Mélissa Gélinas LJI Reporter
Due to the lack of capacity for drinking water and wastewater management infrastructure, more than 8,000 housing units cannot be built in the Outaouais region.
According to Nicolas Brisson, Executive Director of the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l’habitation du Québec en Outaouais, the City of Gatineau is clearly negligent in updating its infrastructure.
“Population growth had already been planned for in the city through a development plan,” said Brisson. “In 2010, a committee report estimated the funding needed to catch up on infrastructure at more than $1 billion, which led, in 2012, to the introduction of a 1% tax to subsidize several projects such as roads, transportation, etc. But where did that money go?”
Of course, the city must still seek support from other levels of government, but the development levy, which is one of the solutions proposed by the Mayor of Gatineau, is, according to Brisson, unacceptable. “It’s also unacceptable for the federal government, which imposes this tax as a condition.”
“For 10 years, the City of Gatineau had the highest average tax burden of the 10 largest cities in Quebec,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, according to Brisson’s information, the city produced a document in 2013 estimating the need to reinvest $167 million in water treatment plants. As for wastewater management, the figure is over $563 million, including $308 million for overflow elimination. “The city was already well aware of the problem and knew it would require investments,” he commented. “Furthermore, the city had already planned for population growth in its territory by increasing its density.”
“I know that the City’s savings account for budgeted infrastructure has gone from $84 million to $479 million,” explained Brisson. “These are funds that still haven’t been used. I wonder if Gatineau is really making the right choices for the right priorities. Given the housing crisis, this should have been done at least 10 years ago. Drinking water management and wastewater treatment are essential because they are a public health issue.”
Photo: Nicolas Brisson, Executive Director of the Association of Construction and Housing Professionals of Quebec in Outaouais (May 5, 2025) (MG) Photo: APCHQ Outaouais Facebook Page