Canada's National Parks: 125 years protecting nature

From the arctic natural corridor of Firth River in Yukon to the thousands years old cedars forests in Ontario's Bruce peninsula; and from the unique combination of geologic features in Newfoundland's coastal lowland bordering the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the alpine plateau of the Long Range Mountains, to the marine animal diversity in British Columbia's Gulf Islands, Canada is blessed with a magnificent and exhilarating natural beauty that is revealed in its endless and vibrant landscapes, and rich and dynamic bio-diversity. In light of such natural beauty, and geological and ecological diversity, since the late 19th century Canadian governments started a project to preserve those resources for future generations.

On November 1885, Prime Minister John A. Macdonald decided to set aside for protection a small reserve about 26 square km (10 square mi) on the northern slope of Sulphur Mountains. The public park was set in order to conserve the hot springs at Cave and Basin and was named Banff Hot Springs Reserve. The hot springs were discovered in 1883 by two railway employees working on the construction of the first transcontinental railway through the Rocky Mountains. When the potential of the hot springs as a tourist attraction spread, and several conflicting claims for land titles were addressed to the Minister of the Interior, the government chose not to grant private title. Instead, decided to preserve that natural resource and beauty for the benefit of all Canadians. This was the beginning of the first Canadian national park, Banff National Park, which was established in 1887 after the approval of the Rocky Mountain Park Act.

Banff National Park, is America's second national park (after Yellowstone) and the world’s third oldest. Spanning 6,641 square km (2,564 square mi) of meadows, rivers, valleys, mountains, glaciers and forests, it is one of the world's largest protected natural domains. It is also, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On March 19, 2010, the Canadian government inaugurated a whole year of celebrations of the 125th birthday of the founding of Banff National Park and the creation of Parks Canada. The conservation project initiated 125 years ago, today includes 36 National Parks and six National Park Reserves scattered around every one of the nation's 13 provinces and territories. Eleven of those parks are among UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

The parks and reservations are managed primarily to protect the ecological integrity of the representative areas of the country, and to allow the public to explore, learn about and enjoy Canada's natural spaces.

Let's celebrate Canada's nature!

Alberta

• Banff National Park
• Elk Island National Park
• Jasper National Park
• Waterton Lakes National Park
• Wood Buffalo National Park, (Alberta and Northwest Territories)

British Columbia

• Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
• Glacier National Park
• Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
• Mount Revelstoke National Park
• Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
• Kootenay National Park
• Yoho National Park

Labrador

• Torngat Mountains National Park

Manitoba

• Riding Mountain National Park
• Wapusk National Park

New Brunswick

• Fundy National Park
• Kouchibouguac National Park

Newfoundland

• Gros Morne National Park
• Terra Nova National Park

Northwest Territories

• Aulavik National Park
• Nahanni National Park Reserve
• Tuktut Nogait National Park

Nova Scotia

• Cape Breton Highlands National Park
• Kejimkujik National Park

Nunavut

• Auyuittuq National Park
• Quttinirpaaq National Park
• Sirmilik National Park
• Ukkusiksalik National Park

Ontario

• Bruce Peninsula National Park.
• Georgian Bay Islands National Park
• Pukaskwa National Park
• Point Pelee National Park
• St. Lawrence Islands National Park

Prince Edward Island

• Prince Edward Island National Park

Quebec

• La Mauricie National Park
• Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
• Forillon National Park

Saskatchewan

• Grasslands National Park,
• Prince Albert National Park

Yukon

• Kluane National Park and Reserve,
• Vuntut National Park
• Ivvavik National Park