MINUTES — PUBLIC – RECREATION, SPORTS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

3. Filing and follow-up of the minutes of the April 24, 2024 meeting

The minutes are filed. A follow-up is provided regarding the meeting held with pétanque organizations concerning their request to:

1. Relocate the boulodrome (pétanque court);
2. Include the rue Berri boulodrome in the Plan directeur des infrastructures récréatives, sportives et communautaires (Master Plan).

Pétanque is included in the Master Plan as a summer sport, but not as a winter sport. Consequently, the Ville de Gatineau recognizes the practice of this sport on outdoor fields, but not on indoor fields. It remains open to resuming discussions if opportunities arise, within the framework of the Master Plan, to build multipurpose and multi-use facilities. For the Service des loisirs, des sports et du développement des communautés (SLSDC), the file is now closed.

5. Presentation of the social portrait by the Observatoire de développement de l’Outaouais (ODO) for the Ville de Gatineau

The document Optimiser les décisions grâce au Portrait des communautés de l’Outaouais (Optimizing decisions through the Outaouais Community Portrait) is presented. This is an update of the community portrait containing new data, including data from the 2021 Statistique Canada census. The objective of the presentation is to inform members about the process that led to the development of the community portrait as well as how to consult the data associated with it. The underlying idea of the portrait is to obtain as much data as possible to understand the lived experience of each community. These are divided according to group and territory of belonging as well as urban villages. To give them statistical value, their size is set at approximately 3,000 to 5,000 people. The portrait thus delimits 115 communities, including 76 in Gatineau.

There are two ways of presenting the data related to the portrait: a booklet (demographic and socioeconomic particularities; complementary characteristics on the state of health and well-being of the population; indices summarizing and positioning the development of the community) as well as a dashboard that provides additional information in the form of raw data differentiated by sex, for more than forty indicators. The 115 communities are classified according to a material and social deprivation index (IDMS). It is sometimes necessary to nuance the classification resulting from this index since it does not always paint an accurate picture of the communities. Two realities can re-emerge within the same community. On the Observatoire de développement de l’Outaouais (ODO) website, it is possible to consult a georeferenced map of the forty-five indicators of the community portrait, with the goal of countering the stigmatization effect associated with the IDMS. This map will be enhanced with new data during the summer season.

The community portrait is a community mobilization tool. The main idea is to meet with economic and social development actors to carry out knowledge transfer. The knowledge transfer stage will be followed by workshops with actors, citizens, and community leaders to ask them what things they would like to change and how to achieve them. Four or five themes will thus be identified regarding the development potential of the communities from which work to improve their well-being can be carried out. This therefore means holding citizen meetings that will allow for qualitative portraits to be drawn up to identify the development potential of the communities. It is not yet established whether all communities will be consulted or if groupings will be made instead. The 2006 and 2016 portraits will soon be put online.

The presentation gives rise to the following comments, questions, or clarifications:

• Will the 115 communities be met as part of the development of the qualitative portraits? It is indicated that the process will be dependent on the funding obtained. The wish is to meet them all. However, it is possible that they will be grouped by territory, prioritizing the most disadvantaged communities first. This has the disadvantage that the portraits obtained will not be those of the communities, but of the territories.
• It is appreciated that qualitative data is also part of the portrait. Numbers do not reveal everything. Is social deprivation intimately linked to material deprivation? It is mentioned that the indicator mainly aims to identify social isolation; it measures this more in urban than rural environments.
• It is indicated that it should be verified whether Indigenous communities are moving more towards Buckingham due to housing prices.
• Does the economic development ecosystem use the data for the development of local services and support for entrepreneurs? It is highlighted that the ODO's contribution is mainly on the side of data transfer. The portrait seems underutilized for economic development. It is indicated that it would be interesting to reflect on the use of data from the portrait in the various spheres of action of the City.

Edmond Leclerc joins the meeting at 4:14 p.m.

6. Review of the Community Investment Plan (PIC)

The document Bilan et aperçu des projets du Plan des investissements communautaires (PIC) (Review and overview of Community Investment Plan projects) is presented. Members received the document before the meeting. The objectives are:

1. Present the projects completed in 2023 with the investment plan — maintenance component;
2. Present the 2024 project portfolio;
3. Present data from the Ami-es des parcs du Canada (Parks Canada Friends) report: 35 municipalities and a survey of 2,000 people across the country.

The PIC consists of a prioritization process taking into consideration the needs of communities, citizens, elected officials, and associative and sports environments. 498 projects have thus been prioritized. It also includes integrated planning of all recreational, sports, and community infrastructure, which constitutes a total of 320 projects grouped into seven components. The community portrait is widely used in the production of the review. All projects mentioned in the review were prioritized at different times between 2018 and 2023. Their completion, however, took place in 2023. An average of thirty projects is completed annually. Several achievements are presented. Among these are public consultations and studies on: the parc Central master plan; the parc Fontaine master plan; the Complexe multifonctionnel de l’Ouest.

This presentation is followed by a list of commitments for the year 2024. Armande Obrou leaves the meeting at 4:36 p.m. The data from the 2023 report on urban parks in Canada produced by Ami-es des parcs is presented. This organization works for the recognition of urban parks as an essential element of the transition towards equitable cities in favor of the flourishing of people and nature. Armande Obrou joins the meeting at 4:38 p.m. On the city side, the report shows that:

• 100% declare that aging infrastructure and asset management represent a real challenge;
• 89% declare that their operating budget is insufficient, leading to delays in park projects; inability to meet maintenance standards; exhaustion and overwork of current staff; and limited program offerings;
• more than 63% declare that the factors that exert a strong influence on development priorities are: municipal council directives, master plans, as well as strategies and consultations with the community.

On the citizen side, the report shows that:

• 90% rate it important that parks provide space for leisure and recreational activities;
• 88% rate it important that parks serve to strengthen biodiversity and climate resilience;
• 87% rate it important that parks allow people to meet their essential needs (toilets, sitting, gardening);
• 74% confirm that parks have positive consequences on their mental health, physical health, social ties, and their connection with nature.

Beyond their traditional role as leisure spaces, parks are now considered essential in terms of public health, climate resilience, and social ties. The presentation gives rise to the following comments, questions, or clarifications:

• How does the planning allow for synergy between school and municipal environments regarding the sharing or co-development of infrastructure? It is indicated that the PIC is mainly a tool intended for the maintenance of existing infrastructure. The objective is to strengthen ties with the school environment in cases of project development in order to think about public space differently and align needs. This is more related to opportunity files and a different budget envelope.
• Taking into account the population, how many parks are needed to prevent certain things in a neighborhood (for example, crime)? It is mentioned that ratios exist for the whole province. Gatineau has many more parks than the majority of cities in Quebec. Many skateboard parks have been set up to keep teenagers active. Requests are growing for basketball facilities. Collaboration with the Service d’urbanisme et du développement durable (SUDD) will allow for the results of characterization studies to be obtained before the start of real estate projects in order to maintain a canopy that meets the need for shade in newer parks.
• Not all projects presented have a link to universal accessibility. It is indicated that universal accessibility is a mandatory component of all new projects. The envelope reserved for accessibility projects is used for upgrading older facilities so that they comply with current accessibility standards. One of the objectives is to be able to offer the population a list of accessible facilities that are easily identifiable thanks to geomatics.
• More partnerships should be developed with the private sector.
• Some people never participate in consultations, regardless of the form chosen for them. Notwithstanding this fact, the City has the responsibility to serve the entire population and it is important to propose different modes of consultation. It is mentioned that work is being done in concert with the citizen interaction team to encourage the participation of the entire population. The consultations for parc Fontaine offer a good example of the panoply of means used to reach all components of the population.

Break from 5:10 p.m. to 5:27 p.m. Aurélie Baillot leaves the meeting at 5:10 p.m.