The mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau have pledged to work more closely together to tackle issues such as revitalizing downtown cores that have seen a sharp decline in business traffic.
The mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau have pledged to work more closely together to tackle issues such as revitalizing downtown cores that have seen a sharp decline in business traffic in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe sat down for a conversation with recently elected Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette Thursday morning at City Hall as part of the monthly Mayor’s Breakfast series hosted by the Ottawa Board of Trade and the Ottawa Business Journal.
After the event, Sutcliffe and Marquis-Bissonnette hosted a news conference, where they emphasized the connection between their cities and the need to pursue a common .
“We do have a lot in common,” Sutcliffe said. “We are two cities in two different provinces, we are one economic region, and as the two cities that make up the National Capital Region, we are both deeply tied to the federal government.”
Sutcliffe noted that both cities were deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with downtown businesses that relied on office workers for much of their income being particularly hard-hit.
“Our downtown cores are going through historic changes,” he said. “And working with our partners in the federal government, we need a plan for the future of the National Capital Region.”
He added, “With our statement today and our commitment to work together, we’re signalling that we are ready to work together, we are ready to work with the federal government on the future of Ottawa and the future of Gatineau.”
Hollowed out: Gatineau facing similar challenges downtown
Earlier this year, Stéphane Bisson, president of the board for the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce, told OBJ that the city had taken a major hit during the pandemic.
A report from Observatoire du développement de l’Outaouais (ODO) found that federal employees had left the downtown in droves over the past five years. In 2021, 14,460 federal workers worked in downtown Gatineau, a drop of nearly 60 per cent from the 36,000 employees who worked in the area in 2016, the report said.
“We have developed the City of Gatineau over the last 50 years around the government occupation of the downtown area,” he told OBJ at the time. “The situation in Ottawa – it does have other business: law, the lobbying offices, the embassies. You still have some kind of heartbeat. We don’t have that in (Gatineau).”
In addition, the city was riddled with empty buildings, including government offices, and lacked affordable housing to draw new residents downtown.
During Thursday’s discussion at City Hall, Marquis-Bissonnette drew similar parallels between her city's troubles and those of Ottawa.
For example, she noted that both cities have the added challenges of dealing with three levels of government – municipal, provincial and federal – in one place. Both Sutcliffe and Marquis-Bissonnette pointed out that their cities are both far enough away from their respective provincial governments that many residents feel they’re sometimes forgotten about.
“It’s increasingly the case, where when it comes to everyday life, we tackle issues that used to be the responsibility of the provincial and federal government,” Marquis-Bissonnette said.
“We talk about homelessness, housing, immigration, climate change, and we know that we have the solutions to face those wicked problems. But the thing is, we have to align our strategies with the provincial and federal government. And I believe it’s particularly our case here in the National Capital Region, because of the assets and the importance of the federal and provincial government.”
Marquis-Bissonnette added that although the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau may be tackling those issues for other levels of government, they’re doing it without the resources those governments have.
While the two municipalities share many of the same problems, Marquis-Bissonnette added that one unique problem for her city is that it doesn’t have a clearly defined central core.
“Gatineau has been looking for a downtown since amalgamation at the beginning of the 2000s,” she said. “It’s a situation that’s very particular to Gatineau. When we look at Montreal or even smaller cities, the downtown area is a place that is attractive to all citizens of the city. It’s something that we do have to work on. There’s something happening in Vieux Hull, I would say. It’s something we will have to do in the long run, and it has to come with financial investment.”
Marquis-Bissonnette said that the goal is to diversify the downtown core and create a “complete neighbourhood” that caters to workers and residents.
“We need to make sure that public transportation is efficient, that we have small businesses, including a grocery store, drug store, and all the businesses you need in your daily life. I think it’s a challenge that will take the effort of the three levels (of government).” 
