Gatineau urges civility toward public employees

Tashi Farmilo

A new awareness campaign launched by the Ville de Gatineau, in partnership with the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO), is calling on residents to treat public employees with greater respect. The campaign is titled “Avec nos employés, y’a pas de raison d’être bête. À Gatineau, on se respecte.” (With our employees, there’s no reason to be rude. In Gatineau, we respect each other.)

The initiative responds to the growing number of reports from frontline staff who describe encounters involving rude remarks, dismissive gestures and verbal aggression while performing their duties. According to the city, the scenarios portrayed in the campaign are based on real events experienced by municipal and transit employees.

The campaign includes posters and a series of short videos depicting these everyday incidents. In several of the visuals, a person wears a large reptilian or dragon-like mask — a literal interpretation of “être bête”, which in French means both “to be rude” and “to act like a beast”. The masked figure symbolizes the uncivil behaviour that the city wants residents to recognize and reject.

“This behaviour, whether a rude comment or a confrontation, is never acceptable,” said Patrick Leclerc, Director General of the STO. He added that employees providing essential services to the public are too often met with hostility when what they need is patience and understanding.

The campaign is part of a broader five-part action plan focused on improving working conditions and strengthening the relationship between residents and public staff. It includes training to help employees manage challenging interactions, enhancing the physical safety of workspaces, simplifying administrative processes, promoting respectful conduct through public messaging and establishing clear procedures for responding to incidents.

Simon Rousseau, Director General of the Ville de Gatineau, said the city is taking concrete steps to protect its personnel. “Respect and the safety of our personnel are at the heart of the values of the Ville de Gatineau. We are determined to ensure that every employee can carry out their duties without fear of intimidation or violence.”

While campaign materials are highly visual, the underlying message is cultural. Officials say the aim is to encourage reflection, foster empathy and prompt a shift toward civility in everyday interactions.

“The growing incivility has profound repercussions on public life, and I witness it directly as a municipal councillor,” said Tiffany-Lee Norris Parent, councillor for the Touraine district and chair of the Commission du vivre-ensemble. “It is imperative to remember the humanity of each councillor and each employee. Debate of ideas is essential, but words and actions have an impact. It is everyone’s responsibility to preserve civility and respect in our exchanges.”