The Kichi Zībī Mīkan, ( ) formerly the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, and previously the Ottawa River Parkway, is a four-lane scenic parkway along the Ottawa River in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from Carling Avenue near Connaught Avenue, to Booth Street at the Canadian War Museum and National Holocaust Monument. It is maintained by the National Capital Commission. The speed limit is . Bicycles are allowed on the road and on a parallel recreational path along the parkway.
Besides being a scenic route, it serves as a commuter artery for westend residents who work in the downtown area, particularly government employees who work at the Tunney's Pasture office complex, and other areas. It is also used by the transit systems of Ottawa and Gatineau for express buses.
Route description
The parkway begins with on and off-ramps from Carling Avenue. The interchange is also the site of the Lincoln Fields Transitway station, with access driveways for OC Transpo buses. The parkway proceeds north, passing under Richmond Road, then curving eastward along the Ottawa River. The parkway follows the shore, with both directions separated by a grass median. The area along the river is mostly cleared of trees, allowing a view of the River and far shore line. The area to the south is partially forested, separating the roadway from residential areas to the south.
Approximately from the start of the parkway, is the Deschenes Rapids scenic lookout area. Driveways connect the two directions of the parkway to the area, which has a small parking lot and picnic areas. The road meets Woodroffe Avenue a few hundred metres east. Northbound Woodroffe Avenue traffic joins the parkway's eastbound lanes, while traffic from both directions of the parkway are allowed onto southbound Woodroffe.
The roadway continues east along the river shore until a signalized intersection with the OC Transpo Transitway. From this point east, the roadway is for the exclusive use of non-commercial vehicles and bicycles. The parkway follows the river bank to the north, while the Transitway diverges east along an old railway right-of-way.
The next landmark on the parkway is Kitchissipi Lookout and Beach. The beach is also known as Westboro Beach. The parkway passes over a pedestrian access walkway from the residential area to the east, with an intersection to the beach parking area. The beach is provided with a pavilion overlooking the River and the beach, which has changing rooms and a restaurant patio.
thumb|Bike path beside the parkway.
The parkway curves east and proceeds to a large intersection with Island Park Drive. Island Park connects north to Gatineau across a series of bridges and a park over the Ottawa River. The intersection's traffic lights are controlled to provide turning signals. Just east of the intersection is another park and lookout area, provided with driveways to a parking lot near the river.
The parkway continues east until a signalized intersection for access to the Tunney's Pasture campus of the federal government. An extra turning lane is provided to access the large parking lot of the campus. Further east, the parkway passes over Parkdale Avenue, with on and off-ramps between Parkdale and the parkway. A signalized intersection is provided to the east providing access to the Mechanicsville neighbourhood to the south, and Lemieux Island and its park and filtration station to the north, along an unnamed roadway. Access to and from the parkway and this intersection is only allowed during off-peak hours.
The parkway continues east along the shore of Nepean Bay and into the LeBreton Flats area. The parkway ends at Vimy Place, which is the roadway to around Lebreton Flats to get to the Museum of War. East of MacDonald Park at Vimy Place is the beginning of Wellington Street, which belongs to the City of Ottawa.
;Use by buses
It is closed to commercial traffic, so the majority of vehicles are private cars. From Lincoln Fields to Dominion stations, it shares traffic with the Transitway rapid-bus network, as well as STO buses from Gatineau (between Tunney's Pasture and the Champlain Bridge).
;Summer Sunday closures
On Sundays during summer months (Victoria Day to Labour Day), the parkway's westbound lanes are closed to motor vehicles and opened to pedestrian and bicycle traffic from 9 am until 1 pm.
Winter Trail
In 2016, the NCC approved a proposal to turn the parallel recreational path into a mixed use winter trail for cross country skiing, walking, snowshoeing and biking. The trail was an instant success and has since been expanded to cover a distance of stretching from the Canadian War Museum down to Westboro Beach. The winter trail is now in its fourth season and is jointly managed by the groomer (Dave Adams) and Dovercourt Recreation Centre.
Name debate
In 2012, the Ottawa River Parkway was renamed to honour Canada's first prime minister, John A. Macdonald. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, MP for Ottawa West-Nepean, announced the change on August 15, 2012. The renaming followed a grassroots campaign led by author and historian Bob Plamondon and future mayor Mark Sutcliffe. It was part of a process engaged in by the government of Stephen Harper of renaming sites in the National Capital Region after prominent former members of the Conservative and Progressive Conservative parties of Canada. On January 11, 2012, the former Wellington Street Bank of Montreal had been also renamed the Sir John A. Macdonald Building. In June 2021, after the discovery of a large number of potential unmarked graves at Kamloops Indian Residential School, city councillors Catherine McKenney, Jeff Leiper, and Theresa Kavanagh wrote to the federal government, asking they remove Macdonald's name from the parkway and find a new name based on consultations with local First Nations. The parkway is located on the traditional lands of the Algonquin peoples.
On January 19, 2023, the Board of Directors of the NCC voted "to rename the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway on the basis of an Indigenous naming and engagement exercise… aligned with the principles of the new NCC Toponymy Policy", to be concluded by the fourth quarter of 2023. On June 22, 2023, the NCC officially renamed the parkway Kichi Zibi Mikan, which means 'Great River Road' or 'Ottawa River Path' (in effect a variation of the road’s previous name). New signage was unveiled on September 29, 2023, the day before the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Exit list
See also
- Airport Parkway
- Aviation Parkway
- Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway