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by Bryce

Sunday Bike Days are Back!

May 16, 2013 in biking, gatineau park, news

sundaybikedaysGood news everyone! Sunday bike days in the capital are back!  Starting this Sunday, May 19th, the Rockcliffe Parkway, Colonel By Drive and the Sir John A Macdonald parkways will be closed to motor traffic from 9am-1pm every Sunday morning until Labour day.

There are also 27kms of roadway in Gatineau Park being closed to motor vehicles from 6am-11am, for those who enjoy the challenge of the hills!

check out the NCC’s Parks,Paths and Parkways site, for more info

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Avatar of Dave

by Dave

Gatineau Park and Leamy Lake Beaches Open to Swimmers Friday

June 13, 2012 in gatineau park, paddling, swimming

lac_leamyGatineau Park and Leamy Lake beaches will open for the summer season this Friday, June 15, 2012!

Until September 3, 2012, residents and visitors will have daily access to O’Brien, Blanchet, Breton, Parent and La Pêche beaches, in Gatineau Park, from 10 am to 6 pm and to Leamy Lake Beach from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm. Lifeguards will be on site during these hours. Swimmers will have access to facilities such as washrooms, change rooms and picnic tables.

The NCC urges the public to be prudent and keep personal safety in mind. Swimmers must respect designated hours, when beaches are supervised, and the swimming areas defined by buoys.

Entry fees:

Meech, Philippe and La Pêche Lake beaches: $10 per automobile; $30 per mini-bus; $50 per bus; $70 for a season’s pass.
Leamy Lake Beach: $7 per automobile; $ 21 per bus.
The purchase of a daily pass for Gatineau Park beaches also includes access to Mackenzie King Estate and to Leamy Lake Beach.

Canoes, kayaks and other non-motorized vessel facilities are available for rent at both Philippe and La Pêche lakes. For those looking to discover some of Gatineau Park’s recreational pathways, bike rentals are available at Philippe Lake.

Water sample testing results:

The NCC would also like to inform the public of the results of water sample testing done at NCC public beaches in Gatineau Park and Leamy Lake on June 3, 2012. Water samples taken at all beaches meet bacteriological standards for swimming. Below are the results:

Meech Lake – Gatineau Park
O’Brien and Blanchet beaches: Class A – excellent for swimming

Philippe Lake – Gatineau Park
Breton, Parent and Smith beaches: Class A – excellent for swimming

La Pêche Lake – Gatineau Park
La Pêche Lake Beach: Class A – excellent for swimming

Leamy Lake Beach
Class C – fair for swimming

 

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Avatar of Jean-Paul Murray

by Jean-Paul Murray

NCC PRAISED FOR CLOSING ROAD THROUGH GATINEAU PARK

January 26, 2012 in gatineau park, news

Really, the NCC deserving praise?

After hacking off 8 sq. km of Gatineau Park over the last 20 years through land deals and road building, is it possible the NCC has seen the light and is now keeping master plan promises to secure the park’s integrity?

A CBC news report suggests it is. The report says the NCC is standing firm and will close the stretch of Gamelin Street that cuts through the park. See report at: http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2012/01/25/010-fermeture-troncon-gamelin.shtml.

This road closure, announced at the NCC’s January 25 public meeting, will restore habitat by reducing the number of roads and traffic in the park. It will also fulfill a 2005 Master Plan commitment.

Over 2,000 people signed a petition to stop this NCC road closure. Thirty or so of them voiced their opposition at the January 24 Gatineau council meeting.

At an earlier meeting in August 2011, municipal officials voted 15 to 3 in support of closing the road, those opposed being Denise Laferrière, Maxime Tremblay and Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin.

Though praiseworthy, this move pales in comparison to the NCC’s promise to add 2,400 hectares to the Greenbelt by 2067.[1]

And it’s too bad the NCC hasn’t shown the same commitment to protecting the Gatineau Park habitat soon to be clearcut to build Highway 5.

[1]As reported in the Ottawa Citizen: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/moves+forward+grand+plan+expand+Greenbelt/6052079/story.html

 

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Avatar of Dave

by Dave

NCC Holding Consultations on Three Gatineau Park Plans

January 16, 2012 in biking, camping, gatineau park, hiking, mountain biking, nature, news, paddling, rock climbing, ski, xc skiing

gatineau_park_outdoor_recreation_planThe National Capital Commission (NCC) seeks the public’s input in the elaboration of three plans for Gatineau Park. As of today, the NCC has posted on its website documents supporting a public consultation on outdoor recreational activities in Gatineau Park, issues and proposed solutions to improve travel to and within the Park and on the management of Gatineau Park’s cultural resources.

  • Gatineau Park Outdoor Recreation Plan– The NCC is seeking opinions on the priority for the implementation of proposed strategies for outdoor recreational activities in Gatineau Park, while respecting ecosystem conservation objectives.A workshop on this plan will be held from 9:30 am to 12 pm, on Saturday, January 28 at the Best Western Hotel, 131 Laurier Street, Gatineau, QC. Participants are asked to confirm their attendance in advance, before January 25, 2012, at info@ncc-ccn.ca. The public can also complete an online questionnaire before February 19, 2012.

 

[A quick note: you can check out a very long PowerPoint presentation of the Gatineau Park Outdoor Recreation Plan here]

  • Gatineau Park Sustainable Transportation Plan– The NCC wants opinions from the public on priority issues and proposed solutions to improve transit to and within the Park, again in the context of ecosystem conservation objectives.A workshop on this plan will be held from 1:30 pm to 4 pm, on Saturday, January 28 at the Best Western Hotel, 131 Laurier Street, Gatineau, QC. Participants are asked to confirm their attendance in advance, before January 25, 2012, at info@ncc-ccn.ca. The public can also complete an online questionnaire before February 19, 2012.
  • Gatineau Park Cultural Heritage Plan – Consultation on the Gatineau Park Cultural Heritage Plan is solely online, on the NCC’s website. The NCC wants to know the public’s interest in Gatineau Park’s cultural resources. Participants are asked to complete an online questionnaire before February 19, 2012.

A conservation park of 361 square kilometres, Gatineau Park is 15 minutes from Parliament Hill and in the heart of the Capital. The Park is a prime destination for visitors and residents alike. According to recent research, it is estimated that Gatineau Park receives over 2.7 million visits each year.

For more information on these public consultations, the public may contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 613-239-5090 (TTY), 1-800-465-1867 (toll-free) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the NCC’s website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca.

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Avatar of Dave

by Dave

Rideau Canal Opens for 42nd Season on Sunday

January 15, 2012 in skate

rideau_canalAfter a long, mild wait the NCC announced they’re opening 2.2km of the Rideau Canal Skateway this Sunday, January 15th.

The secret to what really feels like a record-late opening (it’s not: the latest opening was on February 2, 2002, breaking the previous record established on January 18, 1971) has been the hard work of the NCC crew, who have been flooding and prepping the Canal at a furious pace during the recent freeze. “The NCC Skateway team have used their expertise to nudge nature along and to allow today’s launch of the season,” says Michelle Comeau of the NCC. The NCC performed intense flooding on the ice surface over the past two weeks, and ice tests were conducted along the entire length of the Rideau Canal Skateway.

The open stretch will be between Bank Street Bridge and Pretoria Bridge. This will give us all a chance to kick back in the new $750k chalets the NCC installed this year to much criticism, and is just in time for the upcoming All Star weekend, which I hear features a skate down the Canal with the Stanley Cup!

You can check the Rideau Canal Skateway conditions at the NCC website, or download the Rideau Canal Skateway iPhone app!

I’m pretty stoked to get out this year – can’t wait for my first Beavertail and hot chocolate!

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