Lab-École Gatineau inaugurated as model for next-generation schools in Quebec

Tashi Farmilo

The Lab-École Gatineau was officially inaugurated June 9, marking a defining step in Quebec’s evolving approach to educational spaces. Located within Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in the Hull sector of Gatineau, this latest addition to the Lab-École network represents a major $35 million investment in the province’s commitment to designing schools that are not only functional but transformative.

The Lab-École initiative, launched several years ago by chef Ricardo Larrivée, athlete Pierre Lavoie, and architect Pierre Thibault, aims to rethink how schools can better serve children’s academic, social, and emotional needs. With a focus on physical wellbeing, architectural openness, and healthy eating habits, the Gatineau school becomes the sixth such project to reach completion, following similar sites in Québec City, Saguenay, Maskinongé, Shefford, and Rimouski.

Designed by DMArchitectes through a public competition, the expansion includes 35 classrooms, two gyms, a teaching kitchen, eight collaborative spaces, and a central agora—an open, multi-use hub with tiered seating that links both floors of the school. The building prioritizes natural light, open spaces, and flexibility, with the goal of fostering engagement, creativity, and a stronger sense of community among students.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville praised the new facility as a symbol of the government’s ambition to modernize Quebec’s outdated school infrastructure. “We know that the environment in which our students evolve impacts their motivation and academic success,” he said. “I am very proud of our investment in this project.”

Other speakers echoed this sentiment, including Suzanne Tremblay, MNA for Hull, who reflected on her years as a teacher in windowless classrooms. “A school is more than walls and classrooms—it’s a living environment,” she said. Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette described the project as “a model that should be replicated,” praising its blend of educational purpose, architectural excellence, and community integration.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School has served the Gatineau community since 2002 and now hosts over 530 students, offering programmes in French Immersion and outdoor education.

With an emphasis on active learning, wellness, and inclusion, the Lab-École Gatineau is intended not only to meet current educational needs but to serve as a beacon for what schools in Quebec—and across Canada—might look like in the future. The co-founders of the initiative, who marked the occasion with reflections on the eight-year journey to this point, issued a collective call to continue the work of rethinking schools as vital spaces for growth, community, and possibility.

“What once felt impossible now stands as a shining example of what’s possible—made real through hard work, creativity, and ingenuity,” said Joanne Labadie, Chairperson of the Western Québec School Board.