Governance of Near-Urban Conservation Areas: Lessons from the Conflicts Surrounding Gatineau Park near Ottawa, Canada (Local and Urban Governance)

"This book comprehensively describes the history of Gatineau Park, from the first proposals for a "national park" in the early 1900s to the governance issues in the present period, and it highlights the issues concerning the planning and governance of this unique near-urban ecological area. The 34,500-hectare Gatineau Park is an ecologically diverse wilderness area near the cities of Ottawa (Canada's national capital) and Gatineau. Gatineau Park is planned and managed as the "Capital's Conservation Park" by the federal government, specifically the National Capital Commission (NCC). This monograph examines numerous governmental and non-governmental actors that are engaged in the governance of a near-urban wilderness area. Unlike Canada's national parks, Gatineau Park's administration involves all three levels of government (federal, provincial, and four municipalities). This book is the first to document the relations among the public and private entities, and is one of only a handful of studies concerning the governance of Canada's National Capital Region (NCR), which is relatively unique in the literature on federal capitals. Of particular interest to students of governance will be the examination of federal-provincial relations, as the Governments of Canada and Quebec have had a notoriously strained relationship. As the first governance study of Gatineau Park, the monograph will provide readers with insight into the significance of non-state actors, showing the range of competencies that public and private groups deploy in their negotiations with NCC planners, policymakers, park managers, local and federal politicians."--Back cover Preface Acknowledgments Contents About the Author Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Phronetic Research 1.2 Jurisdiction, Territoriality, and Mobility 1.3 Chapter Contents References Chapter 2: National Park at the Doorstep of Canada’s Capital 2.1 From Algonquin Territory to Agrarian Settlement 2.2 Transformation into Ottawa’s Cottage Country 2.3 First Park Proposals 2.4 Transformation into Recreation Playground 2.5 Parliament Debates a National Park 2.6 Conclusion References Chapter 3: The Gatineau Hills Clear-Cutting Controversy 3.1 Antecedents to the Controversy 3.2 Establishment of the Federal Woodlands Preservation League 3.3 Findings of the Lower Gatineau Woodlands Survey 3.4 Conclusion References Chapter 4: The Creation of “Gatineau Park” 4.1 Public Calls for a National Park 4.2 League Negotiations with the Federal Government 4.3 Sparks Becomes League President 4.4 Parliament Approves Funds 4.5 Conclusion References Chapter 5: Park Governance Under the Federal District Commission 5.1 First Park Expansion 5.2 Early Activities of Park Residents 5.3 Park Expansion and Development During the Second World War 5.4 Planning and Management During the Postwar Period 5.5 Postwar Expropriations in Gatineau Park 5.6 Creation of the Gatineau Park Advisory Committee 5.7 Conclusion References Chapter 6: Sparking the Private Lands Issue 6.1 A Rift in the Appendix 6.2 Reaction to Committee Report 6.3 General Report of the Gatineau Parkway Subcommittee 6.4 Downfall of the GPAC 6.5 Joint Parliamentary Committee on FDC Reform 6.6 Stalled Gatineau Parkway Construction 6.7 Conclusion References Chapter 7: Park Governance Under the National Capital Commission 7.1 Creation of the NCC and (Un)Altered Park Governance 7.2 Parkway Planning and Meech Lake Road Expropriations 7.3 Federal-Provincial Land Exchange Negotiations 7.4 Expropriation of Domaine du Lac La Pêche 7.5 Conclusion References Chapter 8: An Activist Chair Governs 8.1 First Attempt at a Master Plan 8.2 Meech Lake Goes Public 8.3 The Fullerton Ban 8.4 Successful Federal-Provincial Negotiations 8.5 Failures in Governance Reform 8.6 Conclusion References Chapter 9: Planning, Expropriations, Planning... 9.1 Meech Creek Valley 9.2 Sully Woods 9.3 Interim Land Acquisition Policy 9.4 Development Freeze, Park Planning, and Acquisition Policy 9.5 Nielsen Taskforce Review 9.6 Conclusion References Chapter 10: The McInnis Scare 10.1 Subdivision Approval 10.2 Public Protest and Expropriation 10.3 1989 Land Acquisition Strategy 10.4 Renewed Push for Legislation 10.5 1990 Master Plan Revision 10.6 Conclusion References Chapter 11: Protecting the Park’s Status Quo 11.1 Resident Opposition to the 1990 Master Plan 11.2 NCC Privatization and Boundary Rationalization 11.3 Park Custodians Co-opt NCC Planning 11.4 NCC Acceptance of Private Ownership 11.5 Conclusion References Chapter 12: Ongoing Campaign for Legislation and Issue Flare-Ups 12.1 Paquet Panel and NCC on Gatineau Park Legislation 12.2 First Bills Tabled 12.3 Bill S-210 and Subsequent Bills 12.4 Park Governance Under Lemay 12.5 Further Acquiescence to Park Residents 12.6 Capitulation to Residents in the 2021 Master Plan 12.7 Conclusion References Chapter 13: Conclusion 13.1 Sort Jurisdiction Early 13.2 Clearly Defined Boundaries and Boundary Expansion Mechanisms 13.3 Timely Completion of Land Acquisitions 13.4 Adopting the Consensus on Gatineau Park Legislation 13.5 Protecting Near-Urban Nature References