Chatel told iPolitics on Monday that she secured a commitment from Government House Leader Steve MacKinnon to treat the bill as a priority, meaning it could become law before the end of the fall sitting or early in the new year.
Sophie Chatel has secured the government’s backing for her bill to strengthen protections for Gatineau Park.
The Liberal MP has long advocated for the sprawling park, part of which lies within her Western Quebec riding, located across the river from Ottawa.
At the start of this Parliament, she partnered with Sen. Rosa Galvez to tabled legislation that would effectively treat it as a national park, though it would remain under the jurisdiction of the National Capital Commission, instead of Parks Canada.
During a recent Senate committee meeting on the bill, Public Works Minister Joël Lightbound said the government supported the legislation and would propose several amendments that Chatel described as non-controversial and mostly “technical” in nature.
Chatel told iPolitics on Monday that she also secured a commitment from Government House Leader Steve MacKinnon to treat the bill as a priority, meaning it could become law before the end of the fall sitting or early in the new year.
“After the 15th attempt at legislation at [making] Gatineau a real [national] park, it’s quite amazing that we will succeed this time,” she said.
“It’s something that our region wanted, but was unable to make it a priority.”
Gatineau Park is the most well-known nature site in the capital region, popular for its colourful foliage in the fall, groomed trails in the winter and kilometres of hiking and cycling trails all year round.
Chatel said advocates wanted to keep the NCC’s jurisdiction precisely because of that connectivity — Gatineau Park links to pathways near the Ottawa River and historical sites that are also operated by the NCC.
Then there’s the matter of ecological integrity. The massive park is home to wildlife that traverse parts of the protected Greenbelt that runs through the capital region. The Greenbelt also falls under the NCC’s banner.
Chatel said that’s why keeping it under the NCC’s watch balances ecological protections with ensuring access to all those who want to visit.
“We wanted to maintain this ecological integrity, but also in in a way that Canadians — and especially people in the National Capital Region — can continue to enjoy it,” she explained.
Despite its popularity, the park can still shrink — it lost around 43 acres in the southern section a few years prior.
Chatel said that happened with little public disclosure, something that she claimed would change with her bill. And although one of the government’s amendments would allow swapping properties for protection in the park on a “no net loss basis,” Chatel said it could only be approved if it doesn’t erode the ecological integrity of the park.
“We want to prevent that [loss of land], but we don’t want to prevent the ability for the NCC to trade different property when it doesn’t diminish the ecological value of the park,” she explained.
Another government amendment clarifies that rules around park waste wouldn’t apply to the 1 per cent of properties in the park that belong to the municipalities, including some roads and private land.
Chatel said she’s still waiting to see the other amendments.
