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