General Information for Gatineau

Gatineau, Qc., is located in the western edge of the province, sitting along the northern bank of the Ottawa River and bordering the Ontario city of Ottawa. Situated directly across from the nation’s capital, they share a Census Metropolitan Area, called ‘Ottawa-Gatineau’. Gatineau is the third largest city in the province with slightly more than 240,000 residents.

Both federal and provincial government buildings are located in Gatineau, due to a federal policy to distribute federal jobs to both sides of the river. There are now several massive office towers filled with federal civil servants in the downtown area.

Despite the many federal civil servants who live and work in Gatineau, an overwhelming majority of residents speak French as their mother tongue. Over recent years, over 5,000 recent immigrants have settled in the city, or about two percent of its population. Approximately that many people have also immigrated internally, moving from Quebec City, Montreal, Saguenay, and Toronto.

Alcohol Addiction and Drug Abuse in Gatineau

Gatineau is one of the five Census Metropolitan Areas with the highest number of drug-related offences, according to Statistics Canada.
A study by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), published by the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, found that there is an overall 9.12 percent prevalence rate of substance abuse in the province. However, on average, the lowest rates were found in the corridor between Toronto and Montreal, where Gatineau is located.

Nonetheless, Gatineau has been experiencing a surge in drug-associated illegal activities. For example, in 2008 police seized $400,000 in cash, drugs, and weapons in the largest drug bust to date. As a result,  two men were accused of supplying crack and cocaine to Montreal street gangs. Gatineau has also seen an increase in gang activity. Gatineau gangs tend to supply drugs to the neighbouring big city gangs, including Montreal and Toronto.

According to Statistics Canada, police reported offences have been steadily increasing since the early 1990s, reaching its highest point in 2007. Marijuana offences, which account for about two-thirds of all drug-related offences, surprisingly, have decreased. However, cocaine and the grouping of drugs that includes crystal meth and ‘date rape’ drugs have alarmingly increased.

At Sobriety.ca Foundation, we keep up-to-date on all the latest drug use and alcohol addiction research so that we can offer the best addiction treatment programs possible. New research allows us a better understanding of alcohol and drug addiction, resulting in better counselling, treatment, aftercare, and, ultimately, a more successful recovery process for you.