Flood-damaged NCC paths closed until 2018

Some busy National Capital Commission paths near Parliament Hill and in Gatineau Park will be closed until the spring of 2018 because of damage from this year's flooding.

Historic floods brought on by heavy rains joining the spring meltforced hundreds of people from their homes in the capital region in May.

The National Capital Commission was forced to close kilometres worth of its pathway network as the waters rose, then went back down, saying a few weeks ago they were still assessing the damage from heavy currents and it may be weeks until some paths were able to reopen.

• Full coverage of the 2017 Ottawa-Gatineau flooding
• Receding waters reveal pothole-riddled paths in Ottawa, Gatineau
• No reopening in sight for Parliament, museum paths

On Thursday afternoon, the NCC said three paths would be closed for repairs until the spring of 2018:

• The Ontario section of the Ottawa River Pathway behind Parliament Hill because of "severe shoreline erosion" and sinkholes.
• The Voyageurs Pathway from the Portage Bridge to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau because of erosion, sinkholes and "infrastructure damage."
• TheLac-des-Fes Pathway in Gatineau Park, which has been "damaged beyond repair."

The NCC said some parts of its parking lot near the Champlain Bridge are closed because of sinkholesand Lac Leamybeach is closed because of high water levels, with the electrical systems being severely damaged.

Lac Leamy park is open.

The NCC said its pathways will be rebuilt to a "higher standard" that will protect them in case a similar flood happens in the future.