We are currently waiting to find out whether the government will include downtown Gatineau in its compensation initiative. The Gatineau Chamber of Commerce has not received any confirmation or notice indicating that this decision has been made.
That explains what I have said today. There is a lot of talk about the national capital when it is convenient, but Gatineau often ends up being the poor cousin that gets crumbs, while Ottawa has the biggest part of the budget. This is part of the reason I am appearing today before the committee: I want to make the case that Gatineau has also suffered damages. It would be appropriate for Gatineau businesses to also be compensated.
I actually had a meeting today with the provincial minister, Mathieu Lacombe, who is responsible for the Outaouais region. He is carefully assessing the possibility of the Quebec government giving money to Gatineau businesses, like the Ontario government did for the city of Ottawa.