believe they have been a victim of this type of crime.

Citizens who have any information about the grandparents’ fraud scheme are encouraged to contact the Gatineau police information line at 819 243-4636, option 5.