Mélissa Gélinas LJI Reporter

Following the 2019 floods, the Touraine sector of Gatineau has several vacant lots that need to be redeveloped. To this end, a public consultation was organized to engage in discussions and exchange ideas through workshops.

For the occasion, Touraine Borough Councillor Tiffany-Lee Norris Parent, Assistant Territorial Director for Gatineau, Buckingham and Masson-Angers Magdalena Dudek, several officials, organization representatives, and residents were present at the Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf Community Centre in Gatineau on May 20.

“As you know, there are nearly 200 vacant lots within the City of Gatineau that were transferred following the 2019 floods,” said Ms. Dudek. “We created a master plan and an action plan, but we haven’t had the opportunity to organize a gathering of Touraine residents to discuss this topic.”

The workshops were divided into two parts. The first consisted of choosing the themes, and the second was to prioritize each one. Everyone gathered around a table to exchange ideas.

For the vast majority, one of the most important elements concerned lawn maintenance on the grounds. “We all agree that the grass was way too long and never maintained,” explained a Touraine resident. This, as a result, attracts many animals such as marmots, raccoons, and deer. To address the situation, mixed seeds of clover and other ground covers were proposed. To do this, the lawn will have to be removed to add soil to accommodate the new seed, which will require no maintenance.

A second element was the addition of trees. “We don’t need a structure for relaxation or play,” said another resident. “There’s already a park that’s practically unoccupied, so I doubt people would use this kind of development, which, in my opinion, is an unnecessary expense. What we want is nature.”

All in all, the request was specifically to naturalize the land. “What we’re going to do, first of all, is assess everything and see how many trees we’ll need and which species to prioritize,” explained Noris Parent. “We’ll then have to estimate the overall work and study the land. This will allow us to estimate the total budget and see how to secure the necessary funding to complete this project.” A second meeting has been proposed to take place in six months to take stock of the situation.

Photo: Tiffany-Lee Norris Parent, municipal councillor for the Touraine Borough, accompanied by officials, organization representatives, and residents at the workshop on the redevelopment of vacant lots in Touraine (May 20, 2025). (MG) Photo: Mélissa Gélinas