Nearly a hundred neighbourhood residents stood at the intersection of rue Gamelin and boulevard Moussette on Thursday evening to grieve a pedestrian killed earlier in the week and to press for improved road safety measures in Gatineau.
Community response at the scene
Gatineau police were called to the intersection just before 5 p.m. on Monday following a collision in which a 69-year-old woman from Gatineau was struck by a vehicle. She was taken to hospital and pronounced dead. The driver was also transported to hospital.
Organizers said the gathering was intended both to mourn and to demand action from authorities to prevent similar incidents on neighbourhood streets and the arterial routes that cross them.
- When: Police alerted just before 5 p.m. Monday (collision)
- Where: Intersection of rue Gamelin and boulevard Moussette, Gatineau
- Victim: 69-year-old woman from Gatineau; later pronounced dead at hospital
- Community turnout: Nearly 100 residents at Thursday evening rally
Voices from the neighbourhood
Residents described anxiety and frustration in the wake of the crash. One of the rally organizers said the tight-knit nature of the neighbourhood made the event feel deeply personal.
“We don't yet know who the victim is, and so there's a lot of anxiety within the neighbourhood about who [it is]. We're a very tightly-knit neighbourhood and a lot of us bike and walk,”
The organizer added that the collision prompted them to speak up and bring neighbours together.
Another local mother who attended with her daughter pointed to a contrast between protected bike paths within the community and the busier arterial roads that cut across it. She said those larger routes are where people travelling to work or to medical facilities often move faster, increasing the risk for vulnerable road users.
What residents want
Those at the rally urged municipal and provincial authorities to examine the design and controls at the intersection and along connecting thoroughfares. Calls included requests for measures to slow traffic, improve visibility and increase protection for people walking and cycling across arteries that slice through residential areas.
Organizers and neighbours emphasised they were not only mourning the loss but demanding steps that could reduce the chance of similar tragedies: better signage, traffic-calming measures and a clearer focus on pedestrian safety where neighbourhoods meet busier streets.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | rue Gamelin and boulevard Moussette |
| Date of collision | Monday (police alerted just before 5 p.m.) |
| Victim | 69-year-old woman from Gatineau (pronounced dead at hospital) |
| Community action | Rally attended by nearly 100 people on Thursday evening |
The gathering reflects broader concerns in Gatineau about the safety of pedestrians and cyclists where busy arterial roads intersect residential streets. Residents say the mixed network of protected bike paths within neighbourhoods and faster-moving traffic on connecting arteries creates dangerous points where more people cross through on their way to work, school or medical appointments.
Gatineau police and municipal officials are expected to be asked for more details on the collision and to outline any near-term interventions at the intersection. For neighbours, the immediate priority is reassurance that the loss will prompt concrete steps to make streets safer for everyone who walks or bikes in the area.
Photo: Nathan Fung/CBC
