.: Ski XCOttawa.ca :: Skiing in Ottawa and Gatineau Park

Parkways are closed to traffic, rollerskiers rejoice!
By:  Team XC Ottawa   (2008/10/22)

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Many of our readers, avid Gatineau Park users, have emailed in to report that the gates were closed to traffic sometime last evening. A few readers even reported getting trapped inside the closures themselves!

It seems the cold temperatures and rain made for slippery roads, which convinced the NCC to shut the gates. This is a common Fall happening, but it's not always permanent. There's nothing worse than getting your hopes up that you will be able to rollerski legally around the entire loop only to show up and  find the roads open to traffic and rollerskiing illegal as usual.

So we are happy to report that the gates were still closed this morning. A quick call to the Gatineau Park Visitor's centre confirmed that the parkways are closed indefinitely. So get out there and make use of them; morning, noon and before dark.  Just watch out for patches of ice on the downhills as the overnight lows are dipping well below zero!

This NCC Press Release makes it sound like it might only be temporary.  If the weather warms up, the NCC may reopen the parkways sometime on Friday in order for them to be fully available to every motorist.  In this event, the 7-10am volunteer parkway closure schedule would still be in full effect. 


Photo: Jo-Ann Holden
 
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