Gatineau Park includes various forms of human exploitation such as farming, logging, hunting, and industrial activity. The idea of creating a park in the Gatineau Hills for recreational purposes was proposed as early as 1903. In 1938 money was allotted for the acquisition of Gatineau woodlands (for preservation) and the construction of a parkway. The Government of Canada maintains a conference centre at Meech Lake, known as Willson House, the site of meetings leading to a failed attempt to reform Canada's Constitution in 1987, the Meech Lake Accord. There are significant ongoing controversies about the administration of the park, including its status
Orielton, Harrington Park using the train to Campbelltown to shoot over "Orielton's" land and attend the adjacent "Harrington Park" race track. The Peisley family knew the Davy family who occupied Harrington Park from 1852-70. During the early 1870s the sport of coursing (the pursuit of live hares by greyhounds across the countryside) was introduced to "Orielton" which became a popular activity at both the Orielton and Harrington Park estates. By the 1870s "Harrington Park" house had established a reputation as a gentleman's country seat, with "hospitality, picturesqueness and the hunt bringing interesting associations to the English eye". In 1874, Harrington Park and Lot