New Gatineau hospital to begin construction later this year
600-bed facility to be built at site of Asticou Centre
Emma Weller · CBC News
Posted: Apr 09, 2026 5:36 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago
As the Quebec government takes the next steps toward a new hospital in Gatineau, the politicking around its location continues.
The Coalition Avenir Québec promised a new hospital in western Quebec during its successful 2018 election campaign.
The discussion around possible locations included sites on boulevard de la Technologie and rue d'Edmonton, then in 2024 focused on the Asticou Centre, a former federal government training facility on boulevard de la Cité-des-Jeunes.
The province said this month it purchased the property from the federal government at a steep discount of $9 million, and construction of the 600-bed facility is expected to begin this fall.
"It's certainly good news when it comes to health care in Gatineau and [the] Outaouais. We need to do that catch-up when it comes to services that we have access to," said Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette on Tuesday.
However, concerns have arisen around the cost of underground infrastructure and widening nearby roads, and the City of Gatineau and some advocates have called for a more central location.
"There are no perfect sites," Marquis-Bissonnette said.
Mathieu Lacombe, the MNA for Papineau and minister responsible for the Outaouais, agreed it's time to get started.
"The debate has taken place, the decision has been made. Everyone has been heard, everyone who had a say has spoken," he said in French earlier this week.
The Quebec Liberals told Radio-Canada on Wednesday they would reassess the location of the future hospital if elected later this year, and if construction isn't too far along.
"All [the Coalition Avenir Québec] managed to do in eight years is now buy a piece of land, but this piece of land has serious issues with it," said André Fortin, the Liberal MNA for Pontiac.
Beyond the municipal infrastructure, Fortin said the bigger issue is who will staff the hospital and provide its services.
Québec Solidaire said the CAQ has messed up the file by not listening to local voices.
The Parti Québécois declined to comment on the hospital earlier this week, and the Parti conservateur du Québec did not reply to a request for comment by deadline.
Marc Bilodeau, president and CEO of local health authority CISSSO, said the new hospital will benefit the whole region.
"It's going to allow us to better meet the needs of our people in the region by centralizing some specialized services," Bilodeau said.
The total cost of the project has not been made public. The hospital is expected to open in 2034.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ne...-election-construction-opening-9.7156966
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