Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

The Ville de Gatineau has laid out a list of 10 demands in its request to the province amid the

2024 to 2025 pre-budget consultations.

“Although many of the challenges facing our city and our population are shared by all of

Quebec, we also have needs that are specific to our region,” former Gatineau mayor France

Bélisle wrote to Finance Minister Eric Girard in a letter dated February 12. “We hope that the

measures contained in the 2024-2025 budget will contribute to strengthening the socio-economic

positioning of our city and give it the means to meet the needs of its citizens.”

The demands were grouped under five major themes with housing and homelessness at the

forefront, followed by public transportation, land use planning, economic development, and

cultural infrastructure.

At the top of the list was ensuring an improvement and increase in programs and measures to

facilitate the construction of new housing with social and affordable housing as a priority.

“Despite the historically high number of new housing units built in recent years, the Gatineau

vacancy rate remains below 1%. The need for access to social and affordable housing is

particularly high,” she wrote.

The former mayor also drew attention to the “emergency situation” regarding Gatineau’s

homelessness crisis, noting numbers in 2022 were five times higher than four years ago. With

high inflation, lack of affordable housing, and other socio-economic factors at play, Bélisle also

pointed the blame on the underfunding of social services in Outaouais.

“We are convinced that comprehensive and sustainable solutions must be put in place. This is to

offer homeless people a viable alternative and decent living conditions.” She recommended the

establishment of a sustainable financing structure to help and support structuring actions to

benefit people experiencing homelessness.

Despite merging over 20 years ago, several areas of the city have been left poorly served by

public transportation. To address the matter, Bélisle called for support on public transportation

projects aimed at improving mobility within the region like the tramway project.

When it came to land use planning, Bélisle argued the amounts granted by Quebec for

decontamination projects were largely insufficient compared to the City’s current needs.

“We believe that a substantial investment in the decontamination of these lands is necessary and

would, in Gatineau as elsewhere, make them available to meet urgent housing needs, particularly

for affordable housing and social housing.”

Along with the enhancement of the aid program for soil decontamination, Bélisle requested the

​establishment of the new hospital to be done at zero cost for the city.

The city’s centre-ville was also a matter of concern for the former mayor. “The impact of the

pandemic and the significant changes in the organization of work that resulted from it, had

devastating consequences for downtown Gatineau.”

To act quickly, the city requested substantial funding to support the revitalization and economic

and commercial diversification efforts as well as support for the development of strategic

economic sectors.

The city would also like to see provincial funding to support the new Convention Centre. “The

completion of this project is of crucial importance, given that the current infrastructure no longer

meets the requirements of business tourism.”

The last two demands aimed to build up the city’s cultural infrastructure, which Bélisle noted

was underserved.

“An important catch-up must be done to offer our population and our aspiring artists, accessible

and dynamic places, meeting the needs of sustained cultural growth for the region,” she noted.

This would mean support to complete projects already on the table like the Ateliers du Ruisseau,

the Centre des arts de la scène and the Musée régional de l’Outaouais.

The city also reiterated its request to sign a transitional cultural agreement for 2024 and a

specific cultural development for 2025 to 2027.

Minister Girard informed the National Assembly of Quebec on February 22 that the provincial

budget would be tabled on March 12.

Premier François Legault told reporters during a press scrum that the upcoming budget was one

he was proud of. When asked if Quebecers should expect unpleasant surprises, Legault said

massive investments were made in the working conditions of teachers and nurses.

“I think this is the choice that had to be made … The deficit will be much greater, but there will

be no cuts in service and there will be no tax increases.”

Photo caption: Premier François Legault takes reporters’ questions during a press scrum on

February 22 at the National Assembly.

Photo credit: François Legault Facebook