Skated from P10 to the Blanchet crossing via FP, CP, Huron, and #1 - using #24 on the way out and the bench on the way back. I agree with Ken’s and Garry’s reports - particularly with regard to that fast and easy corn - the run down from Huron to P10 was a delight using linked telemarks. Skiing is still quite doable particularly from the Champlain lookout - particularly if you go via #24. The base is getting thin and melting fast - some of those meltwater rivers are getting deep in places; however, the coverage is still complete (as of 2:30). The weather forecast has improved so tomorrow could be as good as today. I had made up my mind to check my wax box for a summer wax - if the weather holds I may declare one more last day.

It’s been an interesting season. In the snow-drought months of January and February pessimism reigned - snow was everywhere else but nothing in Gatineau Park and it looked like we would be facing a record short season. I remember well the depressing morning in February when I checked the Environment Canada radar map to see a perfect donut - a 50 km radius circular band of intense precipitation centred on Ottawa/Gatineau - over the park, in the hole of the donut - rien!. The very welcome dumps of March changed everything - the late winter/spring skiing this year has been extraordinary. Soon we’ll need to adapt to a world without snow and live on the memories of the past eight weeks (perhaps even of tomorrow).

The season to come will prove to be the most interesting one of our experience with Demsis. By my reckoning, next year will be the fifth year and, therefore, the last one of the contract - a Request-for-Proposal (RFP) should be issued for the next five years of park-maintenance giving other contractors a chance to replace Demsis. However, there is a provision in the contract that if the NCC is satisfied with Demsis performance they can extend the contract (by , I believe, two years) so we would face three more years of Demsis. The park has a survey which shows an astounding 97% level of satisfaction among park users; this survey didn’t ask anything about park maintenance but, rather, just asked how well people liked Gatineau Park - which most users consider to be a treasure. A significant number of skiers have been quite annoyed with Demsis performance over the past four seasons - the deficiencies of Demsis have replaced ski-wax as the focus of our conversations. It would quite unfortunate if this survey was used as an endorsement of Demsis performance in order to extend the contract. By the start of the season we should know if the RFP has been reissued or if, with an extension, it’s three more years of Demsis. If there is an RFP, there is nothing to say that Demsis could not win the contract again. We should know by early-winter if Demsis is successful in re-winning the contract and will be around for five more years or if it’s bye-bye Demsis on April15. There’s that old Chinese blessing (or curse) “may you live in interesting times”.

Regardless - un bon été à tous.

We can all get back together again at P10 next November.