City council, Year One

The Mayor reports on city’s hot files

On November 5, Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin released his  assessment of city council’s first year in its current mandate. The Mayor believes this council has gone a good job in its first year. This is the Mayor’s second term.

Council’s major accomplishments, according to the mayor, include a light-train project for the western part of the city (approval in concept), city regulations for cannabis, the heritage designation of the Quartier-du-Musée,  ongoing discussions of the Parc des Cèdres’ master plan, as well as the four-rinks project in the eastern part of the city to host the Olympiques de Gatineau.

The council has voted unanimously for the rail project – for 2028, ten years away.

Regarding the Quebec sales tax, TVQ, the city won support of all major provincial political parties to grant Gatineau one point of the TVQ. As for waste management, the Mayor admits the City tried to move too fast. “We did not estimate the number of illegal dumpings,” he said. Coming, Gatineau will detail a master plan for disastrous rainfall, especially in the Wychwood neighbourhood.

The heritage designation for the Quartier-du-Musée was controversial since it clashed with plans to increase densification and add high residential towers to the Hull downtown. “We have chosen to value our history,” stated Pedneaud-Jobin. The launch of construction of the Plateau’s library this year, to be completed by 2020, was another accomplishment the major mentioned. 

The next municipal council meeting will be on November 20.