Our President and Founder, Gilles Desjardins, shares his thoughts on the exciting news of a new convention centre in Gatineau.
The Government of Quebec has just announced the construction of a convention centre—an important and transformative project for Gatineau and the Outaouais region. This infrastructure is essential to the economic vitality of our beautiful city. It will be built on the grounds of the Casino du Lac-Leamy, and the project will be fully funded by the provincial government, meaning it will not impact citizens’ municipal tax bills.
With this investment, Outaouais will finally have a modern facility capable of hosting large-scale events.
Let me be clear: my first choice would have been to establish the convention centre in the downtown core to contribute to the revitalization of Old Hull. I had acquired 35 Laurier Street with a vision for a major project that would have been greatly enhanced by the presence of a convention centre. Other locations were also available, such as the Zibi site. Tourists could have easily crossed the Ottawa River to enjoy attractions in both downtown Ottawa and Gatineau, taking advantage of the proximity to the ByWard Market and LeBreton Flats—future home of the Ottawa Senators NHL team.
I would have liked to see stronger mobilization from Gatineau’s city council to clearly define our needs and work closely with the Government of Quebec in selecting the location.
That said, we must recognize the significance of this news and unite behind the project. The chosen site is close to downtown, already features a hotel, and is well served by public transit—most notably the Rapibus, and hopefully soon, Ottawa’s O-Train.
I commend the Government of Quebec for this strategic investment, which will benefit local businesses, the restaurant industry, and the broader economy of our region. I fully support this project and encourage both the business community and citizens to do the same.
In the picture, in order.
Robert Bussière, Deputy of Gatineau
Jean-François Bergeron, CEO of Loto Quebec
Mathieu Lévesque, Deputy of Chapleau
Suzanne Tremblay, Deputy of Hull
Gilles Desjardins, President and Founder of Brigil
Kevin Taylor, Executive VP and Chief of casino and gaming operation
