Gatineau Park: a gem in danger

One highlight of Ottawa lies outside of the city limits.  Cross the Ottawa River into Quebec, and less than 10 miles from the city’s center is Gatineau Park, which shocks you with its beauty, tranquility, and recreation opportunities.  Hiking through Gatineau Park on Sunday, I had no idea we were close to a city of one million people.

The park offers countless ways to pass away a morning or afternoon—or all day, really . . . cross-country skiing in the winter, hiking all seasons, and biking most of the season.  Views of the Ottawa River are stunning, and in the fall, beautiful tones of red, yellow, and orange grace the maples and other trees that grace Gatineau’s 140 square miles.

What makes Gatineau special is its huts that are scattered across the park.  With names like Shilly-Shally, these huts—which look like cottages and offer amenities such as wood-burning stoves, picnic tables, and solar powered emergency radios—offer weary hikers and skiers the chance to rest and refuel.  And refuel the locals do well . . . picnics can include fondue in the winter and copious bottles of wine.  Judging from my day there, the locals respect the park, following the code to take out your own trash and keeping the huts clean.

The administrators of Gatineau Park are a different story.  Although a national park, Gatineau is run by the National Capital Commission, not Parks Canada (the equivalent to the National Park Service).  Unlike Parks Canada, the NCC has the right to change boundaries, sell off lands, and can approve construction quickly—which would not be the case if Gatineau had true national park status.  Gatineau’s limited protection even took a while: earlier in the 20th century, when Mackenzie King was Canada’s prime minister, Gatineau only became a park when privately-owned property within its boundaries were grandfathered . . . which of course, included . . . PM King’s estate.  To this day, Gatineau is park in name only, and the NCC has recently constructed roads and other development projects that are degrading the park’s recreational value.

The NCC, a crown corporation (a quasi private-public partnership, like our Frannie and Freddie Macs), has a dubious record protecting the park, and is often criticized for a lack of transparency.  With Ottawa rapidly growing, especially in Quebec, where housing prices are cheaper, many non-profits are worried about Gatineau’s future, and want increased protection for the park.

One such organization is the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).  CPAWS is concerned—rightfully so—that Gatineau’s current level of protection will not prevent the NCC to sell of land for roads and buildings, and is pushing for the federal government to protect the park.  The timing is critical, as Ottawa’s growth is already threatening the park’s 118 rare or endangered species and 50 lakes.  Few cities have a gem like Gatineau, and CPAWS is working hard to see that the park will not be whittled away by development.

So what is your city doing to protect parkland in your area?