Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

The National Capital Commission is working alongside the Ville de Gatineau and the Société de

transport de l’Outaouais to give the area around Brewery Creek a facelift.

“For the region as a whole, it is truly a gem that has been neglected for too long,” Hull-Wright

district councillor Steve Moran told his colleagues during a plenary committee meeting on

February 27.

The National Capital Commission has launched a land use plan to revitalize 1.45 hectares of land

in the heart of downtown Gatineau to not only increase visitors, improve accessibility, and

preserve heritage, but also to create mixed-use residential and commercial spaces.

The land left highly contaminated by Hull’s industrial decline will require more than $20 million

for ground remediation, as well as the development of green and public spaces.

Plans included four buildings with the potential of 364 units, pedestrian laneways, large green

spaces, a multi-use pathway, and a walkway. Buildings were expected to make up 35 per cent of

the total area while the remaining 65 per cent would be available for green and public spaces.

The Ville de Gatineau also has plans for Brewery Creek, notably the redevelopment along the

west bank and converting Taylor Street into a shared roadway. The project would see the

enhancement of the Brewery Creek stream through landscaping but also access with four-season

use of the stream. The sector’s known views like the Montcalm Street bridge and water tower

will also be enhanced along with the cycling lanes.

“It’s a scaled-down version of what people have wanted for a very long time. I want us to take at

least this first step, but there will be others in the future,” said Moran. The Hull-Wright district

councillor said the vision was there, but other phases were needed for the plans to be a success.

The project was expected to cost $6.8 million but rise to $10.9 million to include subsequent

phases for complementary public places.

Both the National Capital Commission’s plans and those of the Ville de Gatineau are available on

their respective websites.

The public can share feedback on the Commission’s concept through an online survey until

March 14. The comments received will be taken into consideration for its request to update the

Ville de Gatineau’s urban plan and the request to update the Commission’s Ottawa River North

Shore Parklands Plan.

Photo caption: A rendering offers an idea of what the National Capital Commission has in store

for Brewery Creek.

Photo credit: National Capital Commission Website