Brigil invests $1 billion to revitalise Gatineau

Real estate developer Gilles Desjardins says he wants to help revitalize downtown Gatineau. In an interview with Le Droit, he states that he could invest up to one billion dollars. In a letter published in our opinion section, addressed directly to Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, the head of Brigil emphasizes that he agrees with the mayor on the urgency of taking action. “My team and I are ready to participate in whatever way you deem appropriate—you can count on us,” he writes.

However, Desjardins says he has had no contact with Mayor Pedneaud-Jobin or his office since acquiring the Four Points Sheraton hotel properties in the heart of downtown. “I haven’t received a call, no meeting request,” he says. “I have hundreds of millions of dollars to invest, maybe a billion. That might not be enough, I don’t know. For now, this project is on hold, but once we get a call for a meeting, we’ll go in with the goal of collaborating.”

Desjardins believes the revitalization of downtown cannot be the responsibility of the city alone. Entrepreneurs and businesspeople are the ones who must take financial risks, he says, especially given the changes caused by federal employees working remotely. “We need to be able to sit down with the city to exchange ideas,” Desjardins insists. “The city cannot revitalize its downtown alone, but it must clearly communicate its expectations to the private sector—it’s urgent. Citizens and municipal employees must be given a clear mandate to work together, pool their creativity, and find solutions everyone can support. Sometimes compromises are needed when exchanging ideas, and that can absolutely happen without insults.”

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Reactions from mayoral candidates

Le Droit contacted the five candidates for mayor of Gatineau on Thursday to ask what they would do if elected, given Brigil’s willingness to invest hundreds of millions in downtown revitalization.

Action Gatineau candidate Maude Marquis-Bissonnette and independent candidate Jacques Lemay say they would almost immediately call Desjardins to learn more. France Bélisle, Jean-François LeBlanc, and Rémi Bergeron express enthusiasm as well, but stress that the developer should receive no special treatment.

France Bélisle says she would like to discuss with him but does not intend to replace the municipal administration. “What I will ensure, however, is that Mr. Desjardins has the same fair access to the mayor’s office as other developers,” she says. “During Mayor Pedneaud-Jobin’s terms, not all businesspeople had equal access. Some had much easier entry, while others were outright refused. I believe everyone who wants to invest in our city deserves fair access to the mayor’s office.”

“There are procedures, and like all other developers, Mr. Desjardins should follow them,” LeBlanc says. “He wouldn’t get special treatment, but he certainly wouldn’t have a mayor publicly insulting him,” he adds.

Action Gatineau’s leader says she would find a way to contact Desjardins quickly. “I would like to sit down with him and exchange ideas, of course,” she says. “I want to understand his vision. We need people capable of carrying out major projects downtown, and we have a good framework for revitalization. I want to ask him how his investments can help attract families.”

Independent candidate Rémi Bergeron says that respecting municipal regulations and the city’s vision would be central to any initial discussion. Jacques Lemay says he would waste no time and would invite Brigil’s head to meet the council to present ideas. “The invitation would go to Brigil, but also to any entrepreneur with a large-scale downtown project,” he adds.

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Library, convention center, regional museum…

The project Desjardins envisions since acquiring his highly strategic downtown properties is no longer related to Place des Peuples. “We’re thinking of something that could reach $600 million, $800 million, maybe even a billion,” he says. “We have an exceptional site, at the foot of Parliament, near the Canadian Museum of History. The only building we would need to demolish is the garage at 61 Laurier Street, which has no heritage value.”

Of course, the developer plans to include residential space, but it’s not limited to that. “We could have a large library, a regional museum, or a convention center,” he lists. “My intention is to contribute to the revitalization—I want to be involved. We have 40 years of business experience with a team of 250 people. We invest in research and development to find new ideas. We want to collaborate, and we have the financial resources.”