Quebec
Population: 290,239
- Gatineau has the third highest amount of parkland relative to population at 17.2 hectares per thousand people.
- Gatineau is above average for percentage of parkland that is natural area at 66%
- Gatineau is one of 50% of cities that have a policy to waive permit fees for groups that show financial need.
- Gatineau launched the “Un Été Sans Pareil” campaign which offered 675 free recreational and cultural activities to residents, ranging from zumba classes to art installations using recycled materials.
- When Gatineau had to cancel its annual Day to Celebrate Cultural Diversity due to COVID-19, the city created the Intercultural Rendezvous—a series of smaller-scale shows hosted 4 evenings per week in different parts of the city, which allowed 40 local musicians of different cultural backgrounds to perform.
- Gatineau’s parks are well taken care of by the community through partnerships with the city. For example, Club canin Aylmer et Association des propriétaires de chiens de Buckingham manage the responsible use and advocacy of off-leash dog areas, and Fondation de la Forêt Boucher’s mandate is to preserve, protect and educate the public on the importance of the Boucher forest.
17.2
1ha parkland per 1000 people
5000 ha of total parkland
66%
of total parkland is natural area
3310 total ha
<1%
of parkland is environmentally significant/protected
10 total ha
15%
of total city land is parkland
34,194 ha of total city area
5
dog parks
20
Community gardens/urban farms
800 m distance to park
Parkland provision goal (distance to park / ha per 1000 people)
66
community park groups
Yes
Policy to waive permit fees for groups with financial need.
$7
2Parks operating budget per person
$1,934,985 total
$5,780,000
Total parks capital budget
10%
Provincially legislated tools available for parkland dedication, acquisition and/or development
10% of the development site or cash-in-lieu
¹Doesn’t include close to 2,300 hectares of provincial and federal green spaces in the city. ²Excluding salaries, benefits, hydro and gas.
