With the exception of a few journalists’ follow-ups in which we learned that the “file is progressing” and that the government’s intention is still to proceed with the creation of a state corporation, Gatineau residents have had very little news from this flagship promise for the economic community since the re-election of the Legault government. Councilor Daniel Champagne, who was president of the executive committee under the administration of former mayor France Bélisle, says he has not been involved in any discussion on this subject in two years.
The mayor of Gatineau, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, put an end to this shortage in the file Tuesday morning. Upon leaving the public session of the executive committee, she announced the establishment of a “steering committee” that she will co-chair with the general director of Tourisme Outaouais, Geneviève Latulippe. The stated objective of this committee is to take leadership of the new Gatineau convention center project promised by the Prime Minister, while still being able to count on the promised $50 million.
The mayor raises the possibility of partnership with the private sector and affirms that the City of Gatineau is ready to participate financially. How much and from what budget? She did not wish to comment on these elements. “You’ll have to be creative,” she said to evacuate the question.
“There has been a gap in this file for several years,” she noted. Upon arriving [en poste]I saw that there was no project, that it was struggling, that it was not alive, but I also saw the will of the partners. I’m not here to judge what should have been done before. I’m focused on what to do from now on and we have to seize this opportunity. […] We are taking this matter in hand with our partners and we are going to give ourselves a game plan to move it forward.”
Ms. Marquis-Bissonnette does not insist at all costs that the future convention center be an entirely provincial facility, as is currently the case in the city center, or in Montreal and Quebec.
The Gatineau convention center has been considered dilapidated and too small for several years. (Patrick Woodbury/Archives Le Droit)
“It could very well not be equipment from the Quebec government, but in which it is a partner, with other partners in the community,” she clarified. There are several governance models. We can think of private participation and the involvement of the social economy.”
The mayor of Gatineau says she has no indication that the 50 million from the Quebec government would no longer be on the table. “I think this project is still in the pipeline for the Quebec government,” she said. In my opinion, a project that is driven by the community and aligned with our objectives of revitalizing the city center. In a difficult context for public finances, it becomes interesting for the government.
The steering committee also includes Véronique Rivest, president of Vision centre-ville, Étienne Fredette, general director of the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce, and Steve Moran, president of the executive committee of the City of Gatineau and city center councilor. The committee’s first task will be to update the two studies already carried out by Tourisme Outaouais on the convention center file.
It is the MP for Hull, Suzanne Tremblay, who was identified as responsible for this issue in the caucus of elected officials of the Coalition Avenir Québec en Outaouais. She had not been able to respond to the requests of the Right when this article was published.
“Enthusiastic” Outaouais Tourism
At Tourisme Outaouais, the general director Geneviève Latulippe affirms that we are enthusiastic to see the City acting as a leader and that faced with this “beautiful project”, whatever happens next, “everything comes in time to those who wait”. .
Even with a project under the direction of the provincial, she still said a few weeks ago that she was confident that the project would succeed, because “Quebec is listening”, maintaining that the work behind the scenes was underway.
For the tourism industry, a new large venue to host large-scale events is essential, a study by the firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton having confirmed the importance of the need.
“It doesn’t come out of our hat. […] Yes, currently there is an offer in place, yes the convention center is there with what, 52,000 square feet, but it does not have accommodation. What is proposed is to have a center of more than 85,000 feet with a hotel of 200 rooms, she relates. It’s not that there is no offer at the moment, there is also the Hilton with accommodation, but what we want to have is complementary.”
Geneviève Latulippe, general director of Tourisme Outaouais (Simon Séguin-Bertrand/Le Droit)
Outaouais currently hosts around 300 conferences of all kinds per year, but the study estimates that this number could double with new infrastructure.
“There is a need to seek out even more conferences, whether internationally, outside of Quebec. It’s super important for the region and it goes beyond the direct impacts and economic spinoffs. It will also enable the development of our professionals, positioning us as a key player. […] All the balls are prepared,” she adds, specifying that there is a potential for up to 75% of delegates to come from elsewhere in the country or around the world.
This recalls that business tourism is “extremely lucrative” because a visitor in this category spends twice as much as a leisure tourist.
It is difficult, in his opinion, to say how many associations or organizations are turning their noses up at the Outaouais and turning, for example, to Ottawa or Montreal due to lack of capacity.
“I don’t have any data on this, but internally we hear it. This is something you can’t really gauge unless you call each organization. Even the study does not have these figures, explains Ms. Latulippe. With Ottawa, we are not in competition, we are really complementary, we even exchange with them, but they still have the Rogers Center (formerly Shaw), which has 192,000 square feet, which is quite modern. »
While the latest studies put the economic spinoffs linked solely to the construction of the infrastructure at 26 million, Outaouais Tourism recently requested an update to keep pace with market variations and rising construction costs.
The hotel occupancy rate was 60.3% between January and August in Outaouais. In August alone, it reached 72.7%, an increase of six points compared to 2023.
Related News :