Gatineau’s planned $228 million multipurpose sports complex faces potential cost pressures from U.S. tariffs, according to Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette.
The city will need to purchase concrete, steel, and aluminum for the western complex, along with specialized equipment produced exclusively in the United States, Marquis-Bissonnette said in a Wednesday press briefing. “It’s certain that it will have an impact on our costs. We cannot quantify them at the moment, but this is part of our analyses,” she stated. “We know very clearly that there will be an impact on what we will have to pay for our major projects.”
However, Marquis-Bissonnette stopped short of projecting cost overruns for the complex, which has already been budgeted at 228 million dollars. “We’re not yet in the construction phase,” she explained. “We’re heading soon into a call for tenders phase. We want competitive prices within our available envelopes.”
Outaouais region fares relatively better
Marquis-Bissonnette will speak Thursday from London, Ontario, during the release of a Canadian Federation of Municipalities study examining the effects of the tariff war on Canadian cities.
According to Marquis-Bissonnette, impacts vary significantly by region. She noted that the Outaouais region is faring relatively well in the current context. A vulnerability index for regions facing U.S. tariffs, developed by Desjardins, ranks Outaouais last among regions experiencing the most significant tariff-war impacts.
“We are less vulnerable,” Marquis-Bissonnette explained. “Various factors account for this, notably our manufacturing and commercial base.” However, she acknowledged that some local businesses in more vulnerable sectors—including steel, transport, and wood—face greater exposure. Additionally, the region is not insulated from indirect impacts on cost of living and supply chains.
In response to tariff pressures, Gatineau’s municipal council adopted a resolution Tuesday transferring management of Quebec’s emergency aid program for small and medium-sized businesses to ID Gatineau, the city’s economic development agency. “I invite businesses with needs to contact ID Gatineau,” the mayor said.
Key facts
- Gatineau’s $228 million multipurpose sports complex will require specialized equipment exclusively produced in the U.S.
- Mayor Marquis-Bissonnette says tariff impacts on construction costs cannot yet be quantified
- The Outaouais region ranks last on Desjardins’ vulnerability index for U.S. tariff impacts among Canadian regions
- Some local businesses in steel, transport, and wood sectors face greater tariff exposure
- Gatineau’s municipal council adopted a resolution to administer Quebec’s emergency aid program for small businesses through ID Gatineau