Ashtyn, 2, was out spotting planes on Alert Rd. with his grandfather, Ab Dufresne. Planespotters may not be able to access the popular spot if plans go ahead top close part or al of the road next spring.
DOUG HEMPSTEAD/OTTAWA SUN
An age-old Ottawa pastime may be in jeopardy.
Preliminary discussions are underway at the Ottawa International Airport to close all or part of Alert Rd. The curved road wraps around the runways and is a popular destination for planespotters.
Saturday there were about a dozen of them lining the fence.
Greg Walton was watching from the front seat of his car, iPhone in hand, listening to transmissions from the control tower.
“I’m here once every couple weeks,” he said. “I’m an aviation enthusiast.”
The vantage point he chooses is along the northeast end of the runway — the busiest spot and the closest to the planes.
“It’s safe, I’ve been coming here for years,” he said. “I once travelled to Los Angeles just to watch the planes at LAX. That’s as good as it gets.”
He said Alert Rd. is the choice spot for takeoffs, while Leitrim Rd. is better if you want to watch landings.
“This is a good spot for families,” he said. “The pilots wave at the kids.”
Not only them, but the patrolling Ottawa Police officers do as well, creating quite welcoming atmosphere. There are no parking signs near some of the popular vantage points, but there are also garbage cans left for planespotters to use.
Airport Authority spokeswoman Krista Kealey said it would be “premature” to say the road was closing.
“There’s a possibility of it,” she said, adding it’s not known how much of the road would be affected, but that it could happen as early as May 2012.
Kealey said the reason would be to increase security and road safety.
Ab Dufresne’s two-year-old grandson Ashtyn was fast asleep in the back seat of the car when he arrived late Saturday morning. Planespotting is something Dufresne used to do with his father, growing up in North Bay.
“That’s a shame,” he said when he learned of plans to limit access to Alert Rd. “Last time we were here a pilot waved at him. He really got a kick out of that.”
Plane photographer Doug, who didn’t want his last name used, isn’t surprised of the plans.
“I’m surprised it’s taken this long, really,” he said. “People forget we’re in a time of war.”
The nearby Hylands golf club currently has its main entrance on Alert Rd. Depending on what happens, the club may have to create a new access point via Leitrim Rd.
Councillor for the area, Diane Deans, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Source: http://www.ottawasun.com
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