6,000 Additional Trees Planned for Gatineau by 2027

Drazen Seslija

The Outaouais Regional Council for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CREDDO) and the City of Gatineau announced Tuesday, during a press conference held at 1:30 p.m. at Front Park in Aylmer, the launch of a new greening project for Gatineau and the Outaouais region. The project calls for the planting of 6,000 additional trees in Gatineau by 2027.

The initiative, launched five years ago in Gatineau, is now called “Vivre en vert – Outaouais.” The project is receiving $485,970 in funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) as part of the “Greening Gatineau and Its Surroundings Through Tree Planting” project. The Municipality of La Pêche is among the new participating areas.

The announcement was made by Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, who noted that the tree-planting will be carried out with the help of volunteers on both public and private land. Areas with lower tree coverage will be prioritized.

In Gatineau, nine greening projects are planned through 2027. Front, Aydelu, Bourgeau, Laurent-Groulx, and Saint-Jean parks are among the targeted sites, as is the Gatineau Airport parking lot. The City is contributing $80,000 to the program.

The plantings will be tailored to the characteristics of each area. Depending on the available space, the project will include, among other things, large-canopy trees, fruit trees, and microforests. The goal remains to increase tree cover and reduce the effects of heat islands.

“The goal of a program like this is to increase the tree canopy,” explained Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, who also highlighted the effects of greening on water management, biodiversity, and climate change adaptation.

City Councilor Rachel M. Deslauriers, chair of the Environment and Climate Change Commission, noted that Gatineau is already continuing its tree-planting efforts. According to data presented on Tuesday, more than 16,000 trees will have been planted in Gatineau by the end of 2026.

With the expansion of “Vivre en vert,” CREDDO now aims to increase greening projects beyond Gatineau’s borders and make trees an important element of community planning in the Outaouais region.