Brigil proposing 45-storey tower near Canadian Museum of History

Gatineau, Que., is once again considering a proposal to build two residential towers across the street from the Canadian Museum of History, including one that would stand 45 storeys and become the city's tallest structure.

But the process is complicated, requiring either changes to municipal building regulations or case-by-case exemptions that could trigger a referendum, the city says.

Developer Brigil has asked the city to increase the current maximum allowable height so it can move ahead with the project at 35 rue Laurier, currently home to a Four Points by Sheraton hotel.

The property, which the company acquired in 2021, is in a heritage-protected neighbourhood that includes the historic Notre-Dame-de-Grâce church.

The city is currently reviewing a new urban plan for its downtown core. Brigil presented its proposal in February as part of that review, requesting the maximum height of buildings be increased from 30 to 45 storeys.

In a letter to Gatineau city council, Brigil president Gilles Desjardins asked for a decision by the end of August. 

Unobstructed views

Desjardins told Radio-Canada the added height would allow views over the nearby Place du Centre and the Terrasses de la Chaudière federal government complex, where the tallest building is 28 storeys. An observation deck atop the new skyscraper would also attract tourists to the area, Desjardins said.

The proposal would add 1,000 residential units during a housing crisis, but Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette said what the city really needs is more affordable housing.

"When it comes to condos that are more high end, we don't have a crisis there. We have a crisis for people on the street, for social and affordable housing," she said during a news conference Wednesday.  

This isn't the first time the developer has proposed tall buildings in central Gatineau. In 2018, city council shot down Brigil's $400-million Place des Peuples project — two towers of 35 and 55 storeys — when the Quartier du Musé​neighbourhood was given a heritage designation.

Marquis-Bissonnette said "it's a different story" this time around.

"It's different land and different heights as well," she said.

'It's totally unacceptable'

The 2018 project faced backlash and opposition from residents in the area, and it appears the new proposal, which is located within the same heritage district, will face similar scrutiny.

Daniel Cayley-Daoust, president of neighbourhood group l'Association des résidents de l'île de Hull, said Brigil's 45-storey proposal came as a shock.

"[We were] surprised, but not surprised to some extent," Cayley-Daoust said. "It's totally unacceptable to go beyond the urban planning [limits]."

Cayley-Daoust said local residents are concerned the skyscrapers will block the sunlight and won't fit in with the architecture of the neighbourhood.

"It's all about quality of life and making sure that one project ... doesn't overshadow and dwarf the rest of the neighbourhood," he said.