Ottawa 2026 ~ Parc de la Gatineau dans La Belle Province …

Today in perfect weather, I had an absolutely wonderful wander and hike in a couple of areas of Gatineau Park. Located just minutes from downtown Ottawa across the Ottawa River, it is the National Capital Region’s conservation park. The park is divided into several sectors, and is the largest green space in the region, occupying an area of more than 361 square kilometres. A place of rich and unique biodiversity, it is the second-most visited park in Canada after Banff National Park in Alberta.

 

Pink Lake ….

Pink Lake is Gatineau Park’s most outstanding lake, because of its unusual makeup. Its rare beauty makes it one of the most popular sites in the park, with a three-season trail and excellent lookouts. Despite having the name “Pink,” the lake is actually green, taking its name from the Pink family who settled the land in 1826.

Pink Lake is meromictic, meaning that its upper and lower layers of water never mix. Normally, a lake’s water layers mix completely each year during the spring and fall, because of water density, water and air temperature, and the wind. The mixing of lake waters distributes nutrients and oxygen evenly throughout the lake. Pink Lake’s waters do not mix, because it has a small surface and bowl-like shape, and is surrounded by steep cliffs that protect it from the wind. There is no oxygen in the deepest 7m of the lake.

The magnificent greenish tint to the waters of Pink Lake is caused by the growth of microscopic algae. Even though the algae are spectacularly beautiful, they are very harmful. This vegetation gradually takes over the oxygen, suffocating the lake. This natural process, called “eutrophication,” can take many thousands of years.

With no oxygen at the bottom of Pink Lake, there is only one organism that lives in its depths: a prehistoric anaerobic organism. It is a pink photosynthetic bacterium, which uses sulphur instead of oxygen to transform sunlight into energy.

Pink Lake is also home to the three-spined stickleback fish, a saltwater fish left behind from the Champlain Sea, which used to cover the region. This little saltwater fish adapted to the lake’s gradual desalination, and today lives in the lake’s fresh water.

 

Mackenzie King Estate …

Nestled in the heart of Gatineau Park is the Mackenzie King Estate, a special place that upon entry, you will feel as though you have been taken back to the early 1900s. It is the precious legacy of former Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, who owned the property for close to 50 years. At 231-hectares, the estate has welcomed many dignitaries including Winston Churchill.

The property bears an enduring mark of King's complex personality and romantic nature. His gardens, the collection of ruins, and other features that he created stand as reflections of his ambitions and passions. After spending the years between 1903 and 1950 beautifying and expanding the property, King bequeathed his beloved estate to all Canadians.