Gatineau Park to open to local users May 9

Gatineau Park will reopen May 9 to people who can access the sprawling park on foot or by bike, the National Capital Commission (NCC) says.

The date aligns with theQuebec government's plan to"gradually reopen the Outaouais region,"the NCC said in a statement.

Parking lots, however, will remainclosed, and the NCC is urging people who don't live in the park's neighbouring municipalities to stay away for the time being.

Users will also have to maintain physical distancing, and signs will be posted throughout the park.

Closed since March

The announcement comes as the NCC unveiled its three-phase plan to gradually reopenparks and other amenities to the public, starting with local access and gradually ramping up to access levels that pre-dated the pandemic.

It also comes the same day that public health officials in Ottawa said the city had entered a "post-peak period."

Gatineau Park's trails, shelters and parking lots have allbeen closed since early March.