Gatineau River

 Kaz water access doesn’t float everyone’s boat

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By Madeline Kerr

The municipality of Kazabazua has created public access to the Gatineau River, but not without courting some controversy in the process. 

The river access point, located at the corner of Hwy 105 and Chemin du Village d’Alywin north of Kaz village, provides a sweeping view of the Gatineau River as it widens and bends. 

It is the only public access point to the river in the municipality, according to Kaz director-general Pierre Vaillancourt, who told the Low Down that the municipality made it a priority to “give the population access to the Gatineau River.”

But to do so the municipality expropriated a landowner who says she was left feeling “taken advantage of.” Some residents also question the environmental impact of the access point and say it’s regularly littered with garbage and hasn’t been authorized by the provincial government.  

In 2021 Quebec passed Bill 67 that encourages MRCs to create public access to bodies of water in the province. Despite this, a study of municipal land registers and property assessments published earlier this year showed that 98 per cent of Quebec’s shorelines are still inaccessible to the public.

Until 2024 the land where the access point is located in Kaz was owned by Alexandra Topolski, a resident of Hudson, who inherited it from her late father. 

Topolski told the Low Down that she initially co-operated in good faith with the municipality when she was approached a number of years ago about selling her land. Besides the lot that includes the access point, Topolski owns two adjacent lots, including an island on the Gatineau River.  She said that a few years ago, she was in need of money and was willing to sell, but added that she felt it was only fair that if the municipality wanted one of her lots, they should consider buying the others. 

“I said it’s not fair for you guys to take a bite out of the apple and take the best part and then leave me holding the two rump pieces that are going to be diminished in value…. I really pushed. I said I feel like you should buy all the land from me at a fair price,” she recounted.

Instead, she said DG Vaillancourt was “intractable” and she ended up being “low balled.” Rather than agreeing to purchase any of the land, the municipality moved to expropriate Topolski, ultimately paying her $50,000 for only one of the lots. 

Vaillancourt acknowledged that Topolski was very unhappy with the process, but said to the Low Down, “I told her that the municipality can’t just buy land for the fun of it.” 

Topolski ultimately accepted the expropriation and the case did not go to court. She said this was because she was in “dire financial straits” due to a costly divorce and she wasn’t in a position to hire lawyers or fight back.

“I was taken advantage of, absolutely,” she said. 

Litter and permits

The other issue plaguing the water access point, according to some residents, is frequent contamination and littering. 

When the Low Down visited the site in August, it was mostly free from garbage. But longtime resident Gabriel Geurtin, who lives nearby, showed the Low Down a number of pictures of garbage near the shoreline, including what appears to be a car battery. Guertin said he has seen evidence of environmental destruction to the shoreline, which is home to delicate ecosystems and wildlife.  

Guertin, who has run for Kaz council in the past and recently announced his intention to run for mayor, added that he believes the municipality does not have the proper authorization from the Ministry for the Environment to establish a boat launch to the river. 

To refute this claim, Vaillancourt sent the Low Down copies of email exchanges with staff at the ministries for the environment and transport as well as the provincial commission for protecting agricultural land, which all indicate authorization is not needed to create official access to the water. 

He added that the site is not technically a boat launch. Although small boats might be able to use the narrow ramp to the water, he said it’s too small to be a boat launch for larger motorized vessels. Vaillancourt explained that if the site was an official boat launch, it would require approval from the Ministry for the Environment. 

When asked about some residents’ complaints, Vaillancourt maintained it was important for the municipality to create access to the river. 

He also confirmed the municipality has plans to one day build parking spaces nearby – a proposal that Guertin and other residents the Low Down spoke to said they’re prepared to fight.   

 Kaz water access doesn’t float everyone’s boat Read More »

Gatineau River receives ‘green’ bill of health

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By Trevor Greenway

The Gatineau River has a green light — 21 of them, actually. 

Or dots.

If you look at the latest water quality results, you will see that the Gatineau River, from Chelsea to Low, has a clean bill of health with every testing site showing either a bright green or darker forest green dot to mark it as “excellent” or “good.” Just one site – the McClinton Creek in Wakefield – has been labelled not recommended for swimming by Friends of the Gatineau River (FOG).

FOG, the organization responsible for testing the Gatineau River yearly, told the Low Down that, while they aren’t concerned about the McLinton Creek area, as it typically tests high in e-coli, they are curious to know why. The McLinton Creek is north of Wakefield, between the village and Alcove. 

“We’re getting involved with Carleton University on a way to identify whether it is human-caused or not,” said FOG director Stephen Ferguson, who tested the river on June 24 and July 1. 

“We want to try and sort of figure out what’s the source of it, but it’s a tricky creek, though,” said Ferguson. “First of all, it’s hard to get out even to take the measurement. And then secondly, it winds through the woods and who knows what’s going into it, and where.”

There are several farms and fields above the creek that could play a factor, but FOG wants to know definitively before it speculates on what’s causing the high e-coli measurements. 

Ferguson said that FOG was pleasantly surprised to see such favourable results, namely in the Mill Road area of Chelsea.  

“All of the sites are in the ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ category, even down in Mill Road, which is where the sewage treatment plant puts out its effluent,” said Ferguson. “That’s kind of the problem there, it’s episodic – sometimes it’s okay, and sometimes it’s not okay. It’s hard to monitor on a continuous basis, but generally the places where people swim and so on, it seems pretty good.”

The Mill Road site this year, as well as a spot near the Alonzo Wright Bridge, came in as “good,” meaning that FOG found between 21–100 fecal coliforms per 100 millilitres of water. 

Last year, both of those sites were deemed unswimmable after results came in at over 200 coliforms per 100 millilitres. 

HOW CAN I PROTECT THE RIVER?

FOG encourages riverfront residents to refrain from using household toxins like herbicides, pesticides and exfoliating cosmetics, as they promote algae growth, affect animal biodiversity and can be found in the fish that residents catch and eat from the river. 

Maintain good septic systems 

FOG encourages residents to “use healthy products” like biodegradable detergents and solutions that can break down in your system. 

Residents should also save water as much as they can, as increased consumption of water speeds up the circulation of the tank and stops the separation of sludge and scum. 

FOG also recommends keeping septic systems away from sheds and swimming pools to promote air circulation. 

Shoreline regulations 

FOG also wants to remind residents of the shoreline regulations, as it is against municipal bylaws in the region to cut vegetation within 15 metres of the shoreline. Permits are required for all docks on the Gatineau River, and private boat launches are prohibited. 

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Hamilton Gardens’ to break ground ‘shortly’

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By Trevor Greenway

It’s been nearly 15 years since developers laid out plans for a waterfront development along Wakefield’s iconic riverfront. Now, the 40-unit townhouse project known as Hamilton Gardens will finally break ground this spring. 

The municipality of La Pêche just approved a couple of minor variances to the project, which will see the buildings increase in size slightly. Developers are also switching up a colour scheme so that the homes blend “seamlessly” into the neighbouring environment. 

“When you look at the area there of Hamilton Gardens, it’s going to have the feeling it has always been there,” Devcore VP of development Daniel Landry told the Low Down in mid-May. “It’s not going to look like an anachronism to the existing urban fabric of the Wakefield sector,” he added.

The development will be built next to Cafe Earle on Wakefield’s main drag, overlooking the Gatineau River. 

In terms of changes, the minor variances approved by the municipality were indeed minor, as the surface area of the buildings in the development is increasing from 20 per cent to 23 per cent of the lot. Landry said there were issues with the design, as there wasn’t enough space for garbage trucks or emergency vehicles to turn around, and there would have been two dead ends in the development, which he said wouldn’t be efficient. So, they increased the size of buildings by three per cent globally and reduced the number of units from 45 to 40 to accommodate more space for vehicles to maneuver. Other changes included removing storm shutters on the windows and reducing setback requirements for three-family semi-detached buildings to 6.29 metres from the standard eight metres.

The homes’ cladding will consist of a mix of red brick, wood and high-density wood fibre like Maibec or other composite materials. They will have tin roofs, and every unit will be unique in colour: earth-tone reds, greens, yellows and greys. However, because the existing Cafe Earle – which is adjacent to the development – is already yellow, developers didn’t want clusters and “repeating colours,” so they changed the colour scheme’s order. 

“Especially for the ones in the front, because we don’t want two yellow houses and two red or two red and one yellow,” said Landry. “Cafe Earle is yellow, and so we wanted to have not the same colours repeating. So that’s why we’ve put one red beside Cafe Earle, one grayish-blueish building in the middle and one yellow going towards the church,” he said referring to the Good Shepherd Anglican church, which is near to the development. 

Landry boasted that the project exceeds La Pêche’s mandatory 25 per cent of greenspace, as Hamilton’s will feature closer to 45 per cent. The homes will be built in a colonial style with peaked roofs, large windows and oversized covered porches where residents can sit and interact with village life passing by. “Everything around it is going to look like part of the project because of the architecture,” added Landry. 

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux told the Low Down that the zoning for Hamilton Gardens was approved in 2013. However the changes are still subject to approval from the municipality’s Public Works department, its Environment department and the MRC’s Public Security sector. 

Landry said Devcore hopes to begin construction shortly. 

Hamilton Gardens’ to break ground ‘shortly’ Read More »

Election Q&A: The environment how will parties save our planet

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Environmental protection is a big topic among local voters these days. With increased mining claims being staked in our region, continued development near Gatineau Park and the Gatineau River and threatened species in the Gatineau Hills, what will your party to do conserve more green space, protect wetlands, and save threatened flora and fauna in our region?

Gilbert Whiteduck, New Democratic Party 

The rivers, land and all species should be sacred to everyone. To protect our environment, the Gatineau River needs legal protection and personhood, which is why I co-founded the Tenàgàdino Alliance: to achieve legal rights for the Gatineau River. I’m not opposed to development, but it must be responsible. Building a nuclear waste dump beside the Ottawa River is not responsible: Conservative and Liberal governments should never have allowed it to proceed. I’m also concerned about the recent explosion of mining claims in our region, which could lead to a destructive legacy.  The NDP was the first party – 20 years ago – to introduce a bill to protect Gatineau Park as an actual national park and prevent it from shrinking further, but the Liberals defeated it. As traditional guardians of this land, the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg community should become stewards of the park. This needs to be a collaborative effort. 

Todd Hoffman, People’s Party of Canada

My response might be surprising to some. On the environment, while the PPC is strongly opposed to the globalist approach to climate change, when it comes to local concerns we weigh towards the will of the community. Our principals have always been based on fairness, respect and responsibility. As to the questions raised, civic responsibility and respect for nature are areas we hold in high regard. The PPC belief is that citizens and municipal and regional governments are the best to work on finding the right fit to find the balance between those that are concerned and those who wish to develop. In human agency, just as in nature, a balance can be found for everything. We believe in the will of the people. If the people on the ground want it, good. If they do not, forget it. But never, no outside lobbyist to influence the outcome.

Sophie Chatel, Liberal party (Incumbent)

Protecting the natural heritage of Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi is a top priority for me. I led a conservation project with Kitigan Zibi that made our region the first in Canada with a roadmap to meet our international nature protection goals. This is the Kidjimaninan initiative, which brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to protect our region’s biodiversity. I co-led a bill to give Gatineau Park the legal protections it deserves, and I am committed to reintroducing it in the next session. This is part of my vision for a green and prosperous Outaouais, where conservation and economic opportunity go hand in hand. Under Mark Carney’s leadership, a Liberal government will go further by creating 10 new national parks, expanding Indigenous-led conservation, investing $100 million in freshwater protection and funding nature-based climate solutions that preserve wetlands, biodiversity and critical habitats. This is how we build a greener future for Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi.

Claude Bertrand, Green party

Protecting the environment has been the GPC’s raison d’être for the past 41 years. It has a very substantial popular support amongst Canadians of all stripes, but thanks to Canada’s dramatically flawed first-past-the-post electoral system, the GPC currently only has two MPs in the House of Commons.  Mining activities carried out within or even near populated areas severely undermine the citizen’s quality of life and the environment. In the same way, housing developments within park boundaries are very enticing for those who can afford them but are detrimental to the enjoyment of users who seek a connection with nature. Quebec may be the most environmentally responsible province, and many volunteer organizations struggle to protect the local environment. The GPC carries out targeted actions by fostering a network of like-minded organizations and citizens who aim to shape local environmental laws and programming by province and municipalities.

Brian Nolan, Conservative party

Environmental protection is a priority for the Conservative Party of Canada, especially in regions like ours, where natural beauty and biodiversity are at risk. We recognize the importance of preserving green space, protecting wetlands and conserving threatened species in the Gatineau Hills, Gatineau Park and along the Gatineau River. Our approach is practical and science-based. We will work collaboratively with local communities, First Nations and provincial governments to protect ecologically sensitive areas, while supporting responsible development. We are committed to strengthening environmental assessments, promoting habitat restoration and empowering community-led conservation initiatives. Our goal is to ensure future generations can enjoy the same natural treasures we value today. Conservatives believe environmental protection and economic growth can go hand-in-hand through smart, sustainable decision-making. By respecting nature and empowering those closest to it, we can build a greener, more prosperous future for Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi and all Canadians.

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