Editing Gatineau (section)

==Economy==
Originally, Gatineau's economy was based almost entirely on pulp and paper. However, a number of federal and provincial government offices are located in Gatineau, due to its proximity to the national capital, and its status as the main town of the [[Outaouais]] region of Quebec.

A policy of the federal government to distribute federal jobs on both sides of the [[Ottawa River]] led to the construction of several massive office towers to house federal civil servants in downtown Gatineau;<ref>{{cite web |title=Renovation, repair and maintenance work at Place du Portage complex |url=https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/trans/pq-qp/qp22-eng.html#Background |publisher=Public Services and Procurement Canada |date=October 5, 2023 |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref> the largest of these are [[Place du Portage]] and [[Terrasses de la Chaudière]], occupying part of the downtown core of the city. Some government agencies and ministries headquartered in Gatineau are the [[Public Works and Government Services Canada]], [[Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada]], [[Environment Canada]], [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]].<ref>"[http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/contactez-contact/index.asp Contact Us]." Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Retrieved 31 May 2009.</ref>

The following federal government departments have their main offices in Gatineau:

* [[Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada]]
* [[Canadian Heritage]]
* [[Employment and Social Development Canada]]
* [[Environment Canada]] (includes offices of [[Parks Canada]])
* [[Public Works and Government Services Canada]]

The following agencies have their main offices in Gatineau.

* [[Transportation Safety Board of Canada]]
* [[Passport Canada]] (under [[Citizenship and Immigration Canada]])
* [[Competition Bureau]], the [[Canadian Patent Office]] and the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (under [[Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada]])

In addition to housing a significant portion of federal government offices, the city is also an important regional centre for the Outaouais region. The city serves as the location for the Superior Court of the District of Gatineau, which encompasses all neighboring municipalities. It also houses two of the region's major hospitals as well as numerous provincial colleges.

Other important economic sectors are health care, tourism, education, small business and the provincial public service. The health care and education sectors are particularly important because they represent the region's largest sources of permanent employment outside the federal government. The provincial public service also has a strong presence in the city, due to its status as the region's principal city. There are two hospitals in the city, one in the Hull sector and the other in the Gatineau sector, as well as numerous other clinics and health centers. There are also numerous primary and secondary schools scattered throughout the city. They are managed by four school boards, three of which are French-speaking and one English-speaking. The city is also a major tourist region, with over a million tourists a year visiting the city's museums, parks, lakes and other outdoor attractions.

The Gatineau-Ottawa metropolitan region has over 1,900 technology companies, employing close to 80,000 workers. There are also over 65 research centers and six universities with over 160,000 students (20% of whom are enrolled in science, engineering, and technology programs).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Gatineau? |url=https://pourquoigatineau.com/en/become-part-of-the-national-capital-region-ecosystem/ |access-date=17 November 2023 |website=Why Gatineau? |language=en-CA}}</ref>

Gatineau's economy relies on a few important sectors. A majority of jobs are accounted for between the federal government, construction and service industries. There is however a large effort to modernize the economy in the region through recent initiatives in the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem. The [[Innovation Gatineau Institute]] is a regional innovation centre that boasts co-working space as well as startup incubation and acceleration programs to spur innovative business creation. In 2020, The Honourable [[Mélanie Joly]], Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, visited [[Outaouais|the Outaouais region]] to announce a total of $1,553,448 in financial assistance. This funding will help expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Regions |first=Canada Economic Development for Quebec |date=27 August 2020 |title=Gatineau: a key player in Quebec's economy |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/economic-development-quebec-regions/news/2020/08/gatineau-a-key-player-in-quebecs-economy.html |access-date=17 November 2023 |website=canada.ca}}</ref>