Latest news with #CanadianMuseumOfHistory
CBC
09-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Brigil proposing 45-storey tower near Canadian Museum of History
Gatineau, Que., is once again considering a proposal to build two residential towers near the Canadian Museum of History, including one that would stand 45 storeys and become the city's tallest structure. But the process is complicated, requiring either changes to municipal building regulations or case-by-case exemptions that could trigger a referendum, the city says. Developer Brigil has asked the city to increase the current maximum allowable height so it can move ahead with the project at 35 rue Laurier, currently home to a Four Points by Sheraton hotel. The property, which the company acquired in 2021, is in a heritage-protected neighbourhood that includes the historic Notre-Dame-de-Grâce church. The city is currently reviewing a new urban plan for its downtown core. Brigil presented its proposal in February as part of that review, requesting the maximum height of buildings be increased from 30 to 45 storeys. In a letter to Gatineau city council, Brigil president Gilles Desjardins asked for a decision by the end of August. Unobstructed views Desjardins told Radio-Canada the added height would allow views over the nearby Place du Centre and the Terrasses de la Chaudière federal government complex, where the tallest building is 28 storeys. An observation deck atop the new skyscraper would also attract tourists to the area, Desjardins said. The proposal would add 1,000 residential units during a housing crisis, but Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette said what the city really needs is more affordable housing. "When it comes to condos that are more high end, we don't have a crisis there. We have a crisis for people on the street, for social and affordable housing," she said during a news conference Wednesday. This isn't the first time the developer has proposed tall buildings in central Gatineau. In 2018, city council shot down Brigil's $400-million Place des Peuples project — two towers of 35 and 55 storeys — when the Quartier du Muséneighbourhood was given a heritage designation. Marquis-Bissonnette said "it's a different story" this time around. "It's different land and different heights as well," she said. 'It's totally unacceptable' The 2018 project faced backlash and opposition from residents in the area, and it appears the new proposal, which is located within the same heritage district, will face similar scrutiny. Daniel Cayley-Daoust, president of neighbourhood group l'Association des résidents de l'île de Hull, said Brigil's 45-storey proposal came as a shock. "[We were] surprised, but not surprised to some extent," Cayley-Daoust said. "It's totally unacceptable to go beyond the urban planning [limits]." Cayley-Daoust said local residents are concerned the skyscrapers will block the sunlight and won't fit in with the architecture of the neighbourhood. "It's all about quality of life and making sure that one project ... doesn't overshadow and dwarf the rest of the neighbourhood," he said.
National Post
23-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Majority of Canadians say Air India bombing not treated like national tragedy: poll
Article content In the aftermath of the attack, only one person, Inderjit Singh Reyat, was convicted, and he pleaded guilty to manslaughter for a bombing that killed two Japanese airport workers at Narita International Airport; it was supposed to bring down a second Air India flight. Only 29 per cent of Canadians can report accurately that nobody was convicted; in 2023, when pollsters asked the same question, 34 per cent knew the truth. Article content Seventy-one per cent believe there should be an exhibit about the bombing at the Canadian Museum of History and 65 per cent say it should be taught in schools. Fewer of those polled, just 41 per cent, support displaying wreckage from the bombed plane in Canada. Article content There are a number of conspiracies about the Air India bombing, and the polling finds that 51 per cent of those polled believe there is too much disinformation about what really happened. One conspiracy theory blames the Indian government for the attack. In fact, 10 per cent of Canadians believe the Indian government was behind the attack, while 28 per cent correctly identify violent factions within the Khalistan movement. (Sixty-one per cent of Canadians say they don't know who was responsible.) Article content Article content There will be ceremonies across the country to mark the anniversary of the bombing, and 13 per cent of Canadians say they would be interested in attending a memorial service, a number that holds roughly consistent across the country, except in Atlantic Canada, where 21 per cent say they would be interested. Such services have led to controversy as some attendees in the past have belonged to the Sikhs for Justice group, which supports the establishment of a Sikh homeland, and which believes one of the alleged architects of the attack is in fact innocent. Article content Sixty-three per cent of Canadians say it is inappropriate for Khalistan supporters to attend such a memorial, including 69 per cent of those who say they know a lot about the Air India bombing. Article content 'It's striking to see that in five or 10 years, a lot of the people who have tried to carry this torch of awareness while at the same time continuing to grieve for their loved ones, they're going to be gone. They're not going to be here anymore,' said Kurl. Article content Article content The polling was conducted online between June 13 and June 15, 2025, among a sample of 1,607 Canadian adults. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to region, gender, age, household income, and education, based on the Canadian census. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- two percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Article content
