Gatineau River Shoreline Pathway Modification

Enhancing and animating the shoreline is a priority as part of the National Capital Commission's (NCC's) strategic plans. To achieve this, the NCC must ensure good stewardship of its lands and put in place measures to protect against natural elements that can affect the integrity of its shorelines. 

Due to flooding in the National Capital Region in 2017 and 2019, the banks of the Gatineau River have experienced significant erosion. To prevent damage to the Gatineau River Pathway, a multi-use asphalt pathway that runs along the river, the NCC demolished the asphalt pathway and relocated it to the south, along the Leamy Lake Parkway in 2022. 

For spring / summer 2024, the NCC is proposing to vegetate the northern half of the former asphalt pathway and convert the other half into a stone dust path. This initiative would maintain the public's pedestrian access to the river, while reducing the NCC's maintenance costs.  This project represents a design change for a project for which a determination under the Impact Assessment Act was completed in the spring of 2022.  

Objectives  

  • To improve the multi-use pathway network, ensuring public safety and new usage needs; 

  • To improve the multi-use pathway network's resiliency to climate change and future floods; 

  • Protect the NCC's natural habitats and shorelines in the National Capital Region; 

  • Naturalization of a portion of the old multi-use pathway. 

Construction Stages – spring/summer 2024 

  • Soil placement and seeding on the northern half of old pathway; 

  • Placing stone dust on the southern half of the old pathway; 

  • Restoration of the site. 

The project is proposed by the NCC, on lands under its stewardship (Quebec Urban lands). It is subject to federal land use, design and transaction approval under the National Capital Act. Coordination with the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is required, as the CWS must issue a permit under the Species at Risk Act for work planned in the critical habitat of a species at risk. For the project to proceed, ECCC must make a decision under the Impact Assessment Act. This ministry is a co-signatory authority with the NCC. 

More

Latest update

March 31st, 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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Key documents

Key documents
Document Number Document Title File Date
1 Notice of Intent to Make a Determination - Start of Public Comment Period - February 20, 2024

Contacts

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


  • Location

    • Gatineau River Pathway (Quebec)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Maintenance activities (fences, walls)

  • Assessment Status

    In progress

  • Start Date

    2024-03-01

  • Proponent

    National Capital Commission

  • Authorities

    • Environment and Climate Change Canada
    • National Capital Commission

  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands

  • Reference Number

    87349
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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