The aging Village Cartier shopping centre in Gatineau, Que., which neighbours the city of Ottawa, is set to be redeveloped into a $1.3 billion neighbourhood to be known as Espace Canevas by its owner, Brigil.

A concept for the project, which was unveiled Thursday morning, includes the potential for 2,600 residential units, 192,000 square feet of commercial space and 182,000 square feet of office space at full build-out.

Brigil says it "has been designed to stimulate the local economy, foster human connections, prioritize green and community spaces, while emphasizing active mobility," in the announcement.

The project has been six years in the conceptual and pre-development stage.

"What we are proposing with the Espace Canevas community is the redefinition of our urban spaces for the benefit of the Gatineau-Ottawa population," Jessy Desjardins, the vice-president of development at Brigil, said in the announcement. "Reflecting the ambitions of the neighborhood, the project offers a second life to the Village Cartier shopping center and demonstrates the immense potential for transforming large commercial spaces to increase the number of available units in the context of a housing crisis."

The development would take place at the site of the Village Cartier shopping centre at 425 Boulevard Saint-Joseph, the first major enclosed mall in the city when it was completed in 1965. However, it has fallen on hard times in recent years.

It was acquired by Brigil in 2019, with the intention of quickly pushing ahead with a redevelopment plan but that was shelved with the onset of the pandemic.

European flavour to the design

Brigil is basing many of the concepts for Espace Canevas on European designs. Its development team visited Denmark in the spring of 2025 to refine the vision.

"We held working sessions with architects, urban planners, and Canadian and Danish experts to identify concrete ways to improve the quality of life for the population within real estate projects. We return from these visits more motivated than ever, and Brigil intends to continue playing a leading role in redefining the social function of public spaces in the region," Desjardins said in the announcement.

The Espace Canevas project is to include:

• approximately 2,600 residential units in a range of towers and midrise buildings, plus commercial and office spaces;
• a wide variety of rental housing
• accessible green spaces and community places, integrated mobility prioritizing pedestrians, bicycles and active transportation;
• innovative designs, trees and greenery with a visible rainwater management system integrated into the landscape;
• local business and services such as cafés and restaurants;
• an incubator for merchants and others wishing to test innovative ideas in an evolving urban setting:
• and, regular programming aimed at generating meetings and exchanges around musical, artistic and community experiences.

In April of 2024, Brigil announced the launch of construction on the first building at the shopping centre site, a six-story multifamily building to offer 146 housing units. It includes two lounges totalling over 2,400 square feet and a large outdoor terrace, a fitness center and a yoga room.

About Brigil

Brigil was established in 1985 by Gilles Desjardins, and has been a significant contributor to development across the National Capital Region. 

The company currently has about 30 communities in the Ottawa and Gatineau regions (14,000 units) and plans to build 44,000 new housing units over the next 15 years. Brigil is also focused on sustainable development and environmental protection within its developments and portfolio.