MINUTES – PUBLIC – LAND USE PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION – 2nd meeting – March 26, 2026 – 3:01 p.m. to 4:20 p.m.

Flood Adaptation Project – Presentation

Jade Roy, project coordinator for the Planning and Land Development Team at the Service de l’urbanisme et du développement durable (SUDD), presents the Flood Adaptation Project, accompanied by Mathieu Boissinot, division head, and Marco Pilon, assistant director at SUDD.

The presentation is informative and aims to present the project's work plan, which is intended to oversee land planning and adaptation work to reduce vulnerability to flooding in the context of climate change. This presentation is linked to item 6 of the CDTH work plan.

In the interest of sharing information on a common topic, members of the Commission de l’environnement et de la lutte aux changements climatiques and the Commission de la sécurité publique were invited to attend. The chair also notes the presence of Michael Korhonen, chair of the Commission de la sécurité publique, and Tiffany-Lee Norris Parent, chair of the Infrastructure Project.

The presentation serves as a first step to provide an overview and establish a framework for common understanding. It is specified that technical flood risk assessments are not part of these discussions, as they are at a strategic and global level.

It is recalled that the major floods of 2017 and 2019 led to a revision of risk management practices at both the provincial and municipal levels. The City of Gatineau's adaptation project is part of this movement and is based on three transversal and complementary components: updating flood zone mapping, modernizing the regulatory framework, and developing a flood adaptation plan.

New maps, produced according to provincial methodology under the responsibility of the Government of Quebec, are being published gradually starting in March 2026. By 2028, the application of these tools will lead to increased complexity due to the potential overlap of risk zones and the inclusion of climate change factors, which could expand flood zones.

The presentation addresses the modernization of the provincial regulatory framework, which came into effect on March 1, 2026, and its anticipated impacts on municipal regulations, land use, and citizens. The adaptation plan is presented as the central tool for guiding future decisions. The proposed governance relies on an ADAP-Inondation working committee, supported by a steering committee and a regional advisory committee.

The CDTH will play a strategic role in monitoring and providing recommendations over the next two years until the final plan is adopted in 2028. The process involves five phases: project startup, context establishment, risk assessment, solution identification/analysis, and plan development/adoption/monitoring. A citizen participation strategy will be developed, including co-design activities for adaptation scenarios by sector and watershed.