National parks of Canada

Canadian National Parks
Mount Chephren and Waterfowl Lake in Banff National Park
First Park	Banff National Park, 1885
Smallest Park	St. Lawrence Islands National Park, 9 km²
Largest Park	Wood Buffalo National Park, 44,807 km²
Governing body	Parks Canada
Distribution and location of national parks in Canada

The National Parks of Canada encompass over forty protected areas, including National Parks, National Park Reserves, National Marine Conservation Areas, and one National Landmark. The National Park System includes 157 National Historic Sites, which, like the parks, are operated by Parks Canada.

The goal of the national park service is to create a system of protected areas which represent all the distinct natural regions of the country. Parks Canada–the governing body for the system–has developed a plan identifying 39 different regions it aims to represent. As of 2005, Parks Canada reports that the system is over 60% complete. Canada's parks are managed to first protect the ecological integrity of the park, and secondarily to allow the public to explore, learn about and enjoy Canada's natural spaces.

Parks referred to as National Park Reserves will become National Parks once outstanding land claim issues have been resolved. Parks with this designation include Pacific Rim, Kluane, Nahanni, and Gwaii Haanas. Feasibility studies have been undertaken for establishing further national parks in several areas, including Wolf Lake in Yukon, South Okanagan-Lower Similkameen in British Columbia, Manitoba Lowlands (north-western Lake Winnipeg), Mealy Mountains in Labrador and Sable Island in Nova Scotia.

National Marine Conservation Areas (NMCAs) are a relatively new addition to the park system. These areas have a different mandate than their terrestrial counterparts. They are designed for sustainable use, although they usually also contain areas designed to protect ecological integrity. Canada's four NMCAs are found in Ontario (Fathom Five and Lake Superior), Quebec (Saguenay-St. Lawrence) and British Columbia (Gwaii Haanas).

History

• 1885 – Banff National Park established, Canada's first National Park. Originally this park was called Banff Hot Springs Reserve, and later the Rocky Mountains National Park.
• 1908–1912 – Four national parks established in Alberta and Saskatchewan with a mission akin to national wildlife refuges. All would be abolished by 1947 once their goals were achieved.
• 1911 – Dominion Parks Branch created, the world's first national park service. Resided in the Dept. of the Interior.
• 1930 – Canada's parliament passes the first National Parks Act. which was an act ensuring the respect of national parks.
• 1930 – Transfer of resources agreement signed.
• 1979 – National parks policy is revised to make preserving ecological integrity the priority in Canadian Parks, ending the so-called dual-mandate with recreational uses.
• 1984 – First National Park established through a land claim agreement
• 1988 – National Parks Act amended formalizing the principle of ecological integrity in the park system.
• 1989 – The Endangered Spaces campaign is launched by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and World Wildlife Canada to encourage the completion of the national parks system. The goal of the campaign is to have parks and protected areas which represent each of the country's approximately 350 natural regions.
• 2011 – To mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the national parks system, Parks Canada, Primitive Entertainment and Discovery World HD commissioned the National Parks Project to create a series of documentary films about various parks in the system.^[1]

Adding to the System

National Parks & National Park Reserves

Land in five areas has been withdrawn for future national parks:

• Tuktut Nogait in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (to expand the existing Tuktut Nogait National Park in the Northwest Territories.)
• The east arm of Great Slave Lake in Northwest Territories (to be known as Thaydene Nene National Park)
• Mealy Mountains in Labrador (to be known as Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve)
• The Sahtú Settlement Area of the South Nahanni Watershed, next to Nahanni National Park Reserve (to be known as Naats'ihch'oh National Park Reserve)
• Northern Bathurst Island^[2]

Parks Canada is considering another six areas for future national parks:^[3]

• Wolf Lake in Yukon
• South Okanagan-Lower Similkameen in British Columbia (as a National Park Reserve)^[4]
• Manitoba Lowlands (north-western Lake Winnipeg)
• Expanding Waterton National Park of Alberta into the Flathead Valley in British Columbia (as a National Park Reserve)
• Sable Island off the coast of Nova Scotia^[5][6]
• Bowen Island on the coast of British Columbia, near Vancouver.^[7]

NMCA & NMCA Reserves

Two areas are under consideration as future National Marine Conservation Areas:

• Waters in the Southern Strait of Georgia, in British Columbia, surrounding Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, are being proposed as an NMCA Reserve, like Gwaii Haanas.^[8] A feasibility study is underway.^[9]

• Lancaster Sound, in Nunavut, has also been proposed as a future NMCA.^[10]

National Landmarks

In addition to national parks, a National Landmarks program was foreseen in the 1970s and 1980s, but has not yet been established beyond a single property. Landmarks were intended to protect specific natural features considered "outstanding, exceptional, unique, or rare to this country. These natural features would typically be isolated entities and of scientific interest."^[11]

To date, only one landmark has been established—Pingo National Landmark—in the Northwest Territories. Another was proposed at the same time (1984)—Nelson Head National Landmark—on the southern tip of Banks Island, also in the NWT. It was to include some 70 square miles (180 km²), 25 miles (40 km) of coastline, and protect the sea cliffs at Nelson Head and Cape Lambton. Durham Heights were to be included, which reach an elevation of 2,450 feet (747 m). The legislation providing for the Landmark required a formal request be made by the Minister of the Environment within 10 years (until 1994).^[12] None was ever made.

See also

Geography of Canada portal

• List of National Parks of Canada
• List of National Historic Sites
• National Historic Site of Canada
• National Landmark
• Protected areas of Canada
• Provincial park
• Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
• James B. Harkin – first commissioner of national parks
• Wilderness
• World Conservation Union (IUCN)

References

1. ^ "The National Parks Project: Wildlife and wild music". The Globe and Mail, May 20, 2011.
2. ^ Parks Canada. "Government of Canada takes new action to protect the North". http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/cp-nr/release_e.asp?id=1543&andor1=nr. 
3. ^ Parks Canada (November 2006). "Completing Canada's National Parks System". http://www.pc.gc.ca/progs/np-pn/cnpn-cnnp/itm1-/index_e.asp. Retrieved February 27, 2007. 
4. ^ Parks Canada (November 2006). "South Okanagan–Lower Similkameen National Park Reserve Feasibility Study". http://www.pc.gc.ca/progs/np-pn/cnpn-cnnp/os-os/index_e.asp. Retrieved February 27, 2007. 
5. ^ The Chronicle Herald (May 2010). "Sable Island to become National Park". http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9016477.html. 
6. ^ Parks Canada (May 2010). "Sable Island to be protected as a National Park". http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/cp-nr/release_e.asp?id=1559&andor1=nr. 
7. ^ Canada (July 22, 2010). "National park for Bowen Island under assessment". Globe and Mail (Canada). http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/national-park-studied-for-bowen-island/article1649211/?cmpid=rss1. Retrieved July 26, 2010. 
8. ^ Map of the proposed Southern Strait of Georgia NMCA Reserve with further links.
9. ^ "Parks Canada – Feasibility Study for Southern Strait of Georgia". Pc.gc.ca. July 14, 2009. http://www.pc.gc.ca/progs/amnc-nmca/cnamnc-cnnmca/dgs-ssg/index_e.asp. Retrieved February 28, 2011. 
10. ^ The Canadian Press (December 9, 2009). "CBC News – Feds to fund Northwest Passage marine park study". Canada: CBC. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/12/08/lancaster-sound-study.html. Retrieved February 28, 2011. 
11. ^ "Pingo National Landmark management—Parks Canada". Pc.gc.ca. September 7, 2010. http://www.pc.gc.ca/docs/v-g/pingo/sec6/index_e.asp. Retrieved February 28, 2011. 
12. ^ The Inuvialuit Final Agreement (Sec. 7 (77–81))

External links

• Parks Canada Official Site
• National Parks System Plan
• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)
• World Wildlife Fund – Canada
• National Park Warden Association
• Atlas of Canada – National Parks
• The Enduring Wilderness, a tour of Canada's national parks