Gatineau restaurateur remembered after fatal head-on crash

Véronique Plourde, a 34yearold businesswoman from Gatineau, Que., died in a headon collision on boulevard des Allumettières late Friday, according to people who knew her and spoke with RadioCanada. Another person also died in the crash, and a passenger in Plourde’s vehicle was taken to hospital in critical condition. Plourde was known in Aylmer for running L’Aubergiste, a restaurant on rue Principale, until it closed at the end of 2023. Friends and local business leaders described her as warm, resilient, and deeply involved in the community. People who knew her said the crash has been a major loss for Aylmer and the wider Gatineau area. Police have not released further details about the other driver or the condition of the injured passenger.