Ice storm damage closes parts of Gatineau Park

Severe tree damage from Wednesday's ice storm has closed parts of Gatineau Park.

The National Capital Commission says fallen trees have made some trails unsafe.

"What we have been seeing are a lot of branches on the ground, debris," said NCC senior manager of visitor services Alain d'Entremont. "There are a lot of hanging branches up in the air; these are the most dangerous branches because they can fall at any time."

D'Entremont says crews have been able to clear parkways, but secondary trails could remain closed for weeks.

"We are still assessing the damages and starting to clear those trails," he said. "Everything should be clear by mid-May."

The closures were disappointing for visitors hoping to take in a bit of nature on a sunny Easter long weekend.

"I’m surprised. I came thinking that they would be all open, but I just happen to be doing the sugar bush trail so I’m lucky it is open," said Elaine Kenney.

Asha Hassan, another visitor, said the drive to the park was also difficult.

"All of the parking lots were closed, you couldn’t park anywhere. The roads weren’t taken care of… it wasn’t a good drive up there," Hassan said. "We actually tried three different places before we made it back here. We wanted something a bit more challenging, but we had to settle for this because it was the only place with a parking lot."

The NCC says the parkways, parking lots P5, P6, P8, P9 and P10, as well as the Sugarbush trail are open. Other trails and parking lots remain closed until further notice. Detailed information on trail conditions is available online. 

"Please remain patient and vigilant, and do not try to clear the sites yourselves. Do not venture on closed or non-recommended trails as they are not safe," the NCC says.

The storm Wednesday coated the region with ice after several hours of freezing rain, leading to numerous collapsed trees and other damage, along with extensive power outages. Hydro Quebec reported more than 18,000 customers in the Outaouais region remained without power late Saturday afternoon. 

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Natalie van Rooy.