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Article #195: Hello from Ottawa - Gatineau Park, A Four-Season Playground Right On Ottawa's Doorsteps

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After my visit to the Museum of Nature an 20 minutes by bike from Parliament Hill
adventure of an altogether different to the southernmost entrance of Gatineau
nature was awaiting me: the outdoor Park, an example of how accessible the
splendour of Gatineau Park, a large park is to all the urban residents of
protected nature area measuring 361 Ottawa and its surroundings. Every Sunday
square kilometres whose southern tip is from late May to Labour Day, more than
located literally 15 minutes north of 30km of park roads are blocked off to
Ottawa's downtown area. The park itself vehicular traffic for the Alcatel Sunday
is managed by the National Capital Bikedays and made accessible to bikers
Commission, an organization with a and inline skaters.
mandate and mission to build the Capital Camping is also an important feature of
region into a source of pride and unity Gatineau Park, and the camping experience
for Canadians. covers everything from big, luxurious RVs
To get a better overview of this facility to wilderness camping. Around Lac
I met Michel Dallaire, Gatineau Park's Philippe there is a family camping area
Manager of Recreational Services who with a variety of facilities while the
awaited me in the lobby of the Visitor area around Taylor Lake is more remote
Information Centre, right next to a big and provides a semi-wilderness
3-dimensional topographical display of experience. The La PĂȘche area is
the Park. intended for canoe-camping and you
Michel explained that Gatineau Park's literally have to use a canoe to get into
most dominating topographical feature is this area. Harrington Lake is the
the Eardley Escarpment which is actually location of a prime ministerial residence
a former shoreline of the Champlain Sea. and as a result it is a high-security
The Park is a very popular destination: area that is not accessible to the
over the last 25 years visitor numbers public.
went from about 700,000 day visits a year Following this general overview, Michel
to more than 1,7 million currently. The packed me into one of the fuel-conserving
National Capital Region surrounding official Gatineau Park vehicles and off
Ottawa is one of the fastest-growing we went for a brief visit of the park. We
areas in the country and within the next went on the main road and Michel pointed
10 years about 2 million day visitors are out the turnoff to Meech Lake, site of
expected in Gatineau Park, and as a the (in)famous Meech Lake Accord, a set
result the administration's focus has of failed constitutional amendments to
changed from development to conservation. the Constitution of Canada negotiated in
Gatineau Park offers a great variety of 1987, designed to persuade Quebec to
outdoor recreational opportunities: in accept the Canada Act. Indeed, Gatineau
the summer months it offers camping Park has an important place in the
opportunities on 3 different campgrounds, history of Canada.
more than 200 km of trails in the winter Nowhere is this in evidence more than at
(including cross-country and snow-shoeing the Mackenzie Estate, former prime
trails) and 165 km of trails in the minster Mackenzie King's private estate.
summer which are multi-use and William Lyon Mackenzie King (1874 to
multi-seasonal. The parkways, scenic 1950) was the tenth Prime Minister of
roads in a natural setting, shut down Canada and governed during three
every Sunday from late May until Labour different periods with intermissions of
Day for bikers, roller-bladers and different lengths from late 1921 to late
stroller-pushing parents to enjoy the 1948. His combined time is the longest of
paved trails throughout the rolling hills any Prime Minister in the history of
of Gatineau. There is even a downhill ski Canada and in 1999 Mackenzie King was
centre in Gatineau Park which is called ranked by historians as the greatest of
Camp Fortune. Michel explained that in Canada's Prime Ministers.
the 1920s and 1930s the Ottawa Ski Club In 1903 Mackenzie King bought land near
started to develop a cross-country trail Kingsmere Lake and built a modest cottage
network and later added a down-hill ski for himself. After he became prime
area. Ottawa's citizens used to come here minister, he moved to a larger residence
by train to take advantage of the winter where he laid out ornamental English
adventures that Gatineau Park has to gardens and ruins. His permanent
offer. residence was an old restored farmhouse,
This park fulfills a key role as a "The Farm", which was his last residence
primary outdoor recreation area for and now serves as the official residence
Ottawa's citizens and as a nature reserve of the Speaker of the House of Commons.
for the entire capital region. Michel Upon his death in 1950, he bequeathed his
explained that there have been 3 master property at Kingsmere to the people of
plans over the years for the park, and he Canada.
has participated in them all since he has At the Mackenzie King Estate, Michel and
more than 25 years of work experience I met Chantal Comeau who works for the
with Gatineau Park. The focus has shifted National Capital Commission (NCC), the
from developing the park to protecting federal agency responsible for planning
its greenspaces and focussing on its and building a capital of which all
diverse eco-systems. The key question has Canadians can be proud. The NCC also
become how to manage the large number of organizes national celebrations and
visitors and provide a great recreational events, including Canada Day and
experience while preserving this precious Winterlude.
natural resource for future generations The planting of the tulips for Ottawa's
of Canadians. world-famous Tulip Festival is also
Four plans make up the current strategy managed by the National Capital
for Gatineau Park: the Conservation Plan Commission, and each spring, more than
addresses the protection of habitats and one million tulips and 200,000 daffodils
green spaces while the Recreation Plan is bloom in the NCC's flowerbeds. Ottawa's
favouring slightly different styles of Tulip Festival has interesting historic
recreation, emphasizing more ecologically roots: at the beginning of World War II,
sustainable activities. Motorized Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and
activities in the park will disappear her family found refuge in Canada, and
over time and activities such as rock five years later, Canadian troops
climbing will face tighter restrictions. liberated her native country. As a
The park managers collaborate closely gesture of gratitude, the Dutch people
with representatives from different sent 100,000 tulips bulbs to Canada, and
outdoor clubs and associations to ensure another 20,000 were added by the Dutch
excellent buy-in and collaboration. The royal family. This tradition continues
Heritage Plan focuses on the and every year the Netherlands send
architectural and historic heritage of 20,000 bulbs to Canada.
the park which includes, for example, Chantal brought a tulip expert with her:
former Prime Minister William Lyon Dorota, who is the head landscape
Mackenzie King's residence as well as architect handling the planting of tulips
other historical buildings. Last but not for Ottawa's Tulip Festival.
least, the Green Plan endeavours to tie Interestingly and quite humorously,
in the park into a more overall Dorotha is called the "bulb lady" because
ecologically sound master plan by she not only plans all the planting of
evaluating ways of connecting public the tulip bulbs for Ottawa, she also
transit to the park as at this moment 95% handles the design of the light bulbs for
of people come to the park by car. Park Ottawa's Christmas Light festival.
management strives to make the entire Kingsmere was just covered in
Gatineau Park experience more late-blooming tulips and Dorotha gave me
environmentally sustainable. an overview of the over 50 different
Michel next enlightened me on the types varieties of tulips that are used in
of trail systems available in the park: Ottawa's famous Tulip Festival. They vary
in total more than 165 km of trails are in size, colour, shape and blooming time
availabe during the summer throughout the and once they are finished blooming, they
park. Recreational pathways (about 15 km) are composted and replaced by annual
are paved and accessible to users of flowers that adorn the NCC's locations.
bicycles, in-line skates and strollers. My brief exploration of Gatineau Park had
About 90 km of shared use trails are come to an end since I had a television
built of mulch, gravel or hardened clay interview to prepare for, but it gave me
and are used by mountain-bikers and a taste of this historic nature area that
hikers, and hiking trails are for is so easily accessible to everyone in
pedestrian use only. 30 km of parkways the National Capital Region and I thought
are closed to road traffic regularly to to myself that next time I come here I
give non-motorized wheeled athletes a have to bring my mountain bike (or my
chance to enjoy themselves without road cross-country skis, depending the
traffic and exhaust fumes. It takes about season).






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