Communities and Neighbourhoods in Gatineau, QC

Since many of Gatineau's residents work in Ottawa, the city is a fast-growing suburb. In fact, it is now the most populated city in the Outaouais region, and the fifth in the whole province of Québec! A service-based centre for excellence, where you can find just about anything here: boutiques, shopping malls, hospitals, dental clinics, etc. And with the very first Maison des naissances (birth house) in Québec -- a home for women wishing to give birth under a midwife's supervision -- Gatineau is a truly avant-garde community! The city's cultural events are held in the Maison de la Culture de Gatineau. The centre, which includes a concert and an exhibition hall, as well as the city's largest library, is the ideal place to showcase local, national and international culture.

These amalgamated into one City, and the remaining four communities have now become suburbs or neighbourhoods. As part of the National Capital Region, Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Metropolitan Area. Most of the city is on level ground but the Northern and Eastern parts lay on the early parts of the massive Canadian Shield, or Laurentian mountains. These are known as the ¡®Gatineau Hills¡¯ and are visible from most vantages in the NCC area. There is plenty of park space within Gatineau as well. Many are well-maintained playgrounds or resting spaces while others like Lac Beauchamp Park, are relatively wild green spaces that merge with the woods and fields of the surrounding municipalities.