Gatineau launches Citizen Participation Initiative led by Anik Des Marais
Tashi Farmilo and Taylor Clark
In a bid to revamp its approach to public participation, the city of Gatineau is inviting its citizens and organizational representatives to engage in a comprehensive consultative process aimed at updating the Citizen Participation Framework for municipal affairs. This initiative, which runs from June 19 to July 12, seeks to foster a renewed vision for public involvement that aligns with the community's needs, enhances democratic engagement, and ensures a transparent, healthy, and inclusive approach to municipal governance.
The process kicks off with an online information session on June 19, from 7 to 8:30 pm. This session, accessible through a link on the city's consultation platform gatineau.ca/onmeconsulte, aims to provide an overview of the proposed changes and outline the importance of public participation in shaping municipal policies. The city encourages widespread attendance to ensure that a broad spectrum of voices is heard.
In addition to the virtual session, the city will host a series of discussion workshops across various sectors. These workshops are scheduled from 6:30 to 9 pm and will take place on July 8 at the Buckingham Service Centre, catering to residents of Buckingham and Masson-Angers; on July 10 at the Yvon-A.-Grégoire Community Centre for Hull and Aylmer sectors; and on July 11 at the Gatineau Sports Centre, targetting residents of the Gatineau sector. These in-person meetings are designed to facilitate direct dialogue and gather diverse perspectives on how the city's participation framework can be improved.
Complementing these efforts, an online questionnaire will be available from June 19 to July 12. This survey, estimated to take about ten minutes to complete, offers an additional avenue for residents to voice their opinions and contribute to the consultation process. The city is also deploying a mobile team, in collaboration with the Institut du Nouveau Monde, to engage with citizens directly in public spaces on July 7. This initiative aims to spark interest and gather real-time feedback from a broader audience. A summary of the first phase of this consultative process was presented to the city’s elected officials in February and is available for public review at gatineau.ca/onmeconsulte.
"Public participation is everyone's business!” stated Anik Des Marais, spokesperson for the Citizen Participation Working Committee and Councillor for the Mitigomijokan district. I urge the population and representatives of various organizations to actively engage in these activities. Your collaboration is crucial in updating our public participation practices to ensure they are attuned to Gatineau's reality and enable better citizen involvement in decision-making,"
Photo caption: Gatineau is undertaking a comprehensive consultative process to update its Citizen Participation Framework, with activities running from June 19 to July 12, driving the importance of public involvement as highlighted by Anik Des Marais, spokesperson for the Citizen Participation Working Committee and Councillor for the Mitigomijokan district.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Action Gatineau
