The Chambord project of more than 1,500 housing units will not see the light of day in Gatineau

Mélissa Gélinas

After eight years of effort, the Chambord project, comprising more than 1,500 housing units located north of Highway 50 near Labrosse Boulevard, which would have generated $8 million in property tax revenue annually, will not see the light of day.

"The goal was to offer a complete and friendly neighbourhood with a daycare, a school, businesses, and bike paths nearby," explained Claude Montreuil, the project's real estate developer.

Furthermore, Montreuil offered to provide land free of charge for the construction of a new elementary school, in addition to assuming all infrastructure costs and the costs incurred for the water backup on the site.

“In August 2020, the School Service Centre announced that it had received $28 million in funding for the school,” said the developer. “At that point, I thought my project would have been confirmed. I was even willing to donate over 90 acres of land to integrate a new forest. All of this was conditional on the City of Gatineau giving me a helping hand.”

During those eight years, Claude Montreuil had to pay $1.8 million in economic, geotechnical, environmental, and other studies required by the city. “I attended over 49 meetings with the administration and over 150 meetings with the professionals I had hired,” he said.

“In June, I submitted a health and safety report, but I had to wait nine months for a response from a city employee who told me he had forgotten to mention that a second project near mine had increased from 200 to 900 homes,” said Montreuil. “At that point, he told me I had to start my study all over again.”

After eight years, the City of Gatineau still doesn't know if it's in a moratorium on real estate development. "Imagine my frustration," said Montreuil. "Thousands of hours and millions of dollars have been invested, and we're still in limbo. There are many entrepreneurs who feel the same way I do."

No longer having the patience to discuss matters with the city, the developer decided to put the land up for sale.

According to Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, this is an extremely complex project because it's located in an expansion zone. "This wasn't an area that was originally intended for development," she emphasizes. "The latest news I received is that Quebec has requested additional information from the developer to ensure the land has had the necessary work to accommodate the elementary school. At this time, we are still waiting to hear from the developer, and I can assure you that we remain committed to this project."

The mayor also noted that meetings have taken place with Claude Montreuil and the School Service Centre. "The process is underway, but it remains a complex project," she stated.