Other Brainstorming Suggestions
April 15, 2010 in Uncategorized by Charles Hodgson
Louis René Sénéchal of the NCC has asked GuideGatineau readers to kick in their ideas for a catchphrase that captures the “balance between people belonging in the Park and the Park belonging to the plants and animals that live in it.”
Because some Gatineau Park users are not exactly fans of the NCC I anticipated some suggestions that might possibly be satirical, cynical or critical. I want to allow space for these views, but I don’t want to detract from any constructive momentum that is the essence of a brainstorming session. For this reason I’ve established this space anticipating those less up-beat submissions.
I’ll be sure that all suggestions, whether positive or negative, are forwarded to the NCC.
In harmony with sustainable coexsistence
we can pave it, but you can’t climb it
DN writes:
“Lots of sarcasm springs to mind.
Void of people / Void of purpose / It becomes a void
or perhaps
Use it or / Lose it
or perhaps
Build a fence / It becomes useless hence / Makes no sense”
Ian wrote the following, I’ve moved it here because it doesn’t really fall into the “catchphrase” or “tagline” category being requested:
Common sense should be the guiding concept. It is extremely easy to plot the course to protect the park. Implementation becomes a joke when ideology & itellectual laziness are the guiding principles.
Some general points right off the top of my head;
-NCC staff typically are all desk jockeys. Rarely to they actually venture out to experience the terrain they spend so much time managing badly. Case in point. For the XC ski contract they do not have a process in place to ensure NCC staff personally view the condition of the groomed trails. Treasury board policy is such that the NCC has a financial obligation to ensure that public money is well spent. I wouldn’t want to be the one explaining to the auditor general’s group that method of managing a contract.
-Increased vehicle traffic doesn’t mean increased impact on non-paved areas. People visiting the champlain lookout via car at most travel 500 metres down a trail. Please explain how this creates impact at the 1 km, 2km or farther points?
-If there are sensitive areas create trails that lead away from same. The idea that the entire area must be fenced off & closed is silly. People aren’t too inclined to race away from a trail to crash thru the brush t
in order to trample sensitive or rare species.
-Creating an environment that users feel they had a part in implementing giving them a bit of ownership & w/ that they become your most valued protectors of the assets.
-Why is GP just about the only park like area that is always 20years behind everyone else in implementing rational policy?
-Maybe the NCC could look at some of the existing science which refutes the hidebound attitude of the NCC (if it’s foot traffic GOOD, all else less so or BAD) This attitude ignores the #1 yes #1 cause of trail erosion…water (horses & non-oxygen powered vehicles excluded). Studies from around the world have shown this, hence the 20yrs behind from above.
-Maybe the NCC could actually adopt some sort of trail standard for the building & repairing of the trail network. The current method is ignore it until the trail becomes a sodden mess then use backhoes & trucks to deposit their magic mixture of topsoil, gravel etc. This really creates such a “wilderness experience” just like driving down a recreation path in the city.
-Virtually every other well thought out & maintained trail network in the world uses hand labour as the main effort. This ensures smaller, friendly, less prone to erosion, easier to maintain and produces a better
outdoor experience. Obviously this should be avoided at all costs.
Gatineau Park: keep the people out so the Institute of the Environment folks can study the fish and flowers … and keep the great unwashed masses off their … private property.
A screaming scandal.
More I think of it, more I’m ashamed of being Canadian … a member of the sheep people, happy to be given the crumbs handed out by the dirty elite accommodation running Gatineau Park.
Charles,
Come to think of it, you deserve praise.
Good on you for ensuring that the NCC hears the truth about the park.
And I think Louis-René is a fine fellow. Though he’s being given the run around by the NSCC’s hierarchy in trying to get an answer to my questions.
But I think he’s genuine and deserves top marks for trying.
Gatineau Park: look, mais don’t touch