Tashi Farmilo
LJI Reporter

CIMA+, one of Quebec’s most prominent private consulting engineering firms, has appointed
Hull Island resident Mathieu Bélanger as Vice-President of Environment and Earth Sciences.
From the company’s Gatineau office, he will lead more than 200 specialists in environmental
services, geosciences, geotechnics and urban planning, whose work spans communities across
Canada.

Founded in Montreal in 1990, CIMA+ has grown from a local engineering practice into a national
firm with 40 offices and more than 3,500 employees, most of whom are shareholders. The
company has been recognized for its workplace culture and for award-winning infrastructure
and environmental projects.

Bélanger returns to CIMA+ with more than two decades of leadership in urban planning, real
estate development, public policy and infrastructure. His career includes senior roles in the
federal government, Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Federation of
Canadian Municipalities, and Director of Planning and Sustainable Development for the City of
Gatineau.

“What struck me most during my time in Gatineau was the quality, competence and dedication
of municipal employees,” he said. “They work with rigour and passion, often under great
pressure, to support the city’s growth while preserving its quality of life.” That experience, he
added, strengthened his ability to connect political vision with community needs and the realities
of development.

Bélanger described his new post as both a professional challenge and a personal commitment.
“This is much more than a return. It’s a commitment to providing sustainable and innovative
solutions to our public and private partners across the country.”

He succeeds Raymond McNamara, who is retiring after years of leadership but will remain as
an advisor during the transition. “As a Gatineau resident and someone living on Hull Island, I
want to keep getting involved in local initiatives that link environment, quality of life and local
development,” Bélanger said.

Photo: Hull Island resident Mathieu Bélanger has been named Vice-President of Environment
and Earth Sciences at CIMA+, bringing more than two decades of experience to lead the firm’s
national team from Gatineau. (TF) Photo: Courtesy of the City of Gatineau