A. Just north of the city of Ottawa, Gatineau Park extends over 36,000 hectares and is considered the National Capital Region’s principal green space. However, 400 years ago, the Gatineau Hills served as the hunting and fishing grounds of the Algonquins, one of Canada's many Indigenous peoples. According to archaeological findings, the Gatineau region was home to the Algonquin peoples for at least 4,000 years before its settlement by Europeans in the early 1600s. The area's forests, rivers, and underground resources attracted European trappers, loggers, miners, and merchants who exploited the land for economic gain. The area remains a regional economic booster today.

B. By the early nineteenth century, locals living near the Gatineau Hills began recognizing the benefit of preserving the region, not only for future generations to enjoy but also to defend the region’s resources against excessive mining and deforestation. It took decades to convince the federal government to authorize protected status for the Gatineau Hills. More urgent issues occupied the government’s attention until 1938, when Gatineau Park was officially founded. Although private homes located throughout the area prevented it from being granted status as a bona fide National Park, it is managed in much the same way as a national park by the National Capital Commission (NCC).

C. Today, Gatineau Park is one of the National Capital Region’s principal tourist attractions and home to an extensive range of year-round recreational opportunities, including downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice-skating. Weather permitting, visitors can also enjoy swimming, canoeing, and kayaking, not to mention cycling, climbing, camping, and hiking. The last of these activities is particularly popular during fall's final weeks, when the trees show off their most vivid colours. The region's natural beauty is also exhibited in the park's Visitor Centre, where photos and paintings of the region are sold as souvenirs. The Visitor Centre also displays information on the park’s history and wildlife, and sells park passes.

D. Gatineau Park's continued protection remains a priority for the NCC. The administration faces ongoing challenges, most significantly, a dispute over private residence construction within park boundaries. Nonetheless, the NCC regards Gatineau Park as a successful example of government-sponsored cultural and environmental conservation. Plans for the park include preserving and restoring its natural resources. In future years, the development of recreational and ecotourism activities will aim to increase revenues to support the park. Finally, the NCC will expand community education facilities highlighting the role the Gatineau Hills have played in the region’s history.

E. Not given in any of the above paragraphs.