Community housing for Domaine des Frênes?

The Habitations des Rivières de l’Outaouais (HRO) organization has submitted a construction project on the site of civic addresses 80, 90 and 100 Nancy-Elliott Street (south of Aylmer Road and north of Lynn Street). The housing development des Frênes plans to build affordable and community housing.

The HRO is the most important non-profit housing corporation in West Quebec, with over 719 affordable housing units. In Aylmer, the corporation manages units located on Front Street, facing the Front Park.

A draft resolution regarding the City’s participation, as part of the Accès Logis Québec Program, was made public at the August 30 municipal council meeting.

According to the City of Gatineau registers, the lots are owned by numbered company 6234135 CANADA INC. Daniel Bédard is the only shareholder in the company. At the time, he was the developer of Domaine des Frênes, a housing project that got a lot of attention a few years back.

During this saga, many residents, specifically those living on the small Lynn Street, were opposed to the condo project.

“Things bothered us,” explains Jocelyn Plourde, member of the Lynn Street Committee, “We had three objectives and the first one was to protect the environment, the brook that passes through Domaine des Frênes and Lynn Street. The brook carries the water coming from north of Aylmer Road right down to the Ottawa River. At first, the brook was considered a ditch and was to be filled in. We were therefore fighting to protect the environment and to protect the houses on Lynn Street from floods. We were also fighting to maintain our quality of life and to protect the value of our properties.”

Today, the brook is officially designated and therefore protected, with a 20-metre buffer zone between Lynn Street and Domaine des Frênes.

Mr Plourde, who is also President of the Terrasse-Lakeview Residents Association, was unaware that the HRO had submitted a project for a new construction at 80, 90 and100 Nancy-Elliott Street.

“What I do know is that they (the developers) have all the permits for a development project”, said Mr Plourde.

At press time, neither HRO nor Mr Bédard had returned our calls.
(Trans.: CB)