Victoires et défis du quartier riverain. / Waterfront neighbourhood victories and challenges.

Le français suivra. Mike parlera en français et en anglais.

Mike will speak in French as well as English.


Come celebrate a Jane's Walk community victory. Jane's Walk inspires change and there's no better example of this in our community than on the beautiful Pointe-Gatineau waterfront on rue Jacques-Cartier. Mike Duggan, city councillor for the area, will lead you on a walk with John Savage, local resident, to inform you how they collaborated to create the first non-motorized boat launch in Gatineau. Mike will explain how Jane Jacobs' ideas inspire him, too, as he works with citizens to push forward innovative grass roots efforts to overcome bureaucratic obstacles to create a healthier and safer city. Perhaps this may inspire some to work with their elected representatives to effect positive change too.

This walk will include discussions on:

1. Safe access to the river for paddlers,

2. Protection of Indigenous archaeological sites,

3. Protection of his neighbourhood from flooding,

4. National Urban Park for Kettle Island, and

5. The Kettle Island Bridge proposal and its influence on the waterfront.

On this year's walk, we celebrate the second year of a major victory for rue Jacques-Cartier residents—a new canoe dock to restore safe access to the river for personal watercraft. The installation of this dock is a form of Waterfront Reconciliation that we have been lobbying for since 2006. This tour will advocate for further change as well, such as a National Urban Park along the Ottawa & Gatineau Rivers. And, we will touch on flood preparedness and the possibility of a Kettle Island Bridge that will impact our community for better and worse, depending on your perspective.

_________________

Victoires et défis du quartier riverain

Venez célébrer une victoire communautaire de La promenade de Jane. La promenade de Jane inspire le changement et quel bel exemple de cela dans notre communauté qu’au bord de la rivière à Pointe-Gatineau, sur la rue Jacques-Cartier. Mike Duggan, conseiller municipal de la région, vous guidera avec John Savage, un résident local, pour vous conter comment ils ont collaboré à la création de la première rampe de mise à l'eau non motorisée à Gatineau. Mike expliquera comment les idées de Jane Jacobs l'inspirent également, alors qu'il travaille avec des citoyen.ne.s pour faire avancer les efforts novateurs afin de surmonter les obstacles bureaucratiques pour créer une ville plus saine et plus sûre. Peut-être que cela incitera certains à travailler avec leurs représentant.e.s élu.e.s pour apporter des changements positifs.

Cette promenade comprendra des discussions sur les sujets suivants

1. Accès sécurisé à la rivière pour les pagayeurs,

2. Protection des sites archéologiques indigènes,

3. Protection de son quartier contre les inondations,

4. Parc urbain national de l'île Kettle, et

5. Le projet de pont de l'île Kettle et son influence sur le bord de l’eau.

Lors de la promenade cette année, nous célébrons le deuxième anniversaire d'une victoire importante pour les résident.e.s de la rue Jacques-Cartier - un nouveau quai de canotage pour rétablir un accès sécuritaire à la rivière pour les embarcations personnelles. L'installation de ce quai est une forme de réconciliation du secteur riverain pour laquelle nous défendons depuis 2006. Cette tournée plaidera également en faveur d'autres changements, comme la création d'un parc urbain national le long des rivières des Outaouais et Gatineau. Nous aborderons également la question de la préparation aux inondations et de la possibilité d'un pont sur l'île Kettle qui aura un impact sur notre communauté, pour le meilleur et pour le pire, selon son point de vue.


Location
Route

We will gather at Place Abinan (831 rue Jacques-Cartier), next door to the Sterling Steakhouse. From there, we will walk east about one and a half kilometres, past Quai-Claircée and on to Quai-Bellevue (across from the Kokomo Inn), where the new community canoe dock has been installed. The walk will end there.


To reach Pointe-Gatineau from Ottawa, you can take Highway 5 over the Macdonald-Cartier bridge and take the exit for Boul. Fournier.

There are several free public parking lots on Rle du Como (behind Place Abinan and further to the east).


After the walk, people are welcome to join Mike and John to canoe over the NCC Ottawa River House for lunch or go to one of the waterside restaurants along rue Jacques-Cartier. Note that the paddle is not a Jane's Walk sanctioned event, and waivers will need to be signed to absolve liability. Participate at your own risk, in other words, in John's ten-person canoe. Life jackets, paddles, and safety gear provided.

About the walk leader
Mike Duggan has been a City of Gatineau Councillor since 2013, before becoming councillor for Pointe-Gatineau in 2020. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo that helps inform his vision of this waterfront neighbourhood, where he also resides with his family.

John Savage is a local resident of rue Jacques-Cartier in Gatineau, who has advocated for sensible waterfront development, protections, and regulations to improve the Ottawa River as a shared waterway. As a Metis (Chippewa, French, and British), whose ancestors traversed this area, he has a familial connection to these waterways possibly stretching back to the street's earliest residents 7,000 years ago.

Guides:

Mike Duggan and John Savage

When:
Date:Sat May 3, 2025
Time:10:30 AM
Duration: 1 hour
Language: English
Where:
Start:Place Abinan, 831 rue Jacques-Cartier, Gatineau
End:1191 rue Jacques-Cartier
Area:Pointe-Gatineau
Distance:1.5 kms
Accessibility:

The walk follows a paved recreational pathway.

Walker Sign-up

Signing up is not required for this walk. If you plan to attend, by signing up you will help us estimate the group size. Please submit your email and the number of walkers that will be attending with you below.

9 walkers registered

Gallery
Mike Duggan and John Savage pose in front of the new canoe launch for Pointe-Gatineau. Kayakers and canoeists on the Ottawa River near the Pointe-Gatineau waterfront. The Kitigan Zibi flotilla passes St Francis de Sales Church along the Pointe-Gatineau waterfront. Girls play by balancing on the guard rail along the waterfront recreational pathway, Pointe-Gatineau.  The NCC River House is visible on the opposite bank.
Volunteer to Marshal This Walk