PUBLIC – Minutes of the Gatineau City Council meeting of the whole held in the committee room of the Maison du citoyen, 25 Laurier Street, Gatineau, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 9:12 a.m., at which were present, Ms.
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2026 Work Plans
Order of presentation of the work plans for committees and commissions:
- Finance Committee – Mr. Adrian Corbo and Mr. Richard Kouamé
- Economic Development Commission – Councillor Tiffany-Lee Norris Parent and Ms. Isabelle Veilleux
- Environment and Climate Change Commission – Councillor Rachel M. Deslauriers and Mr. Frédéric Vandal
A question was raised regarding the objectives for item no. 2, "Electrification – Master plan for charging stations in Gatineau (public sector)," and clarifications were provided by Mr. Vandal. Information is available regarding the number of charging stations currently available in the territory as well as their usage.
- Territory Development and Housing Commission – Councillor Rachel M. Deslauriers and Mr. Marco Pilon
Regarding item no. 6, "Flood Adaptation Project," it was confirmed that further public consultations will be held, with explanations of upcoming actions. Clarifications were also provided regarding the areas that will be targeted by this project.
- Transportation, Sustainable Mobility and Safety Commission – Councillor Catherine Craig-St-Louis and Mr. Claude Martine
- Arts, Culture, Letters and Heritage Commission – Councillor Isabelle N. Miron and Ms. Sonia Blouin
- Toponymy Committee – Councillor Julie Bélisle and Ms. Sonia Blouin
- Living Together Commission – Councillor Sonia Ben-Arfa and Mr. Sébastien Vallée
- Seniors Commission – Councillor Jean Lessard and Mr. Sébastien Vallée
- Youth Commission – Councillor Chloé Bourgeois and Mr. Sébastien Vallée
- Gatineau, Healthy City Commission – Councillor Isabelle Cousineau and Mr. Sébastien Vallée
- Recreation, Sports and Community Development Commission – Councillor Bettyna Bélizaire and Mr. Sébastien Vallée
A request was made regarding the oversight of council members concerning the plan for aging arenas. Mr. Vallée mentioned that the arenas still belong to the City and that a call for interest is underway, for subsequent follow-up with elected officials. It is also important to plan for winter activities, taking climate change into account, particularly regarding outdoor skating rinks.
- Public Safety Commission – Councillor Michael Korhonen and Messrs. Simon Fournier, Maxime Courchesne, and Denis Doucet
RECOMMENDATION: The Finance Committee, the Economic Development Commission, the Environment and Climate Change Commission, the Territory Development and Housing Commission, the Transportation, Sustainable Mobility and Safety Commission, the Arts, Culture, Letters and Heritage Commission, the Toponymy Committee, the Living Together Commission, the Seniors Commission, the Youth Commission, the Gatineau, Healthy City Commission, the Recreation, Sports and Community Development Commission, and the Public Safety Commission recommend that the municipal council adopt the 2026 work plans for the committees and commissions.
A question and comment period was held following the presentation of each work plan. The members recommend that the municipal council adopt the 2026 work plans for the committees and commissions.
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State of Preparedness of the City of Gatineau and the Role of Elected Officials in the Event of a Civil Security Disaster
Introduction by Mr. Yess Gacem. Presentation by Mr. Denis Doucet.
The objective of the presentation is to inform the members of the municipal council about the state of preparedness of the City of Gatineau, as well as the role of elected officials in the event of a civil security disaster.
Presentation Plan:
- Contextualization – Municipal Civil Security Plan;
- Contextualization – Role and responsibilities of elected officials during an exceptional situation;
- Question period;
- Municipal Civil Security Plan;
- Operational Guide – Roles and responsibilities of elected officials during an exceptional situation;
- Question period.
A question and comment period took place. The importance of the presented Guide was reiterated, particularly to clarify the role and responsibilities of elected officials during emergency situations. In the event of a disaster, elected officials will also have real-time information from the administration to support them. The teams are well prepared for this purpose.
A question was raised regarding certain requests made recently concerning certain accumulations and the prevention carried out. The teams know where the locations subject to issues are, which are under surveillance. Verifications may be made regarding 311 requests. It is confirmed that the team is currently working with the UQO (Université du Québec en Outaouais) in order to better take diversity into account in the case of emergency measures.
Clarifications were requested regarding the contingency plan for teams, for a long-term period, in the event of exceptional situations. The strategic plan includes elements to this effect and recommendations have been formulated. It is suggested to consider adding a personal plan, particularly to help with childcare.
Following a question to this effect, elected officials were informed of the risk identification process. It is noted that it is difficult to reach all citizens when a disaster occurs. In this context, what is the role of elected officials and what measures are put in place? Also, how is the coordination of work parties (volunteers) ensured?
Regarding communications, campaigns are launched to encourage people to register on the list. Québec en alerte publications are limited and cannot be used widely. Awareness visits are carried out and partners are also involved. This network of partners works well. Regarding the management of volunteers, it is desired to integrate this action into the strategic plan. There is now an agreement with a volunteer association, particularly for the distribution of sandbags. Explanations were requested regarding the actions planned on page 17 and examples were presented.
It is requested that elected officials be informed quickly when issues arise in their district, since they are often the first people contacted and they know the territory. The Guide clarifies the difference between the role of an elected official and the role of a volunteer citizen. It is important to ensure that the right communications are disseminated. The general management, as well as the territorial directors, also assume a role during disasters, to disseminate information regularly to elected officials. It is important to remember that the teams intervene on the ground, but that there is a desire for alignment with the members of the council.