Artful covers
In 2008, Gatineau launched a manhole cover design contest called Reg'art d'égout (artful covers) that involved designing two manhole cover models for the city's streets.
Why two? To distinguish between the two categories of sewers and their respective uses: storm and sanitary.
Gatineau is the first city in Quebec to have launched such a contest, as well as to open it to both employees and residents! The two categories of participants got to submit designs for one of the two types of covers: residents for the storm sewer manhole covers and employees for the sanitary sewer manhole covers.
Storm Sewer Cover
(Dimitri Gagnon Morris, resident category)
Sanitary Sewer Cover
(Véronique Marcil, employee category)
These are the manhole covers that will from now on be installed in Gatineau's new streets or to replace the broken or worn ones. The visual impact will be exponential!
As well, Gatineau has installed one of these manhole covers in the street close to the respective winner's residence.
The Reg'Art d'égout contest sparked the creativity and imagination of many residents and employees! Gatineau received approximately 215 design submissions. The winners were as follows.
Gatineau, October 9, 2008 – This morning, Gatineau installed the first winning entry for the Reg'Art d'égout urban art contest. In the photo, the designer of the storm sewer cover Dimitri Gagnon Morris, and Gatineau Mayor Marc Bureau, surrounded by the installation crew.
Recognized for its quality of life, Gatineau is a city of 292,000 inhabitants. It is located on the north shore of the Ottawa River, and extends east and west of the Gatineau River.