Sir George-Étienne Cartier Park Plan

Sir George-Étienne Cartier Park Plan - NCC

NCC's recently renovated River House.

(À noter: Cette promenade sera présentée en anglais et en français simultanément.)

This walk will introduce participants to the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Park Plan. The park is made up of federal lands along both sides of a 13-km stretch along the south shore of the Ottawa River, east of downtown. It extends from Rideau Hall at Princess Avenue in the west, to the end of the parkway in the Greenbelt at St. Joseph in the east.

For the walk we will explore one area, or node, identified in the plan - “Acacia-Hillsdale”. The area is a recreation hub that includes opportunities for active use like cycling, swimming, rowing and tennis, and other activities, like walking, yoga, and enjoying a view of the Ottawa River. The star of this node, the NCC River House, is an exceptional example of the renovation of a national historic site and it offers many ways a visitor can enjoy themselves. Across the road from the River House are the tennis courts and club house of the Ottawa New Edinburgh Club, a historic recreational club. If we’re lucky, while we explore, there will be several games in progress. From there we will visit the Rockeries, another of the Park’s cultural gems. When we leave the Rockeries, we will be passing along a beautifully landscaped pathway that will take us onto Acacia Avenue, in itself a lovely, landscaped municipal road within Rockcliffe Park. Once we reach the Parkway, we will be able to experience the charm of the Ottawa River.

Location

Route

Starting at the River House, we will cross the parkway at the new, signalized intersection, after which we’ll walk to parking lot P3. At the south-east corner of the parking lot, there is a dirt road we can walk along that will take us past the tennis courts of the Ottawa New Edinburgh Club. We will continue either along the pathway or through the field, depending on people’s preference, until we reach the northern limit of Cloverdale Road. From there we will double back and go up the hill along another NCC path until we reach the Rockeries. After visiting the Rockeries’ ruins, we will continue up the path until we reach Acacia Avenue. We will continue along Acacia Avenue until it intersects with the Parkway at which time we will follow along it until we return to the NCC River House.

About the walk leader

Pat McCann-MacMillan and Jack Graham are Long-range Planners at the National Capital Commission. They have been working on the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Park Plan for three years and are excited to share their ideas on the park.

Guides:

Pat McCann-MacMillan and Jack Graham

When:

Date:	Sat May 4, 2024
Time:	11:00 AM
Duration:	1 hour
Language:	English

Where:

Start:	NCC River House, 501 Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway
End:	NCC River House, 501 Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway
Area:	New Edinburgh
Distance:	2.0 kms

Accessibility:

Participants must be able to navigate a dirt road and a sloping, asphalt pathway.

Gallery

Volunteer to Marshal This Walk