Gatineau residents rate their satisfaction with city services at 68%, a slight decline from previous results
Sophie Demers
The results of the survey evaluating residents’ satisfaction with city services have been released. Participants completed the survey from April 5 to 21 of this year. There were 1,729 participants; 703 residents took the survey over the phone; and, 1,026 took part online. Overall, the satisfaction with city services was rated at 68%, a decline from 72% in 2020.
The survey was completed by a third-party firm called Leger. The survey is the seventh of its kind in Gatineau since 2005. According to Gatineau, the survey allows them to understand the needs and habits of residents. The survey’s objectives were to measure residents’ satisfaction with city services, identify what is going well and what needs action, and compare overall results from previous years, between areas of Gatineau, and with other municipalities.
The highest rated are the fire services and the library services at 7.5/10, and police services at 7.3/10. Although it’s one of the highest rated, the library services rating declined by .5, as it was previously rated 8/10 in 2020.
Management of parks and green spaces, as well as indoor and outdoor sporting spaces are rated 6.8/10, and city sporting activities received 6.7/10. Residents rated their satisfaction with city organized events at 6.5/10 and the protection of local heritage at 6.8/10.
In terms of public works, residents have snow removal for roads and sidewalks at 6.2/10. The lowest rated services were the road and sidewalk maintenance which residents rated 5.7/10 compared to 6.4/10 in 2020.
For public transit, residents rated the services 6.1/10 while rating the fluidity of rush hour transportation 5.6/10. Those who interacted with city employees and reception rated their experience 7.7/10. Participants rated their experience and satisfaction calling 311 a 7.7/10.
Both the citizens’ portal and the Gatineau website were rated 7/10. It was also noted that citizens getting news and information on city activities used three main methods: 53% said they use media such as radio, TV and newspapers to get information; 52% use Gatineau’s website; and, 33% used social media.
The survey indicated that residents support investments in environmental protection such as investing in the active transportation network and adopting strict bylaws to preserve mature trees. 79% of those surveyed were in favour of these measures. However, Gatineau residents were not in favour of introducing an incentive-based pricing system for waste management that would make residents pay according to the quantities of waste they disposed of.
Director General of Gatineau, Simon Rousseau highlights that the city is already working to improve. “The city is already taking action by implementing a new administrative structure,” he said. “This reorganization places Gatineau residents at the centre of the city’s priorities. Ultimately, the changes made, such as the creation of the Citizen Interaction Service and the Organizational Performance and Business Intelligence Service, will certainly have a positive impact on the quality of services offered to the population.”
Photo caption: "Gatineau for Life" poster stands tall at the Aylmer Beach.
Photo credit: Alana Repstock
