Gatineau, city, Hull County, southwestern Québec, Canada, at the junction of the Ottawa and Gatineau rivers. It is a commercial and residential suburb of Ottawa. Gatineau is the site of one of Canada's largest pulp and paper mills, established in 1926. Building materials are also produced in Gatineau, and the high-tech, health, and food industries are growing in importance. The city is served by the Gatineau Ottawa Executive Airport. Gatineau Provincial Park is adjacent to the city, and three ski resorts are located nearby. Annual events include the Hot Air Balloon Festival, which is held in September.
Gatineau is named after 17th-century fur trader Nicolas Gastineau. It incorporated as a city in 1975 with the amalgamation of seven municipalities, and since then it has grown rapidly due to its diversified economy. In the 1990s Gatineau developed the city center, a project that included the city hall, the preservation center for the National Archives of Canada, a community college, and a municipal arts center.
