Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

Independent mayoral candidate Stéphane Bisson gathered journalists in the heart of Vieux-Aylmer on April 29 to reveal an “audacious” plan to rejuvenate the centre-ville and neighbourhood centres of Gatineau.

“It is time to renew our approach and intensify our efforts to revitalize these vital centres of our community,” said Bisson.

With the intention of being Gatineau’s mayor beyond the short mandate, Bisson committed to a “clear vision” of the future of the City’s centre-ville over the long term with four measures.

At the top of his checklist was revisioning the Programme particulier d’urbanisme du centre-ville followed by the redevelopment and “reappropriation” of the ruisseau de la Brasserie. Bisson would also like to see the transformation of the segment of roadway from Highway 50, commonly known as Autoroute Guy-Lafleur, to Highway 5 into an urban boulevard to improve connectivity between the centre-ville and the Saint-Joseph boulevard area. He would also promote the continuation of urban densification in the “industrial wasteland” between Montclair and Montcalm.

“For more than 10 years, discussions around the revival of downtown Gatineau have followed one another without a concrete or unified solution being implemented. Past projects, although ambitious, have not succeeded in reversing the spiral of devitalization that our centre-ville has suffered,” said Bisson.

His address did not leave out the neighbourhoods that make up all the sectors of Gatineau. “Neighbourhood quarters are crucial to stimulating and developing the feeling of belonging to our city.” To do so, Bisson proposed the creation of neighbourhood councils, development and implementation of district-specific action plans, promotion of cultural events, ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders, and implementation of a harmonized brand image to boost activity in each district.

“Together, dear citizens of Gatineau, we can transform our city into a place where it is good to live, work, and play. I invite you to join me in this ambitious project, to share your ideas, and to actively participate in building a dynamic and inclusive city.”

Photo caption: While there have been discussions around revamping Gatineau’s centre-ville, mayoral candidate Stéphane Bisson says concrete action has been lacking to bring past projects to a reality.

Photo credit: Taylor Clark