Parks Canada reaches an agreement with the CLD de la Côte-de-Gaspé

Gaspé (Quebec), January 25, 2013 -- The citizens of Gaspé and visitors to Forillon National Park will be able to take advantage of a cross-country ski offering – all thanks to the contribution of a committee of volunteers and of the CLD de la Côte-de-Gaspé [Côte-de-Gaspé local development centre].

A month ago, in December, a committee of volunteers, created for the purpose of finding a solution concerning Forillon’s winter service offering and supported by various local representatives, informed Parks Canada of its desire to develop and present a proposal regarding the grooming of Forillon National Park’s cross-country ski trails. Following some productive discussions, Parks Canada and the CLD de la Côte-de-Gaspé reached a partnership agreement on January 23, 2013. Following a training session that was offered yesterday by Parks Canada employees, volunteers are now able to begin grooming the 10-kilometre length of the “Le Portage” trail and the 4.6 kilometres of the “La Vallée” trail.

“I am delighted that the CLD de la Côte-de-Gaspé, committee volunteers and Parks Canada combined their efforts and came up with a solution enabling skiers to take advantage of Forillon this winter,” commented Stéphane Marchand, Forillon National Park field unit superintendent. For Stéphane Morissette, spokesman of the Comité pour la sauvegarde des activités hivernales au parc Forillon [Committee for the preservation of winter activities at Forillon Park], “The efforts of volunteers, community players such as the CLD de la Côte-de-Gaspé, the City of Gaspé, the TDLG [Traversée de la Gaspésie cross-country ski event] and regional elected representatives have paid off, since the agreement signed between Parks Canada and the local development centre will work to everyone’s benefit. We are very proud of the work accomplished – and of having the opportunity to go skiing at the park very soon.”

This winter, in addition to cross-country skiing on mechanically groomed trails (“Le Portage” et “La Vallée”), Forillon has other activities on offer, including backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, and wildlife observation. Parking lots will be cleared of snow on a regular basis, and service buildings and restrooms can be accessed until March 31, when the winter season ends.

To find out more about Forillon’s winter offering, visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca/forillon, call 418-368-5505, or follow the Park on Facebook www.facebook.com/forillonNP. As usual, we kindly request that visitors exercise caution and prepare for changing weather conditions whenever they take part in outdoor recreational activities, particularly in winter. For further details about planning a safe winter visit, please visit http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/qc/forillon/visit/Conseils-Securite_Safety-Guidelines.aspx.

The first Quebec park in Parks Canada’s network, Forillon National Park was created in 1970 and covers an area of almost 244 square kilometres. Proud to partner with the CLD de la Côte-de-Gaspé, Parks Canada continues to develop and improve its offerings to visitors so they enjoy discovering Canada’s national treasures and return home with truly memorable experiences.

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Information:
Michel Queenton
External Relations Manager
Parks Canada – Gaspésie Field Unit
418 368-5592
www.Twitter.com/ForillonNP

News release issued jointly by: Parks Canada and the Côte-de-Gaspé local development centre