City of Gatineau reaches tentative agreement on new arena

The City of Gatineau has reached an agreement in principle with Vision Multisports Outaouais (VMSO) to replace the now-obsolete Robert Guertin arena with a new one, according to Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin.

The details of the agreement aren't yet public.

Pedneaud-Jobin said after Tuesday night's council meeting that the deal will be presented to council's executive committee Wednesday, and that a news conferencewill follow to present the next steps.

Residents won't learn the full details of the agreement in principle until it's presented to the entire municipal council.

Pedneaud-Jobin said members of the public willhave an opportunity to weigh in, but he couldn't say exactly when a public discussionwould take place.

He added that he wants to see the outcome of Wednesday's meeting with the executive committee before formalizing any future discussions.

If the City of Gatineau'sdealwith VMSOgoes through, the new arena would be home to the Gatineau Olympiques hockey team.