The online questionnaire closes on February 19^th and offers you a list of heritage resources that you can rate as far as your feeling of value and interest.

I of course gave highest marks to the “Recreational Trail Landscape” and the cairn monument to Charles Mortureux.  (If you care about those historic ski trail names I suggest you do the same.)

There’s no help for the Gamelinites, but for the squealing tire sufferers there is talk of closing the parkway to cars every night at 10 or 11 PM.

Heavy traffic congestion under three circumstances were brought forward accompanied by a range of possible initiatives to address each case: fall foliage weekends; summer swimming parking; and winter ski day weekends.

One of the proposals to manage traffic jams during fall colours was a (possibly mandatory) bus that would trundle foliage viewers up and down the parkway.

Similarly ski starting point hot spots might be serviced by busses (this time likely optional) during those times when now cars are spilling out of parking lots onto the roadways.

No joy for the parking deprived swimmers though on a popular weekend—if the parking lot is full then the beach is full too.

Various proposals for enhancing public transit accessibility to the park were also offered and I personally gave them high marks, though in truth I don’t have extremely high hopes that they’ll get used too much.

The scene-setting information for the session also made note of climate change and vehicle contributions to it. Correctly it was pointed out that overall such contributions were marginal in the scope of things but I personally still marked this as a very important issue for the following reason: The issue is infinitely more important than parking challenges. The reason it is a problem is because each of us keeps turning the car key day after day. If we can’t take such a serious issue seriously in preparing a plan for green transportation in Canada’s conservation park how can we expect anyone to take it seriously anywhere?

The online portion of the consultation is live until February 19th. The NCC are also taking written submissions at their info email address.

The online portion of the consultation is live until February 19th and it was reported that 800 people had already completed the questionnaire. The NCC are also taking written submissions at their info email address.

There are a wide variety of areas of focus so it’s hard to summarize the whole thing but in general I continue to feel that park managers want to provide a rich park experience to outdoor enthusiasts with two caveats. Above all else they place protection of ecosystems. Unfortunately this seems to hit rock climbers hardest—though there is an uneasy peace reigning in that department—and has also influenced access points for back country hikers; and may yet reduce trail choices.

The second caveat appears to be that due to the continuing rise of numbers in park visits, wherever recreational alternatives outside the park can be had, park managers would like to shunt people that way and thereby reduce pressure within the park. Mountain biking might be an example of this (though they seem agreeable to improving mountain biking within the park as well.

Attendees broke into groups and discussed a pre-set range of issues (identical to those in the online exercise) then reported back to the group about their top three. I won’t attempt to report on other groups but my take out of our group went something like this:

1. In terms of making better use of volunteers and volunteer park ambassadors we were all for it but recognized that efforts to date along these lines didn’t seem to have flourished. If the NCC were to do it they’d have to dedicate considerable resources to organizing and welcoming and educating volunteers as well as continually maintaining a network with them. The upside would be better communication of park values out to the general park user and adoption of same into park user culture. This could give the NCC good bang for their buck. Thinking about it now I’d say also that inviting those volunteers/ambassadors to help craft what it was to be educated and communicated would solidify the exercise considerably.
2. Though there continued to be comment about what constituted enhancement of trails, most people seemed enthusiastic about looped trails and themed trails for walking. This makes me cringe a little bit if it means further mucking up the heritage trail network. Hopefully what we’re talking about here has more to do with signage and possibly trails in areas where there are few now.
3. The online booking of overnight stays was pointed up as particularly difficult for non-capital-region Canadians whom the Park is also supposed to be serving. One suggestion was that peak periods have a two night minimum reservation policy said to be more advantageous to those from away.

An issue I brought up in a side conversation with Park staff was their perceived mandate to cater to under-represented groups such as youth and new Canadians. I tried to make a distinction between treating such visitors royally when they do come, and dedicating scarce resources to attempt to market to them. If you want to make such visitors feel welcome and comfortable in the park, by all means do so. But if they aren’t thinking of visiting the park in the first place, why try to draw them in; especially if one of the worries is the growing number of visits.

This put me in mind of the days when I myself carted my little ones around on my back.

I’ve always preferred the solitude of the woods to participation in races and such, and so it was that one day I found myself climbing up trail #1 from Old Chelsea with my Danielle on my back (she’s now 21 so has to do her own climbing).

I had forgotten that it was the weekend of the Gatineau 55 or Keskinada* or whatever it was called that year, otherwise I would have avoided the route. But it wasn’t too crowded when I intersected the loppet course and one skier quipped “If you pass me with her on your back it’ll be really depressing.”

No danger there.

I also gave a baby backpack to my sister at one point. The printed material that came with the thing encouraged owners to write-in telling the manufacturer what the backpack was used for.

Could it be that those were days when such things were still done by snail-mail?

Anyway, my dear sister  enthusiastically wrote in that they planned to use their baby backpack to ski with. As quick as could be (by post) she got back a message saying the don’t recommend doing  that! (liability alert!)

* According to the Gatineau Loppet website Keskinada stood for
KE for Québec
SKI for cross-country skiing
NADA for Canada

Last weekend, my friend Stephen Cann and I had a terrific XC ski out to the Gatineau Park firetower. When we started at 8am the temperature was minus 20C, and the parkway was perfectly groomed. I started thinking about the guy who was out overnight to do this perfect grooming job, spending time away from family and out grooming in the cold and dark so that skiers could have a perfect experience. As we went on, through trail 5, up Pinks Lake, everything was perfect. Going up the parkway on the Pinks Lake climb, I thought of the 100′s of times I have done this biking and XC skiing. A long time ago, an engineer had the vision to construct this fabulous road. People complain about getting bored of skiing on the parkway or riding on it. I can’t ever imagine feeling that way while being there. It really is a gift!

Later going up the Penguin climb, I thought about the first settlers who cut this road that we now know as Ridge Road all the way to the firetower. The poor Irish immigrants came slightly late and were shut out of the fertile land in the Ottawa valley and went to work cutting through the forest to settle the area and make a new life. Just skiing that way was hard. Imagine cutting the actual road???

Again, the grooming to the firetower was immaculate. I had not been on a day like this in years. While we all like to complain about the NCC (I probably do my fair share), they make sure a lot of work is done on the trail network in “dryland” season” to make sure we have a skiable trail. If not, in the 23 years since I first mountain biked out to the firetower, the road would have been “grown over” and clogged with brush and trees.

A long time ago, Prime Minister King had the vision to make this a park and give this piece of Canadian Shield to the people of Canada.

We finished the ski, back at the P3 parking (Gamelin Blvd) in Hull. There were so many people that made this ski adventure possible who I will never meet today, or who have passed on a long time ago, but their actions had a positive influence on the lives of myself and skiers adventuring to the firetower that day.

They say that what matters is the impact we have on the lives of those we leave behind when we move on.

Can you imagine talking to those Irish settlers today and thanking them for cutting the road and making “our day” on Jan 22, 2012…when they cut that road, they were just thinking about feeding their families, not enriching the lives of participants in a sport that was yet to be invented (skate skiing)!

So THANKS! Great job!

It’s not just the old fogies who say we used to get more snow, Environment Canada statistics prove it.

The City of Ottawa has just produced a study of watersheds within its municipal boundaries. Part of this study looks at Ottawa’s climate and part of the review of climate looks at precipitation (as one might expect when examining watersheds).

Check out these two graphs from the study (above and to the right here, click each for enlarged version).

Applying the simple formula that one centimeter of snow equals one millimetre of rain, Figure 3-8 appears to be telling us that in Mort’s day the Experimental Farm was blanketed with almost 2½ metres of snow over the winter.

Do my eyes deceive me or does it look to you as if today we get only something over 1½ metres.

Figure 3-9 shows that even as rain has been increasing in every other season, in winter precipitation has been decreasing. Which is to say the amount of snow falling is falling.

It was 2005 when the NCC’s study warned us that by 2050 there might not be any skiing in Gatineau Park.

Aside – it’s a nice coincidence that Mort worked for what became Agriculture Canada and the data for the City of Ottawa study was collected at the Experimental Farm.

Highlights:

• rue Gamelin is going to be closed

• the “outdoor activity plan” or “recreation management plan” appears to have an acronym: GPORP (Gatineau Park Outdoor Recreational Plan)

Gatineau Park’s Visitor Centre

Over the course of the months of June to August, over 24,376 guests visited the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre, while the information agents answered approximately 3,055 phone enquiries. Meanwhile, the information agents at the Gamelin information kiosk served approximately 2,500 visitors.

This fall, the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre was the host of nature interpretation programs on weekends between September 24 and October 16. New this year, Environment Canada with the NCC’s collaboration, organized a special day on October 8 which offered visitors of all ages the opp0rtunity to participate in guided walks, discussions with specialists, attend special presentations, and much more.

Fall Rhapsody

From October 1 to 16, 2011, visitors were encouraged to enjoy the fall colours of Gatineau Park during Fall Rhapsody, on foot, canoe, kayak or cycling. In order to manage attendance, visitors were also encouraged to visit mid-week.

Follies of the Fall Forest Tour, a free guided tom for the general public, was offered in English and French on Saturdays and Stmdays tl:om September 24 to October 16.

During Fall Rhapsody, a section of the Gatineau Parkway was closed to vehicular traffic on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Only cyclists and pedestrians had access.

Gatineau Park Ecosystem Conservation Plan

Implementation of the Gatineau Park Ecosystem Conservation Plan is continuing with several projects aimed at ensuring the ecological integrity of the Park.

Ecological Corridors- Gatineau Park

The project to identify and describe the ecological corridors adjacent to Gatineau Park is progressing, and the final report is planned for spring 2012. The project is developing with the involvement of various stakeholders, including municipalities, environmental groups and a committee made up of external experts.

The purpose of the ecological corridors is to ensure that the Park is connected to other natural areas and to increase the robustness of the natural areas. To date, we have identified 12 potential corridors. The NCC will not necessarily acquire these lands, but will enter into agreements with municipalities and partner groups to enable it to put protective measures in place.

The implementation of this project will take place over the next fiscal year.

Outdoor Recreational Plan

The main objective of the Gatineau Park Outdoor Recreational Plan (GPORP) is to provide consistent management and intervention frameworks for the outdoor activities, infrastructures and services that will have to be developed and modified in order to optimize the experience of park visitors while maximizing the objectives of ecosystem conservation in Gatineau Park.

The Outdoor Recreational Plan also aims, through a series of concrete measures, to specify the desired types and intensities of outdoor activities offered in the park, mainly as a function of conservation objectives, the role and capacity of the Park’s recreational areas and underlying management principles. The GPORP is currently in the final phase of preparation and will be presented during public consultations this winter.

Restoration of the Eardlev Escarpment and the shores of recreational lakes:

This project aims at evaluating the condition of these ecosystems and proposing a plan for restoring and improving their condition and their long-tenn protection. Implementation of the restoration plan began this fall for the rock climbing sites, and will continue for several years.

Monitoring biodiversity and protection of species at risk

Protection of Gatineau Park is continuing with a long-term program for monitoring changes in biodiversity by monitoring bioindicators and through a plan for protecting at-risk plant and wildlife species. This will allow the NCC to meet all legal obligations regarding environmental protection.

Green Transportation Plan for Gatineau Park

The two first steps are now complete. This has allowed us to assess the existing situation and to identify transportation issues for Gatineau Park. This analysis was based on information collected during the online public consultation that was completed in winter 2010. In addition, consultations with partners were recently conducted in order to validate the analyses. Over the past few months, proposed solutions were evaluated and measures identified that would best lead to attaining the strategic objectives and improving the transportation issues related to the Park. The evaluations were discussed with regional partners during meetings held in November and December 2011. In coming days, we will present the advanced plan to members of the public and invite them to comment on it.

Following these consultations, we will focus our efforts on preparing the action plan that will identify measures that could eventually be put forward, and their possible timing.

Closure of a section of Gamelin Road

The Gatineau Park Master Plan, adopted in 2005, planned for the closing of rue Gamelin, which bisects the Park, once construction of boulevard des Allumettieres is complete. This was supported by agreements between the NCC and the municipality with the goal of establishing a regional road network while limiting the fragmentation of Gatineau Park. On August 30, 2011 , Gatineau city council adopted a resolution to authorize the closure of me Gamelin.

The objective of this road closure is to reduce the fragmentation of habitats in the south part of Gatineau Park, home to the rich Lac des Fees habitat and several species of threatened plants and animals. The closure aims to reduce the amount of road infrastructure and motorized traffic within the Park. by concentrating traffic on the St-Raymond, Allumettieres and Alexandre-Tache boulevards. which cross the park and link communities.

Gatineau Park Cultural Heritage Conservation Strategic Plan

The Gatineau Park Cultural Heritage Planning Study will guide the conservation and interpretation of cultural heritage for the next decade. The first phase of planning presented the vision and guiding principles for the management of cultural heritage in the Park, and outlined the cultural values associated with Gatineau Park, including a thematic framework.

Phase 2 included the development of a methodology, criteria to facilitate the assessment of the Park’s cultural resources, as well as context for the Park’s heritage resources as cultural landscapes. Resources have been prioritized and an action plan for the conservation and interpretation of the Park’s cultural heritage has been developed.

A committee of heritage experts, which includes First Nations representatives, was set up for this project and met on three occasions. Public consultations are under way.

Communication and Interpretation Plan

Phase 1 of the Plan, review and analysis of current messaging and strategic directions as they relate to NCC and Gatineau Park has been completed. Phase 2 is underway and includes the development of a Visitor Experience statement to guide the development of the messaging plan. The Communication and Interpretation Plan will be developed over 2012-2013.

Gatineau Park Storm Related Repairs

The exceptionally heavy rain of June 24, 2011 has caused significant damages to Gatineau Park’s infrastructures at numerous locations. In one instance, the rains caused a flash flood of the Renaud Creek washing out a culvert at the Lac Philippe Camp ground. The NCC was able to build, in 1.5 days, a secondary one lane access to the campground to reestablish access for campers.

Rehabilitation of the main damaged sites was completed before the winter season and paving will take place Spring 2012.

Dismantling of the Brown Lake Dormitory in Gatineau Park

In the fall of 2011, Gatineau Park collaborated with Habitat for Humanity in successfully developing a partnership with Longfields Community Church of Ottawa. The goal was to re-purpose a vacant park building, the Brown Lake Dormitory. The efforts of over 50 volunteers facilitated the dismantling and moving the building off-site tor eventual re-use as the Longfields Community Church. The site of the dormitory will be renaturalized, in keeping with Park conservation objectives.

Other Active Construction Projects

• Lac Philippe – Water treatment Plant
• Gatineau Park – Refuge des pins rehabilitation
• Gatineau Park Wakefield dam/bridge rehabilitation

The PowerPoint suffers a little bit from bureaucratic language but in general one gets the feeling that the park is earnestly dedicated to supporting the recreational activities of users—within of course the restraints of conservation and budget. This is reflective of some of the language which appeared in later versions of the government legislation on Gatineau Park which died with the last election call.

A few things stood out for me:

• There is much talk of reassignment of services, which I take to mean that they are short of money and will likely have to reign back spending to support some activities if investing in others. It’s unclear how this will play out but might or might not lead to controversy.
• Unofficial hiking trails are seen as too numerous and they plan to try and reduce these. I’d think this will inevitably lead to controversy.
• Trail “enhancement” is suggested but it’s hard to know what they mean by this. One person’s improvement is another person’s ruination.
• Where recreational resources exist outside the park they hope to reduce pressure on the park by encouraging more use of the non-park resources.

Saturday’s consultation sessions will be interesting I think.

Gatineau Park has been adding snowshoe trails to accommodate the increasing popularity of the sport but is challenged in limiting conflict between users. The 2012 winter trail map includes a section on trail etiquette and now uses more distinctive colours to designate the trails to avoid confusion as to which is which. There have been signs posted (and more are planned) to try and keep snowshoers off ski trails. Yet skiers still report ski trails made more difficult and sometimes dangerous due to snowshoe traffic.

Gatineau Park policy is that trail users are requested to stick to the trails designated for their sport.