Monthly Archives: January 2010

XCOttawa has recently revealed a new ski trail reporting resource which includes an RSS feed. GuideGatineau has begun to update its own ski trail reports with the RSS feed and will be working with XCOttawa to see if further integration is possible.

You can add your 2¢ worth here if you want.

The NCC maintains a job offerings board at it’s website which includes a number of postings for summer student employment. At the time of this posting these include:

• Interpreter/Tour Guide at Mackenzie King Estate (Closed Feb 1)
• BIOLOGIST at Gatineau Park
• Information Officer, Gatineau Park (summer)

The NCC issued a press release today giving more detail to the info posted here after the January 20 Board meeting. Click here to see the release.

ActiveSteve (Stephan Meyer) blogs after summiting Mount Kilimanjaro where he left a stone that he’d carried all the way from Gatineau Park.

This evening I attended an event put on by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Ottawa Valley Chapter. The session had been billed as about Gatineau Park but in fact was divided in two parts. The first was a short presentation by CPAWS on their involvement and wishes with respect to Gatineau Park. The second was a film presentation about climate change affects in the arctic.

There were about 15 people in attendance including a number there on behalf of the Alpine Club of Canada Ottawa Section who in turn represented in some measure the Ottawa-Gatineau Climbers Access Coalition.

The main points of the CPAWS presentation were:

• to remind the audience of CPAWS interest in having legislative protection for Gatineau Park similar to that of National Parks administered by Parks Canada
• that this enables the NCC to sell property in the park
• to quickly review Bill C-37 noting its status as dead due to prorogation but having some potential for reintroduction; also noting that CPAWS had submitted suggestions for amendments to the bill
• CPAWS advocates for private land owners within the park to be able to hand their properties to their descendants but not to sell to other owners, instead being obligated if they wish to sell, to sell (at fair value) to the park itself.
• That there needs to be a stronger mechanism to control development within Gatineau Park and that its lack has enabled large houses to be built inside the park.
• Their feeling is that while C-37 dealt peripherally with Gatineau Park its main focus was on NCC governance. They hope for a stronger focus on Gatineau Park protection in any bill brought forward to replace or restart C-37.
• CPAWS has also submitted comments toward the current Green Transportation Planning process. They have suggested reduction of car traffic in the park complemented by shuttle bus access from park-and-ride locations.
• They expressed concern about the Highway 5 extension as well as the planned exit into the Meech Creek Valley.

There was a short question and answer period that touched on the plans for development of the Meech Creek Valley (a certain percentage had been planned) as well as access restrictions expected along the Eardley Escarpment.

The video was well done (NFB co-production) and (as these things are) unsettling.

Really critical!

See this article in the Low Down to Hull and Back News.

The ski, snowshoe and walking trail closures due to rain have been relaxed a bit.

The ski report is that 22% of trails are “fair” and one would imagine that snowshoeing is allowed once more, though there wasn’t any notice that I saw on the NCC site.

Walking might be tougher since the wet snow hasn’t hardened up again yet so maybe better to stay off those trails instead of punching deep footprints into them which would then freeze in for weeks.

In an earlier story prompted by a CBC report we learned that the NCC has been running a program to introduce new Canadians to the joys of winter for 10 years.

I talked to the NCC’s Caroline Paré and learned a little more.

This program used to be part of a ski festival that is no longer part of the NCC’s programming. Over the years the NCC has developed relationships with agencies that deal with new Canadians on both sides of the Ottawa River and through these agencies arranges group outings for these interested newcomers.

The popularity of the program has grown recently so there aren’t empty spaces waiting to be filled, but if you are involved with an organization that, for instance teaches English as a second language, the NCC would welcome your group’s interest in exploring Gatineau Park.

The NCC has issued a press release saying (among other things): The network of winter trails – for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking – is closed because of the rain.

From TriRudy Richard reports:

It appears that the criminals know that GP is the perfect place for targeting unsuspecting people at this time of year. My daughter’s high school ski club was at Camp Fortune on Wednesday night and many of the school bags that they had to bring into the chalet (they were not allowed to leave them on the bus) were stolen. The kids lost cell phones, iPods and wallets. My daughter’s bag was found on the road a km away.