Taylor Clark
LJI Reporter
Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette said the City was making strides in terms of economic recovery and homelessness since being sworn in three months ago.
“I would say that things are going very well, both with the work with the administration and the work with colleagues around the table. We feel that we have winning conditions to move forward,” said Marquis-Bissonnette.
With the upcoming budget, the mayor said she hoped there would be significant amounts “that have never been invested since the municipal merger” for the revival of the downtown core. The funds would go to several fronts but particularly to infrastructure.
“We know that one way to revive the economy is to invest in our own municipal infrastructure to attract business,” she said.
When it came to breathing new life into the downtown core, Marquis-Bissonnette said the solution could not rely on the return of civil servants, who since September 9 have been required to work in their offices at least three days per week.
“That’s why we’re moving forward in terms of supporting commerce to really have an attractive downtown offering, not just during business hours but so that people want to come on weekends, in the evenings, to enjoy the cultural offerings of restaurants and businesses.”
To get there, Marquis-Bissonnette hopes Gatineau will become the first major city in Quebec to implement development charges to fund infrastructure projects like the widening work on Vanier Road.
Along with firsts in economic development, the mayor expected Gatineau to take the lead on tackling homelessness but only on the condition that the Government of Quebec provide resources on top of the $5 million already set aside in the municipal budget.
“This is the situation we are seeing right now in Guertin and in other areas of the City. It is the result of a continuum of services that are not adequate for people experiencing homelessness.”
While the responsibility for homelessness does not fall to the City, Gatineau has had to indirectly combat the growing issue as it is “in its own backyard.” In the last four years, homelessness has increased by 268 per cent in Outaouais compared to 36 per cent in Montreal or 33 per cent in Quebec City.
“We are by far the region where there is a greater increase in homelessness, and I think Quebec City understands that.”
By taking leadership, Gatineau planned to be the connecting link between stakeholders and services to provide those experiencing homelessness with more robust and complete services. What form these resources from Quebec are to take has yet to be specified but “will take a lot of time.”
Photo: Mayor of Gatineau Maude Marquis-Bissonnette gathers journalists at the Maison du citoyen to highlight the major projects that will guide the work of council in the coming weeks.
Photo: Taylor Clark