Who is
Yolaine Ruel?
All my life, I’ve worked at decreasing social and economic inequalities by creating opportunities for reflexion and collaboration in order to build an inclusive and a healthy community.
I moved to Hull in 1987 and spent most of my career at the University of Ottawa’s Human Rights Office working as a Policy Consultant in Accessibility. Since 2016, I’ve continued my association with the RAPHO, a group representing associations for people of the Outaouais living with disabilities, and with the user’s committee of the rehabilitation centre ‘La RessourSe’. I also sit on the City of Gatineau’s Universal Accessibility Committee.
Priorities
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
Encourage citizens, by various means, to have a say in the decisions that affect them.
• Enable all citizens of the district to express themselves further on decisions that affect them.
• Ensure representation of all citizens on different boards and committees and involve them in consultation processes and in city initiatives.
• Develop and support community projects such as a youth centres, collective kitchen groups, urban agriculture, street games.
• Work closely with neighbourhood associations.
SECURITY IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOODS
Put measures in place so everyone can feel safe in their neighbourhood.
• Introduce speed reducing measures such as bollards, curb extensions, speed warning signs, etc.
• Sensitize citizens to pedestrian safety. For example, reminders for keeping sidewalks and walkways clear of branches, trees, trash cans, recycling and compost bins, cars, bicycles, etc.
• Improve snow removal and road and sidewalk maintenance operations.
• Establish a work calendar for road and curb repairs.
"LIVING TOGETHER"
Create accessible public spaces that are supportive and nurturing and where everyone can feel they are a part of a community.
• Setup gardens of edible plants accessible to all.
• Make services, installations, communications, transportation, businesses, public events, etc. accessible to all.
• Create a dog park and give the owners of the dogs the responsibility of managing it.
TRANSPORTATION
Find ways to improve personal and public transportation.
• Create secure connecting routes to existing cycling networks and improve the condition of existing bicycle paths and lanes.
• Improve the public transit system: STO schedules and routes, availability and adaptability of adapted transportation.
NEIGHBOURHOOD LIFE
Find ways to accommodate the needs of the residents by bringing into proximity needed services and businesses.
• Encourage and support local businesses that operate within neighbourhoods as well as local services offered to residents.
• Enable micro-entrepreneurs to conduct their business from their home, for example: artisanal chocolate maker, personal care giver, ready meals chef, etc.
• Involve the residents with the process of choosing businesses on St-Joseph Boulevard to bring prosperity to the district.
• Transform the site of the ‘Domaine Scott-Fairview’, 100 Gamelin St., into the most beautiful urban park of Gatineau.
District 7
Parc-de-la-Montagne-Saint-Raymond
Located on the flank of a mountain, the district Parc-de-la-montagne-St-Raymond is visually distinct due to the many escarpments along which houses were built. The district is densely populated with a large number of apartment buildings. Figures show that among all the districts, Parc-de-la-montagne-St-Raymond has the highest rate of public transportation usage in the city.
In the area, we find a lot of social housing units, many of which have seen better days. The area also houses 14% of the city’s apartments considered to be “too small”. The median household income is among the lowest in the city, and 30% of the residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Adequate and affordable housing is undeniably an important issue for this district.