Culvert removal on Gatineau Park Trail 70

As part of the ongoing maintenance of the Gatineau Park (GP) trail network, located on National Capital Commission (NCC) lands, work is required to improve a section of Trail 70. A culvert and a wooden footbridge used to cross Meech Creek, located 300m from Cross Loop Road, have reached the end of their life cycles. Intervention is required because the existing culvert is too small and unable to handle the flow during floods. This poses a risk to users and causes constant erosion of the pathway and transport of sediment into the watercourse. 

The existing culvert will be removed and replaced by a steel-wood bridge of sufficient length to allow the foundations to be laid above the water level of the creek. The bridge will be laid on precast concrete block foundations on granular material. Riprap will be placed along the creek bank to direct the water and prevent erosion of the pathway. In addition, the area of the existing culvert will be widened to restore the original stream conditions prior to the installation of the culvert. This will also avoid creating a bottleneck conducive to overflows. As the project is located in fish habitat, it has been reported to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for mitigation measures. 

Construction will begin in late summer 2024 (late July/early August) and be completed in fall 2024.  

This work will improve the durability of the trail while reducing the impact on the watercourse and fish habitat. Impacts on riparian vegetation will be minimized as much as possible, and an erosion and sediment transport control plan will be developed and implemented for the duration of the work.  

The project is proposed by the NCC, on land under its stewardship (Gatineau Park). It is subject to Federal Land Use, Design and Transaction Approval (FLUDA) under the National Capital Act. Coordination with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is required, as DFO must issue a letter of notification under the Fisheries Act for planned work in fish habitat. 

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Latest update

April 11th, 2024 – The public comment period on the project is closed. The National Capital Commission is considering comments received to help inform its determination on whether the carrying out of the project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

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Contacts

National Capital Commission
Environmental Assessment
40 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5A8
Email: IA-EI@ncc-ccn.ca


  • Location

    • Gatineau Park (Quebec)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Maintenance activities (fences, walls)

  • Assessment Status

    In progress

  • Start Date

    2024-03-12

  • Proponent

    National Capital Commission

  • Authorities

    • National Capital Commission

  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands

  • Reference Number

    87407
Disclaimer

This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given assessment.

 

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...within 200 kilometres
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