Quebec government reverses decision to build hospital on Gatineau's outskirts

The Quebec government has reversed its decision to build a 600-bed hospital in an industrial park on the outskirts of Gatineau, Que., after facing major pushback from the public.

According to information obtained by Radio-Canada, the province has decided to re-evaluate the available sites after it faced strong pressure to locate a hospital closer to the city's downtown.

• Proposed location for new Outaouais hospital causing concerns

The province was less than two weeks away from a construction announcement about the $2.5-billion project, which would have been located off Highway 5 in the city's far northwest.

PapineauMNA Mathieu Lacombe, the minister responsible for the Outaouais, had defended the government's choice just days ago.

But a government source told Radio-Canada that officials will now take a second look at potential sites, with only a few weeks to complete the process.

The source said the Quebec government wantsto get as many people as possible on board with the project, which apart from the choice of land is popular in western Quebec.

The promise of a new hospital in the Outaouais helped the Coalition Avenir Qubec make a historic breakthrough in 2018, winning three of the region's five seats.

Concerns over accessibility, urban sprawl

The project's postponement is also a victory for an informal coalition of real estate developers, activists and local elected officials who opposed the earlier location.

They said the site wasdifficult to access by public transportation, while raising concerns over urban sprawl and a lack of transparency in the decision-making process.

A new hospital is a key element of the reform of the health system in the Outaouais, a region that suffers from bed shortages and sits at the bottom of many rankings for wait times.

• Average wait for hospital bed in western Quebec much longer than 12-hour goal

Premier Franois Legault's government decided late last year to build thehospital on theindustrial park, but after France Blislewho wants a more central location was elected as Gatineau's mayor in November,the provinceagreed to carry out a new land analysis.

The process took into account about 20 sites, including about five that were analyzed in depth.

According to Radio-Canada, the City of Gatineau expressed a preference for a more central sitelocated near the Casino du Lac-Leamy and the home supply store Rno-Dpt, but the provincial government refused because ofcontamination concerns.

The hospital is not expected to open for another decade.