The measures are part of a larger set of controls to limit movement in a number of regions within Quebec.

Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin supports his provincial government’s decision to set up checkpoints along the border with Ottawa in an attempt to reduce needless travel during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but his counterpart across the river is skeptical of the move.

In the Ottawa area, the random checks will involve the Sûreté du Québec, Gatineau municipal police and the police of MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais. The new measures, which started Wednesday, are part of a larger set of controls to limit movement in a number of regions within Quebec.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or

Photo by Wayne Cuddington / Postmedia

According to the Quebec government, the measures will not affect health care and services, and services essential for the continuity of commerce.

Local MNA and minister responsible for the Outaouais, Mathieu Lacombe, tweeted that the measures were “difficult, but necessary.”

Pedneaud-Jobin said the time was right for Quebec to make a tough decision about the border.

Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

“We’ve seen what’s happening in Europe, what’s happened in China and I think it’s a good time for tougher measures if we want to protect our people,” Pedneaud-Jobin said in an interview.

Quebec reported 4,611 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of 1 p.m. Wednesday. Of those, 64 were in the Outaouais.

Ottawa-Gatineau functions as a single region and the border had thousands of transportation trips each day before the pandemic.

Photo by Jean Levac / Postmedia News

According to the federal government, the five interprovincial crossings carried close to 150,000 vehicles and 9,000 pedestrians and cyclists daily in 2017.

Travellers from Quebec are still freely able to cross into Ottawa via Gatineau.

The City of Ottawa has no intention to start similar checkpoints on its side of the border, Mayor Jim Watson said.

“The whole issue came about very quickly and we don’t have a lot of answers and I’m still not entirely sure of the rationale, except that everyone wants everyone to minimize their travel,” Watson said in an interview, noting that the Quebec measures would still allow people to enter the province for essential services, going to work and visiting family members.

Watson and Pedneaud-Jobin last week teamed up on a joint announcement to discourage unnecessary interprovincial travel.

On Wednesday, Watson said he senses that people won’t have a problem getting to Quebec as long as they have a rational reason for doing so.

The National Capital Commission last week stopped giving many of Ottawa’s outdoor enthusiasts a reason to cross the border when it closed Gatineau Park in response to the pandemic.

Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

While skeptical of the Quebec government’s decision, Watson recognized the province’s interest in limiting cross-border trips at the time of a health emergency.

“I think what they’re trying to do is, we don’t want a whole bunch of people going into Quebec to buy cheap beer at the local dépanneur. That’s not an essential service at this stage,” Watson said.

However, Watson began questioning the move from a financial standpoint when he saw Quebec police checking people entering the province.

“I’m just not sure it’s the most wise use of tax dollars to have that number of police covering five bridges,” Watson said, adding that he doesn’t believe it will be sustainable to have police at checkpoints when there are other public safety issues during a pandemic.

Watson also raised a jurisdictional question, since interprovincial travel is a federal responsibility.

Ottawa Coun. Mathieu Fleury, who represents the border ward of Rideau-Vanier, said he’s “livid” about Quebec’s decision to place checkpoints on the provincial border. The move will only add stress to essential front-line workers who need to travel across the Ottawa-Gatineau border.

“It’s a draconian step,” Fleury said.

Fleury is also concerned about the traffic impact in his ward, which has two interprovincial crossings, including the busy interprovincial truck route down King Edward Avenue and onto Quebec’s Highway 5.

“I got a call from Ottawa police warning about backing up on King Edward,” Fleury said.

Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Pedneaud-Jobin said the police’s job is to “manage mobility” along the Quebec-Ontario border, and not just in Gatineau.

The spot checks in Gatineau won’t be at every bridge every day, Pedneaud-Jobin said.

“The first goal is to convince people they have to play it safe and come outside their home only if necessary,” Pedneaud-Jobin said.

Pedneaud-Jobin said it’s a good use of police resources, especially since they are random checks. He didn’t know how many Gatineau police officers will be required at the checkpoints.

“I think it’s a step that is measured,” Pedneaud-Jobin said. “They could have gone further, so I think it’s a good first step.”

Asked if he thinks there should be another step, Pedneaud-Jobin said: “Not yet. We’ll see what happens on the ground, how people will react, but I think it’s a first step that’s important.”

Pedneaud-Jobin said the provincial decision will also make residents feel safer since they were worried about seeing people move around “without any obvious reason.”

As for Gatineau’s economy, Pedneaud-Jobin said he doesn’t think there will be a negative impact from the border measures since he believes businesses in his city that are still allowed to be open have local clients. Plus, there’s still travel allowed between Ottawa and Gatineau for essential reasons, he said.

“The border is wide open,” Pedneaud-Jobin said.

OC Transpo and STO buses travelling between Ottawa and Gatineau shouldn’t be impacted, Pedneaud-Jobin said. He said police won’t be boarding buses to check people at the border before they enter Gatineau.

Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Watson also said he’s been assured Transpo and STO will have unfettered access to both cities.

Pedneaud-Jobin said morale in Gatineau is “still okay,” all things considered. The city has developed some expertise in crisis management after responding to floods and tornadoes in recent years, Pedneaud-Jobin said.

“Of course people are worried, but they’re disciplined,” Pedneaud-Jobin said. “The more days go by, more and more people understand the necessity to be disciplined and to listen to what public health officials are telling us.”

With files from Norman Provencher

twitter.com/JonathanWilling

Related