Campbell's Bay, Monday, July 30, 2001
The sun is rising on the Ottawa river, and
another day of hard work is about to begin for Al Davis and Jean-François,
Christian and Tommy, (summer students hired by the CDE) the PPJ Cyclopark
maintenance team. Every day of the week, all summer long, they cut, clear
brush, and repair the path, in order to offer a more passable and attractive
bicycle path.
Trail maintenance is a three season
affair. When spring arrives, it is time to mend harsh winter damage, check
on security gates, bridges, clean up and open service areas, inspect and
correct any path imperfections. At the end of May, the bicycle path has
recovered its beauty and all the amenities are operational. In the summer,
the trail borders must be maintained and here comes the hard part, as the
flourishing flora of the Pontiac, aided by an agreeable climate, is eager to
overrun the path. During the fall season, service areas are winterized in
order for the path to welcome snowmobile riders at the first snowfall.
Thanks to the maintenance team work,
thousands of bicycle lovers are able to benefit from an excellent 72 km
trail through the Pontiac, stretching from Wyman to Waltham, amidst a
charming and exceptional natural site of flora and fauna, not to be found
everywhere in the Quebec province.
The ongoing maintenance of the PPJ is
facilitated by efficient, appropriate and cost-reducing equipment. The 4x4,
6 tons 110 hp diesel Case tractor recently purchased by the CDE is used for
side pruning with the help of its impresive and efficient mobile arm. It
takes nearly 80 hours for Al Davis to complete the whole journey from Wyman
to Waltham, providing two cuts each way. He can, therefore, run three full
trips during the summer season. The tractor will soon be equipped with turf
tires in order to minimize tire tracks on the path, and will more closely
meet the PPJ Cyclopark maintenance needs. The investment was really worth
it!
"It's a job with a lot of variety. We
often meet up with cyclists in search of information, or just pleased to
stop and chat", says Jean-François. He also explains that there are more
people on the Cyclopark this year than last season, especially on the
weekends. "Many local families stroll along the path, and we also meet a lot
of organized groups from Ontario, France, Montréal, Trois-Rivières, Gaspésie
region, Quebec city, and even from the United States."
The three students are also in direct link
with the local wildlife: groundhogs, rabbits, deer, beaver, and the odd
moose. Meetings with bears are however extremely rare and fleeting events!
Vandalism is sometimes a problem,
especially on kilometer posts and in the picnic areas. The main objective is
for everybody to benefit from the bicycle path, therefore each user should
do his/her part to keep the site as clean and maintenance-free as possible.
The PPJ Cyclopark represents a great opportunity for tourism development in
our beautiful region of the Pontiac!
Numerous activities are currently being
planned for the PPJ Cyclopark promotion. Such plans include a new "Pontiac
Cyclotourism Map" and a display at the Central Canada Exhibition in Ottawa
on August 19th, 2001.
We would like to thank Al Davis team and
members of the CDE for their help and great work!
PPJ
Cyclopark maintenance team:
