Camp Fortune - Mountain Bike Connector Trails 300 Dunlop Road, Chelsea, Quebec

Camp Fortune has been a destination for mountain bike enthusiasts in Canada's Capital Region for over 25 years. This site was also the venue for the 2000 Canadian Championships and Olympic team selection event.  Enhancement of Camp Fortune's mountain biking experience is articulated in the 2021 Mountain Bike Master Plan that includes improvements and expansion of the existing mountain bike trail network through addition of up to 7.5 kilometers of new connector trails. These sustainably planned updates to the existing mountain bike trail network respond to demands of a growing population and will maintain Camp Fortune as a premier destination for cyclists of varied skill levels. 

The existing mountain bike trail network is located on leased National Capital Commission (NCC) lands within Gatineau Park at Camp Fortune. Camp Fortune is designated as "Camp Fortune Intensive Recreational Area" with mountain biking identified as a permitted use within the NCC's Gatineau Park Master Plan (2021).   Addition of the proposed new mountain bike connector trails, identified as route segments A to N on the attached Figure 1, is a project that is subject to a federal land use, design, and transaction approval (FLUDTA) under the National Capital Act.  This process is designed to ensure that projects on federal lands will contribute to Canada's Capital being a source of pride for Canadians.

The project proposes addition of up to 7.5 kilometers consisting of 15 new trails of varied mountain biking skill levels that traverse a mix of forested and grassed landscapes.  The proposed trail widths will range from 0.9 to 1.5 meters.  The new trails are designed to provide better connection between existing trails, to provide an alternative route to avoid dangerous sections of existing trails or the need for users to ride along major roads which can experience heavy vehicle traffic (i.e., Meech Lake Road), and to reroute existing trails that have developed erosion issues.  Some of these new trails will also serve as multi-use trails that could be used for winter activities such as snowshoeing, fat biking, and hiking.

Building of the proposed mountain bike connector trails is planned to occur in stages during the spring to fall seasons of 2023 to 2025.  The tracks will be built directly on native soil and will consist of natural slopes so that minimum amounts of soil are removed or added.  Tracks will be constructed using a small mechanical excavator/loader and hand tools.  Wooden bridges, built of cedar or hemlock boards on native rock foundations, are planned to be installed for trail sections that cross creeks.  Generally, trails will be routed to avoid live trees larger than 10 centimeters in diameter to minimize tree removal.

This project will fulfill directions for enhanced mountain biking experiences at Camp Fortune that have been articulated in the Camp Fortune's Mountain Bike Trails Master Plan (2021) and the NCC's Gatineau Park Master Plan (2021).

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Latest update

July 13, 2023 – 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

    • Camp Fortune (Quebec)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Recreation and Tourism

  • Assessment Status

    In progress

  • Start Date

    2023-06-13

  • Proponent

    Camp Fortune

  • Authorities

    • National Capital Commission

  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands

  • Reference Number

    85681
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.

 

Nearby assessments

...within 200 kilometres
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