Mélissa Gélinas LJI Reporter

More than eight branches of the Société d’alcool du Québec (SAQ) will close their doors across Quebec. By the end of 2025, the SAQ located in downtown Hull on Promenade du Portage will also be closed.

As a government corporation, the SAQ plays a role in the vitality of several sectors that contribute to quality of life and attractiveness. “We hope this decision will be reversed,” said Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, Mayor of Gatineau.

A few years ago, the ARIANE alliance adopted a national planning and architecture policy to make it a priority in Quebec. “However, with recent SAQ closures like the one in downtown Hull, this is not translating into action,” emphasized Marquis-Bissonnette. “It’s not consistent.”

According to the mayor, the financial injection has a positive effect on downtown revitalization, but the government corporation must collaborate and work with Gatineau to achieve the desired objectives. “We have taken steps at the local and national levels to ensure our voice is heard,” she said.

“The SAQs in the area are profitable, but not as much as in other parts of the city where there are larger branches,” explains the mayor.

Indeed, the lack of traffic is one of the issues. According to Philippe Deschamps, communications strategist at Vision Centre-Ville, it would be faster for Hull Island residents to take their bikes to Ottawa’s Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) than to the SAQ near the Casino Lac-Lemay.

“To have a complete downtown, we need a diverse range of services,” emphasized Philippe Deschamps. “However, it’s not up to the government corporation to meet all residents’ needs or to revitalize the downtown area alone.” From another perspective, it seems that the return of public servants to the office full-time is having an impact on the decline in the number of customers.

Scheduling is also a problem. “I often hear people say they prefer to go across the river to the LCBO because it closes at 9 pm, unlike the SAQ, which closes at 6 pm,” said Danny Plante, owner of the Saveurs Épicerie Urbaine grocery store.

For Danny Plante, the SAQ in downtown Hull is his ally. “For me, the announcement of its closure hit like a hammer blow,” he said. One proposed solution would be for the branch to become a service point within his grocery store. For now, several requests have been made to government authorities.

Photo: Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, Mayor of Gatineau, answers media questions about the SAQ closure during the press scrum (March 12, 2025). (MG) Photo: Screenshot