STEPHEN RICCIO
MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC Jan. 20, 2021
Municipality of Pontiac (MoP) Mayor Joanne Labadie would like all visitors to the municipality to observe COVID-19 guidelines when they head out on trails in the area.
Labadie said she has noticed the continued presence of visitors from outside the municipality, including many from Ontario, in the NCC’s Gatineau Park, which can be accessed from the MoP.
She said that she’s not asking that outside visitors stop using the park, but that . . .
they do their best to wear a mask given the difficulty of maintaining two metres of distance.
“It’s more about them not following guidelines, we’re seeing large groups of people coming and they’ll come in several cars and then hit the trails or you’ll see a large group of people in [one] car,” she said. “And you know, they’re not in the same bubble, but they’re heading out on the trail, so I think what’s important is that they follow the guidelines.”
Labadie added that she realizes how important having a healthy lifestyle is at a unique time like this, especially for those stuck in the cities.
“I also understand that the Gatineau Park is a really important resource for people who live in urban, high density areas to be able to get into the outdoors,” she said.
She said that it was her understanding that the NCC would not be considering closing further access to the park despite both Ontario and Quebec ramping up lockdown measures, given that the NCC did so initially in the pandemic with little success.
