I’ve had another letter to the editor published in the Ottawa Citizen, you can read it here.
Essentially, it was a letter in support of an earlier letter to the editor encouraging OC Transpo and the STO to offer public transportation to Gatineau Park and other outdoor public amenities.
I felt I could add to the debate by describing the excellent service I experiences in Oslo, Norway, where they have a subway line that terminates above ground at their Olympic training grounds, making it very easy to access the immaculate parks that surround the city.
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Shuttle to park trails
I agree with recent letter-writers that there should be excellent public transit links to Gatineau Park as well as other major parks, beaches, ski hills and leisure facilities.
Indeed, I would suggest going a step further by reducing car traffic within the park on its busiest days, when you find yourself cruising for parking spaces up and down the road and in the parking lots rather than enjoying the natural beauty of your surroundings.
We should provide parking at the base of Gatineau Park, then arrange a shuttle to each of the trails. It would provide a considerably better option than the current free-for-all.
If the National Capital Commission which is responsible for the park is looking for an excellent model, I would suggest they look to Oslo, Norway, where on a recent visit a friend and I were able to take one of the city’s subway lines to its terminus at the base of a glorious park, not dissimilar to Gatineau Park. No fuss, no muss. The service is particularly popular on Sundays when the shops close and residents take to the parks for some recreation.
Geoffrey Hall,
Ottawa
8 Comments
April 10, 2009 at 9:27 pm
This is a fantastic idea. I’ve always found it quite ironic that the main reason I own a car is for getting out to enjoy nature. It would be great if people didn’t have to pollute to go and enjoy the outdoors.
April 13, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Excellent idea! Apparently skiing really got started in the park because there was train service. Too bad that model didn’t continue.
Hopefully there will be some public transit to the park and the NCC deals with the traffic issue within the boundaries. Like Toby, I’ve mainly owned a car to access the park.
April 13, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Hey Craig (and Toby),
That’s really interesting about train service to the park originally. Do you have a link with information about that? I would be very interested. Thanks for the comments!
GJH
April 13, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Many years ago (perhaps about 30) there was a “ski train” to Barry’s Bay, along the Ottawa River. I love your idea of the shuttles. Happy spring.
April 13, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Hi,
Check the Canadian Ski Museum link here..
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/pm.php?id=story_line&fl=0&lg=English&ex=153&sl=2315&pos=15
Picture #4, mentions a bus. Not that exciting, but the last two pictures are of the “ski train”, “snow train” and Kirk’s Ferry (Chelsea) train. I believe the Wakefield Steam train now uses that line.
Here’s the clips..
“Following a period of relative inactivity during the First World War, skiing resumed as a popular weekend sport in 1919. An extension of the railway north in the late 19th Century allowed an ever-increasing number of skiers to explore the trails and hills of the Gatineau.”
“From several stations within Ottawa eager skiers would board slow-moving “snow trains” for the short trip to the hills:
“Hundreds of skiers crowded into Union Station, and, pack on back, boarded the northbound train. Skis were placed upright between the backs of the seats…”
April 16, 2009 at 2:08 pm
I believe that the train users at first went only so far as the Ottawa Ski Club’s place at “Dome Shaped Hill” which I suppose must be where Club de Golf le Dome. There was a lodge a Pink’s Lake too I think.
April 20, 2009 at 10:28 pm
My daughter, my vife and I are paranordic skiers with visual imparement. We are not able to drive, but we would be very happy to ski in the park as often as possible. We support this an exellent idea to make public trasportation to Gatineau Park and give a chance for blind like us to enjoy fresh air and nature.
Mikhail, Olga, Margarita
April 22, 2009 at 10:01 am
What a great idea to open up the opportunity for people to experience Gatineau Park through a shuttle service. I am visually impaired also and an avid runner who trains and competes with a guide, and there is no better feeling than a long run up in the Gatineau fresh air. Having a shuttle service that went to Gatineau Park would make it far easier for our group of other visually impaired runners to take advantage of this incredible environment so close to our great city.