Buckingham: under high tension!

Mélissa Gélinas

The Buckingham Residents Association (ARB) invited Gatineau Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, city councillors, and residents to participate in an exploratory walk on October 24 along a portion of the route proposed for Enbridge Gaz Québec's high-pressure (3,500 kPa) pure hydrogen pipeline project in the Buckingham area.

It should be noted that at the city council meeting on September 16, the Gatineau city council unanimously adopted a resolution that the H2 project be submitted to the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE), Quebec's environmental public hearing office. This walk was therefore a continuation of this collective effort.

The ARB emphasized that they were not against the project itself, but rather against the proposed route. Indeed, hydrogen energy can be very promising for the energy transition. "However, Enbridge chose the easiest route, taking advantage of their acquired rights on Georges Street, where their buried natural gas pipelines are already located," explained Véronique Santos, an administrator of the ARB.

Thus, the objective of the event was to raise awareness among participants about the risks associated with the route, which will run along more than 20 kilometers of densely populated residential areas in Buckingham and Masson-Angers. It will cross residential properties, heritage buildings, schools, seniors' residences, gas stations, areas prone to landslides, and much more.

"By seeing this route with their own eyes, the candidates and stakeholders were able to observe the extent of the risk and better understand why a hydrogen pipeline has no place in a residential neighbourhood," said Santos. "Clearly, the terrain speaks for itself, and this project requires a full study by the BAPE."

Hydrogen is a highly volatile and flammable gas. In the event of an explosion following a leak, this would result in a very high risk of loss of human life, total destruction, and damage that could extend for several hundred meters.

Throughout the walk, it was possible to view various key points along the route:

ERCO Worldwide plant

This constitutes the first observation point of the walk, since it is the location where hydrogen is produced as an industrial byproduct, meaning that its production is not its primary activity. In this sense, it can be recovered or repurposed.


The plant is also located at 101 Donaldson Road, in a rural environment, quite far from residential areas, and is already connected to a vast energy corridor. However, according to ERCO, the pipeline could be routed in various directions from the site, which could create several risks in terms of corrosion and electrical interference.

St. Stephen's Anglican Church

Built in 1845, it is one of the oldest English-speaking churches in the Outaouais region. This heritage site is located within the potential impact zone of the pipeline (45 Donaldson Road). In other words, in the event of an explosion, the church would risk being completely destroyed.

Donaldson Road

This is an area susceptible to landslides as it is known to have unstable soil. A channeled stream runs under the road, weakening the soil and causing recurrent subsidence.

Furthermore, this road is frequently used by heavy trucks transporting hazardous materials. Nearly 7,000 pass through it each year to get to the ERCO plant.

It should be noted that other key points were also presented during the walk, including Maclaren West Street, Georges Street, and more.

Once the walk was completed, everyone was invited to an unofficial press scrum in the Saint-Luc hall to share and exchange discussions on the subject. “Residents remain hopeful for a clear commitment from the government and the City of Gatineau so that public safety and transparency prevail in the evaluation of this project,” said Nicole Carrière-Robitaille, president of the ARB.