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The loop is 16 kilometres long, from the Canadian War Museum to Westboro, with a couple of mini-loops in between. A full groom takes six hours, as it involves about 60 kms of travel on a slow-moving sled.

Photo by Darren Brown / Postmedia

Adams is on the trail most weekdays, for which he is paid almost nothing.

“The priority was on buying the equipment, first and foremost. Get the program up and running and then we’ll figure out how to get paid later.” (The Ski-Doo and groomer cost about $35,000.)

Even he is amazed at how so many people, from so many different groups, have pulled together.

“Oh my God, the power of community,” he said, as skiers swished by. “It’s like the idea just released all this energy.”

He credits the NCC, too, for being a full partner. “I’m just a citizen of Ottawa. I have something to contribute. They’re not in the business of grooming. I am.”

Some infrastructure is beginning to grow up around the trail. The war museum and its restaurant are a warming station, Fresh Air has a semi-permanent steel container for rentals, and portable toilets are to be installed.

And skiers, walkers, cyclists, have come out by the thousands.

Steve Nason is the senior director at Dovercourt, which has a three-year trail agreement with the NCC. He said startup costs were about $50,000 and annual operating expenses should be in the $25,000 range. I asked him if the trail only happened because of the exuberance of one Dave Adams.

“Oh, 100 per cent. He’s the driver. This is his vision.” The hope, next year, is that he can be paid a proper salary.

Nason hopes to expand the trail, possibly eastward, so that skiers — like summer cyclists — can glide below Parliament Hill.

Brilliant idea. It needs no “international design competition” or an RFP, or a task force, or a conference on “trail animation” or 1,001 nights of consultation.

This is a public asset. Just let the people go.

To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-726-5896 or email kegan@postmedia.com.

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