LETTER

Last government a disaster for Gatineau Park

The Gatineau Park Protection Committee (GPPC) is accusing the Liberal government of undermining the park’s foundations and betraying its public and ecological vocations.

Lookouts have collapsed; toxic blue-green algae have polluted the park’s three main lakes; more houses are being built in the shoreline buffer zone at Meech Lake; parkways have been closed at night.  Moreover, in 2017, the NCC stacked its public advisory committee on renewal of the park’s master plan with several private park landowners, a flagrant conflict of interest.

According to the 2010 Gatineau Park Conservation Plan, “easements and property rights (e.g., private properties and developments, residential leases) are not consistent with the Park’s mission” (p. 19); “the presence of private properties places stress on the host environment in the form of water pollution, cyanobacteria outbreaks, habitat fragmentation and the erosion of riparian habitats” (p. 65, French version). 

According to the GPPC, protection of the park requires legislation that would prohibit residential construction, set transparent boundaries, require management that prioritizes conservation and restoration of ecosystems, and stipulates that the park is dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment. 

Jean-Paul Murray, GPPC

Chelsea