Category Archives: Uncategorized

In his blog Marc Charron enthuses over the view to be had from King Mountain.

As pointed out by Scott in the comment to this linked post the planned online system for reserving cabins & yurts and purchasing xc ski passes had been planned to be available today. At this time the online portal has yet to become functional.

At least this web address now actually goes somewhere. Last week the URL wasn’t even registered in the DNS system so the service provider couldn’t have counted how many hits they were getting from interested park users.

Mayor Elect Jim Watson was interviewed for the Citizen by Dave Brown who also does Ottawa Outdoors Magazine. Watson was asked about his outdoor recreational pursuits and Gatineau Park came up quite often.

Sez he:

NDP’s efforts secured better protection of Gatineau Park

Link

Bill C-20 has completed its committee process and Paul Dewar issued the press release linked here.

The coming legislation governing Gatineau Park will enshrine the ecosystem protection that the NCC has been trying to enact (to the chagrin of some users such as rock climbers). But it will also, for the first time enshrine recreational uses. Take the poll.

Is a balance between ecosystem protection and recreational use a step in the right direction?online surveys

The Ottawa Citizen today contains a contribution from Jean-Paul Murray critical of the coming legislation intended to govern Gatineau Park and critical of  the New Democratic Party who he claims “betrayed their principles” and “reversed its former position.”

My discussions with an NDP representative led me to believe that the advancement of this Bill was more in line with politics as “the art of the possible.” The numerous opposition amendments that had been proposed before Parliament was prorogued were unable to achieve enough support in inter-party horse-trading to have been included and wouldn’t have been successful anyway. On the other hand, the government introduced amendments to its own Bill (something I’m told is fairly unusual) to go some way toward some of the objectives of the earlier opposition amendments.

The two specific government amendments that address the two points I mentioned yesterday are:

That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by adding after line 5 on page 6 the following:

MANAGEMENT OF GATINEAU PARK

10.3 The Commission shall manage any property of the Commission that is an immovable located in Gatineau Park for the enjoyment of the people of Canada, including allowing for the pursuit of recreational activities.

That Bill C-20, in Clause 10, be amended by replacing lines 11 to 15 on page 6 with the following:

(2) In the management of any property of the Commission that is an immovable located in Gatineau Park, the Commission shall consider as one of its priorities the maintenance or restoration of the ecological integrity of that property through the protection of natural resources and processes.

This is the very tippy-top document that will govern how the NCC manages Gatineau Park. More important than the Gatineau Park Master Plan, more important than the Ecosystem Conservation Plan.

On Saturday at the Chelsea Elementary School one of the biggest cross country ski exchanges is being held by Chelsea Nordiq. This is an excellent chance for the Canadian Ski Museum to sell a few more copies of the 1967 Gatineau Park ski trail map and raise some of the charitable funds it so earnestly needs.

Unfortunately Robin, the Museum curator has been working 7 days a week and can’t be available.

Please contact Robin (613-722-3584) or me if you’d be willing to spend the day there.

Note – while NRC had originally limited sales of the map to ending in October, they have kindly allowed the Museum to continue map sales until the print run of 250 copies has been exhausted.

A meeting entitled Consultation Meeting for Walkers Using Trails of Eardley Escarpment and Integral Conservation Zone of Gatineau Park had been scheduled for 5:30 today but has been postponed (so if you were planning to go, as I was, don’t bother).

While the glitterati/literati were all at the NAC last night watching Barney’s Version I was at the Mayfair Theatre watching incoming Ottawa City Councillor David Chernushenko’s premiere showing of Powerful: Energy for Everyone.

I went for two reasons. David Chernushenko has balls to pour his heart and soul and money into making feature length movies about a cause he so obviously believes in. I wanted in my small way to support him.

The second reason I went is that a year ago I asked my City Councillor to explain the City of Ottawa’s strategy for climate change. I was having a hard time finding any evidence of a strategy on the City of Ottawa website. I won’t review our subsequent correspondence but suffice to say I think the reason there is no evidence is because there is no strategy.

What does this have to do with Gatineau Park?

As expressed in the Ecosystem Conservation Plan, climate change is the greatest threat to ecosystems in Gatineau Park. It was a 2005 NCC study which predicted there would be no xc skiing in Gatineau Park by 2050 that influenced my starting GuideGatineau in the first place.

So with “think globally, act locally” in mind I wanted to encourage the City of Ottawa to restart some strategizing on climate change, and it seems to me that David Chernushenko is predisposed in that direction.

It’s tough to make a splash in a world dominated by Hollywood. What could David Chernushenko add that Al Gore didn’t already win Academy Awards for?

Powerful: Energy for Everyone does have something to add. This movie shows us that there are people and places and political processes that are working successfully to reduce and even reverse our carbon footprint. But more than giving us examples that we can point to when we talk with our friends about the issue, it gives us a glimpse of David Chernushenko; the commitment to understanding of issues he brings to public office and his appreciation for public discussion.

The guy hasn’t even finished his intro course on being a City Councillor and already he’s working to bring his peers into the discussion. A number of other Councillors were at last night’s screening.

There is a second screening tonight and rumour has it that Mayor elect Jim Watson might attend. This looks like a sea change for the prospects of a municipal climate change strategy.

Please support David Chernushenko by watching his film and ask your City Councillor to work for a municipal climate change strategy.