The CBC website is reporting on an increase in popularity of a program of the NCC that introduces newcomers to outdoor winter pleasures. This winter is said to be showing a doubling of participation and gets people out on snowshoes and skis for the first time.
While the existing program is reported to have been in existence for 10 years, a new Trail Ambassadors program is also being planned in Gatineau Park, also targeting those not otherwise likely to appreciate freezing temperatures out in the woods. The Trail Ambassadors program isn’t so much a skills program as an opportunity for Park newbies to pick up on the enthusiasm of people like ski trail patrollers who know and love the park themselves. More details about the pilot program are expected soon.
