Browse "Parks & Nature Reserves"

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, The Canadian Encyclopedia created 30 lists of 30 things that make us proud to be Canadian, from famous people and historic events, to iconic foods and influential artists.

Natural Heritage Bounded to the south by farmland, the park lies on a transition zone between 2 ecoregions. Pockets of aspen parkland and fescue prairie in the south of the park blend with mixed-wood and boreal forests in the park's northern reaches.

The oldest provincial park in Ontario and the first provincial park in Canada, Algonquin Provincial Park (established 27 May 1893, 7723 km2) is located 250 km north of Toronto.

The wildlife is diverse. The park's marshes, bogs and shallow lakes support more species of reptiles and amphibians than occur anywhere else in Atlantic Canada, including such rarities as the ribbon snake and Blanding's turtle.

Kluane National Park and Reserve (est 1972, 22 013.3 km2) is an area of unclimbed peaks, vast ice fields, clear lakes, glaciers and spectacular wildlife.

Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park (est 1922, 386 km 2 ) is an area of mountain peaks, alpine meadows and lakes dominated by Mount ASSINIBOINE (about 35 km south of BANFF , Alberta). The park, which is mainly above 1500 m,

Centred on the wide Thomsen River valley on Banks Island, Aulavik National Park (set aside 1992, 12 200 km2) has an Inuvialuktun name that means "where people travel." The name was suggested by one of the elders of Sachs Harbour, the only community on the island.

Located on the Cumberland Peninsula of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Auyuittuq National Park (established 2001, 19 089 km2) was Canada's first national park located north of the Arctic Circle. It was first set up as a national park reserve in 1976 and established as a national park through the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

A Parks Board gardener, clearing leaves near Beaver Lake, came across a cheap fur coat. Lifting it up, he made a grisly discovery — the skeletal remains of two young children. Dubbed the Babes in the Woods by the press, the sensational, unsolved case remains a haunting piece of Vancouver lore.

Banff National Park (established 1885, 6,641 km2) is Canada's first and most visited National Park.

One of the largest of 48 parks in Newfoundland and Labrador, Barachois Pond Provincial Park (established 1962, 35 km2), is located at the head of St George's Bay, 70 km south of Corner Brook along the Trans-Canada Highway.

Georgian Bay Islands National Park (established 1929, 12.7 km2) comprises 59 islands located off the southeast coast of Georgian Bay.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park (established 1936) stretches across the northern tip of Cape Breton Island.

Bruce Peninsula National Park (established 1987, 156 km2) consists of a former provincial park and private lands acquired on a "willing buyer-willing seller" basis. Over 75% of the total area of the park has been acquired.

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Wood Buffalo National Park (established in 1922, 44 802 km2) was established to protect the last herd of wood bison. Canada's largest national park straddles the Alberta/NWT border. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983.

Located on the Avalon Peninsula, Butter Pot Provincial Park (established 1958, 2833 ha) is 36 km southwest of St John's, Newfoundland, along the Trans-Canada Highway.

Torngat Mountains National Park (established in 2008) encompasses 9700 km2 of Labrador north of Saglek Fiord. Torngat - in Inuktitut, Torngait - refers to one of the most powerful of Inuit spirits believed to dwell in these mountains.

Canada’s national parks are protected areas established under federal legislation to preserve Canada’s natural heritage. They are administered by Parks Canada, a government agency that evolved from the world’s first national parks service, the Dominion Parks Branch, established in 1911. The National Parks System Plan, developed in 1970, divided Canada into 39 natural regions and set the goal of representing each region with at least one national park. Canada now has 48 national parks and national park reserves in 30 of these regions. In total, the parks cover more than 340,000 km2, which is over 3 per cent of Canada’s landmass. They protect important land and marine habitats, geographical features and sites of cultural significance. National parks also benefit local economies and the tourism industry in Canada.