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