gatineau-park

Gatineau Park

It’s hard not to fall in love with Gatineau Park. Rich in biodiversity, with 361 square kilometers of wilderness, 118 rare or endangered species, and 50 lakes!
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Overview

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The Park

It's hard not to fall in love with Gatineau Park. Rich in biodiversity, Gatineau Park is comprised of 361 square kilometers of wilderness, 118 rare or endangered species, and 50 lakes! Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the opportunities that Gatineau Park provides for all sorts of activities, including hiking, cross-country skiing, camping, paddling, and rock climbing.

Many people are surprised to find out that Gatineau "Park" is a park in name only. Although Gatineau Park belongs to the federal government, the land is actually managed by the National Capital Commission (NCC), so it does not have the permanent legal protection provided to "real" national parks. As such, portions of the park have been sold or used for housing development, the construction of shopping centres, and the creation of new roads.

A fundamental change in management strategy is urgently required to maintain the ecological integrity of Gatineau Park. The boundaries of the park must be accurately defined in federal legislation and a legislative framework and policies appropriate to a nationally important protected area must be applied. Legislation must address the need for full parliamentary oversight, the same oversight given to all our Canadian national parks under the National Parks Act.

Gatineau Park has the potential to become a core protected area within a much larger region that protects natural ecosystems and maintains viable populations of all native species. It is important that the lands surrounding the Park are properly managed to allow for corridors and connections with other natural areas.

CPAWS-OV is calling on Parliament to:

  • make purchasing land surrounding the current Gatineau Park area a priority for the NCC;
  • define Gatineau Park's boundaries in legislation; and
  • establish Gatineau Park as a national park under the Canada National Parks Act.

CPAWS-OV is calling on the municipalities which border Gatineau Park to:

  • actively participate in the protection of Gatineau Park
  • consider the ecological integrity and benefits of having a healthy, beautiful park in their backyard when planning development
  • create wildlife corridors and buffer zones in their areas of jurisdiction

CPAWS-OV is calling on the NCC to:

  • Manage the park as an IUCN Class II protected area
  • Stop all new roads and development inside the Park
  • Acquire critical or ecologically sensitive lands around the park to serve as a buffer zone
  • Work with local municipalities to define and establish viable ecological corridors between the park and surrounding lands

                              

Recent achievements

  • Began a GIS project which will allow us to accurately map the areas around Gatineau Park to identify potential corridors and connections with surrounding natural areas.
  • Met with Nycole Turmel, leader of the NDP's office to discuss defined boundaries and legislated protection for Gatineau Park. They were very supportive and promised to work with us to achieve these goals.
  • Finished our 2012 Gatineau Park calendar! Get your copy now.
  • We met with the NCC on the future of the Meech Creek Valley. An extension to Highway 5 is planned in the valley, which could spur development in its northern region — a move inconsistent with current park planning policies. CPAWS maintains that the entire valley should be protected from development.
  • We took part in a consultation on the future of the Moore Farm Estate. Located in Gatineau, the farm sits alongside Gatineau Park and serves as a corridor between the park and the Ottawa River. We are urging the NCC to incorporate the farm property into Gatineau Park and to ensure that any redevelopment of the site benefits wildlife.
  • We provided comments and suggestions to the National Capital Commission (NCC) on the Gatineau Park Ecosystem Conservation Plan. While the plan may not address all of our concerns (such as the impact of roads, traffic or development), we nonetheless feel that it is a good step forward.
  • Wildlife corridors become increasingly important as urban development increases. We are excited to be working with some property owners south of Wakefield who are interested in establishing such a corridor between Gatineau Park and the Gatineau River.

 

How you can help

CPAWS-OV is calling on You to:

  • Contact the Minister responsible for Gatineau Park, John Baird, and ask him to introduce legislation which creates Gatineau Park in the legal context, defines the boundaries of the park, and protects its ecological integrity.
  • Contact your local MP and ask them to push the government to introduce legislation, and to support any legislation that creates Gatineau Park in the legal context.
  • Contact the mayors of the Pontiac, La Peche, Chelsea, and the city of Gatineau, as well as your municipal councillor and ask them what they are doing to ensure that Gatineau Park has an adequate buffer zone and corridors linking it to other natural areas.
  • Contact the NCC and express your concerns about the pressures facing Gatineau Park
  • Take personal responsibility for your park. Tread lightly, report any inappropriate activities or damage in the park, and become actively involved when decisions are being made about the park or its surrounding lands.
  • CPAWS-OV hosts information booths at Mountain Equipment Co-op, local fairs and festivals, and other shopping outlets throughout the year. Contact us at ov-outreach@cpaws.org to find out when we'll be hosting a booth near you.
  • As a non-profit organization, CPAWS-OV always welcomes new volunteers! If you would like to help us spread the word about our Gatineau Park campaign or become involved with the campaign committee, please contact us at ov-volunteer@cpaws.org.

 

Did you know… ?

  • Gatineau Park has the greatest diversity of habitats of any park in Quebec, with the largest number of endangered species. It is a park of national importance that includes forests, lakes, streams, peat bogs, swamps, and the fragile Eardley escarpment.
  • The eastern wolf, black bear, beaver, lynx, fisher, northern flying squirrel, white-tailed deer, and otter can all be found within its boundaries, along with 230 species of birds and over 1000 species of plants.
  • Gatineau Park provides unsurpassed recreational opportunities on over 200 kilometres of hiking and ski trails and 125 kilometres of bike trails, only minutes from Parliament Hill.
  • In 1970 CPAWS-OV was founded specifically to fight for the protection of Gatineau Park. At that time the NCC development plan would have seen a series of roads, and even hotels, in the centre of the park. To learn more about the history of CPAWS-OV in Gatineau Park, click here.

                                                              

 

Resources

Please feel free to download the following documents:

  • CPAWS-OV press release on Nycole Turmel's announcement on Gatineau Park protection - [PDF], [HTML] - April 2012
  • CPAWS Ottawa Valley comments on the draft plans for Sustainable transportation [PDF], cultural heritage [PDF] and outdoor recreation [PDF] in Gatineau Park -- February 2012
  • CPAWS Ottawa Valley comments on the draft proposal for ecological corridors between Gatineau Park and other natural areas -- PDF February 2012
  • The Municipality of Chelsea and the National Capital Commission developed a concept plan for the Meech Creek Valley which could see the development of various tourist attractions in this picturesque sector of Gatineau Park. CPAWS-OV feels that this plan is outdated and we are proposing an alternative vision for this scenic valley. -- PDF October 2010
  • our submission to the Green Transportation Plan -- Jan 2010
  • our response to the NCC's Ecosystem Conservation Plan -- May 2010
  • our Bill C-20 press release -- PDF December 2010
  • Gatineau Park: A Threatened Treasure. This booklet highlights some of the qualities that make Gatineau Park so special. It explains how the park is seriously threatened and what must be done to protect it for future generations of Canadians. -- PDF
  • On October 19, 2009 CPAWS Ottawa Valley appeared before the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities to provide committee members with comments on Bill C-37, An Act to Amend the National Capital Act and other Acts as it relates to Gatineau Park. Click here to view the submission to the Committee. -- PDF October 19, 2009
  • CPAWS Ottawa Valley Brief to the Senate on Gatineau Park protection -- PDF March 27, 2007
  • Press release: Ineffective Gatineau Park legislation dies on the Order Paper -- PDF July 2010
  • Read Michael Lait's blog on CPAWS' Gatineau Park campaign