Second parking lot for Ottawa Valley’s Eagle’s Nest Trail still may not be enough

Greater Madawaska Township Mayor Brian Hunt has a problem that may be the envy of other mayors across Ontario.

When he and his council authorized the development of a second parking lot at the very popular Eagle’s Nest Trail near Calabogie this year, they hoped it would get vehicles off the busy road at the trail entrance.

It worked, to some degree.

The township believed it had addressed the safety concern of people walking on Highway 508 after parking their vehicles on the busy roadway, but on bright sunny days, it's still commonplace for both shoulders of the highway to be lined up with vehicles parked under several “no parking” signs. 

And now Hunt and others are concerned the gradual lifting of COVID-19 public health restrictions, and the beginning of summer, may entice even more visitors from eastern Ontario and the Pontiac region of Quebec to drive to the four-seasonal trail.

“Unlike most communities in the [Ottawa] Valley, we saw a big increase in visitors coming to Greater Madawaska and most of it is because of the COVID pandemic,” Hunt said. “Everything was shut down, everything except our natural outdoor attractions. People who were locked up in their homes for weeks on end were looking for something to do. We had such an increase to our trails over previous years and that was all because of COVID.”

Hunt said the increased traffic was great for the gas stations, but that was about it, as most retail and other shops were ordered closed and the local eateries did their best to survive on take-out.

“What happened last year, the stay-at-home order was followed by most, but it was amazing to see up to 160 cars in the [Eagle's Nest] parking lot because these hikers certainly were not at home,” Hunt said. “When people are talking about things to do in a pandemic, hiking trails like the Gatineau hills or here in Greater Madawaska, people are and were looking for something to do.”

Eagle's Nest Trail is a 2.7 km, heavily-trafficked loop trail located a few kilometres from Calabogie Peaks along Highway 508. The trail features beautiful wild flowers, an Instagram-friendly lookout, and is rated as moderate trail in terms of endurance and stamina required to complete the hike. 

Mayor Hunt said the trail is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the township, and when visitors travel to the area, they are typically spending money at local businesses on their way to the trail.

“Several of the local businesses in Greater Madawaska Township rely on tourism as a big part of their success and the Eagle’s Nest is one our biggest natural attractions,” he said. “Then we heard about the special COVID fund for municipalities to apply and it had to relate to a hardship caused by the pandemic. The [trail's second parking] lot was not even scheduled to be built this year, but with the feds and the province paying for it, we said the project should move forward. We are pleased our local taxpayers don’t have to pay for it.”

The second parking lot, which is located across the road from the main entrance, was a collaborative effort between the township’s Public Works staff, the County of Renfrew, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Algonquins of Ontario.

Hunt is hopeful the lot will be adequate, and with more than 160 parking spots available, he said the immediate safety concerns have mostly been addressed. The one thing the planners and designers could not predict, however, is how many will use the new lot and if the number of visitors would increase.

In the event a rise in illegal parking should occur, it is likely some people may find a ticket on their window.

“The last thing anyone in the township wants is to send a visitor away with a ticket,” Hunt said.