Gatineau is a city defined by a name that was once a complete myth

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Gatineau is Canada's most bilingual city, sitting directly across from Ottawa. While its name now graces a major urban center, the origin of the moniker is shrouded in mystery. One prominent historian even admitted to inventing a false family history to explain the name, which remains a subject of debate.

The city of Gatineau, located in southwestern Quebec, is a significant part of Canada's National Capital Region. With a 2021 population of 291,041, it stands as the fourth-largest city in Quebec. The modern city is a product of a 2002 amalgamation that merged five municipalities—Aylmer, Buckingham, Hull, Masson-Angers, and the former city of Gatineau—into a single jurisdiction. Although Hull was the oldest European settlement in the area, founded by Philemon Wright in 1800, the name Gatineau was chosen for the new entity because it was already strongly associated with the region's geography, including the local hills, park, and river.

The etymology of the name is contested. Some elders from Kitigan Zibi suggest an Indigenous origin from the Anishinaabemowin term Tenagatino Zibi. Conversely, historical records show the name appearing on maps in various forms, such as Gatteno and Gatino, throughout the 19th century. In 1889, Benjamin Sulte published an article claiming the name honored a local fur-trading family, only to later confess that he had fabricated the story entirely. Sulte argued the name actually derived from the Gastineau family, specifically Nicolas Gastineau sieur Duplessis, though this remains a point of historical speculation rather than settled fact.

Beyond its naming controversies, the city has a complex industrial and social history. It was once a hub for the timber trade, with loggers known as draveurs transporting wood down the Gatineau and Ottawa rivers. During World War II, the area hosted prisoner-of-war camps for German and Italian nationals, as well as Canadians who refused conscription during the 1944 crisis. Today, the city is known for its proximity to the Gatineau Hills and its role as a bilingual cultural center, housing the Canadian Museum of History, which was designed by Indigenous architect Douglas Cardinal.

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