Mêlée de presse

Ville de Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle said the city was working away at its requests for the

Government of Québec’s pre-budget consultations.

When asked on February 7 what elements would be important to Gatineau, Bélisle told reporters that common contenders were transportation and transportation support, along with sufficient decontamination funds.

“This really cuts our wings because we have beautiful strategic land for housing, for a hospital,

for a headquarters, for cultural places, and these places are often decontaminated and the costs

explode,” said Bélisle.

A new convention centre was also on the mayor’s wish list. “Everyone knows my love for

tourism, but especially for the economic impact of business tourism. I think that, obviously, we

would like this project to come true and become a reality.”

Bélisle said she would like to see a commitment from the Government of Québec similar to that

of the Centre hospitalier affilié universitaire de l’Outaouais.

While adequately funding health and education, Minister of Finance Eric Girard noted in a Message from the Minister that the government must act prudently and responsibly by focusing efforts on the needs of the most vulnerable.

“We are also pursuing our efforts to bolster Québec’s economic potential and close the wealth

gap between Québec and Ontario,” Girard wrote in his Message on pre-budget consultations.

In an update on the province’s economic and financial situation in the fall 2023, the Premier of

Québec explained that, five years ago, the government set out to close the wealth gap between

Québec and its trading partners.

“Québec has some unique advantages. It is up to us to leverage those advantages to accelerate

the process of closing the gap for the benefit of all Quebecers,” wrote François Legault.

According to the update, the government planned to reduce the gap in real GDP per capita with

Ontario to less than 10 per cent by 2026 and catch up with Ontario’s real GDP per capita by

2036.

Until 2018, Québec’s average annual standard of living growth was similar to Canada’s and

Ontario’s. But gains in real GDP per capita in Québec have not allowed it to catch up with its

main partners in terms of wealth, keeping Québec’s standard of living gap relatively stable with

Ontario.

However, things changed in 2019. The gains in the standard of living continued to rise

in Québec while real GDP per capita remained somewhat stable in Ontario and Canada, resulting

in a narrowing standard of living gap with Ontario in 2022.

Online consultations for pre-budget consultations closed on January 11, but briefs are available

on the Government of Québec website including that of the Ville de Laval which listed four

requests from the province. ​

Photo caption: Ville de Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle takes questions from the press on the

city’s requests amid Québec’s pre-budget consultations.

Photo credit: Screenshot from Mêlée de presse of the Comité exécutif of the Ville de Gatineau on

February 7

Gatineau residents may have to look out for changes in recycling collection come May 30, as the

City awarded a nearly $40 million contract to Environnement Routier NRJ for the next five

years.

The signed partnership agreement with Éco Entreprises Québec was announced on February 7

during a Comité exécutif press briefing. Director of the water and residual materials department

Chantal Marcotte told reporters the City would be 100 per cent compensated, compared to the

previous 93 per cent.

“This agreement is excellent news for the City and for the population of Gatineau. It not only

represents considerable savings, but it also greatly reduces our municipal responsibilities,”

Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle said in a press release. “And above all, it puts the responsibility

of recycling the materials in the hands of the producers. This is one more step toward the circular

economy and a significant gain for citizens, who will no longer have to pay for the management

of these materials.”

The City is expected to obtain nearly $750,000 annually in financial compensation for certain

rendered services. On top of this amount, the City is to be reimbursed for all expenses related to

the collection and transportation of recyclable materials as well as supply and repair of

containers.

Éco Entreprises Québec will also assume all administrative and financial costs related

to sorting and packaging recovered recycling materials, information, awareness, and education

activities.

Marcotte was not able to specify whether it would be automated or manual collection

but said not much should change for citizens. A one-month transition period was expected for

citizens, but a communication campaign was to be on the way to show citizens how to bring their

bins to the street and place them for collection.

Marcotte said merchants could currently recycle, but that it was more on a voluntary basis. Now,

merchants will be regulated to recycle. “The City is ready to provide the service to anyone who

wants it. Initially, we will be able to establish a user-pays principle,” she said. Once the service

expands in 2027 for businesses and institutions and again in 2030 for industries, Éco Entreprises

Québec will be responsible for servicing them.

Marcotte said several feet would be on the ground to assist in the transition. “There are people

who are there to raise awareness, leave door hangers, explain to citizens how it works, and then

be able to correct the situation in terms of their behaviour.”

Photo caption: Gatineau’s director of the water and residual materials department Chantal

Marcotte addresses journalists’ questions regarding the new recycling contract on February 7.

Photo credit: Screenshot from Mêlée de presse of the Comité exécutif of the Ville de Gatineau on

February 7