Government of Canada Restores Marsh in Point Pelee National Park
News release
July 9, 2019 Leamington, Ontario Parks Canada Agency
As Canadians, it’s in our nature to conserve our land and water, to protect our wildlife, and to save the places we love. Together with Canadians, the Government of Canada is doubling the protection of Canada’s lands and oceans. Our national parks allow us to touch nature in new ways and to experience the natural wonder of our country. The Government of Canada is committed to investing in our national parks, conserving the important natural habitats and species at risk they protect, while supporting sustainable tourism.
Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, announced a federal investment of $2 million in Point Pelee National Park to help restore the vitality of Point Pelee’s marsh, which will benefit both conservation efforts and visitor experience.
Parks Canada is a recognized leader in conservation and takes action to preserve national parks and marine conservation areas and contribute to the recovery of species at risk. Through this funding, the Government of Canada will invest $2 million towards the park’s Marsh Restoration Project. This collaborative project between Parks Canada and the Caldwell and Walpole Island First Nations, along with other regional experts, will support efforts to restore the diversity and overall health of the marsh. As well, this project will improve the visitor experience to this internationally significant wetland by expanding canoe routes, improving viewscapes, and provide increased educational opportunities for visitors.
Other infrastructure investment work, announced in 2018, was completed earlier this spring at the Marsh Boardwalk Area. This work included the replacement of 500 metres of the boardwalk with a new wood and metal design, installation of new slip-resistant tower steps, and the renaturalisation of some areas of the marsh to benefit fish, turtles, and other wildlife.
These projects directly contribute to the Government of Canada’s conservation initiatives, collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, and the development of new and innovative programs and services to better ensure meaningful and exceptional experiences for visitors to Point Pelee National Park.
National parks represent the very best Canada has to offer. In managing national parks, Parks Canada maintains and restores ecological integrity, while providing Canadians with opportunities to discover and enjoy them.
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Quotes
“By investing in and protecting more of our nature, Point Pelee National Park in collaboration with Indigenous partners and other regional experts is preserving our treasured places and connecting more Canadians to the outdoors. These projects will help save habitats of species at risk and improve ecological integrity in this internationally significant wetland. With these and many other exciting projects, I encourage all Canadians to visit Point Pelee and to discover the beauty of all of Canada’s natural treasures.”
The Honourable Catherine McKenna,
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada
Quick facts
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Point Pelee National Park has an impressive history of cutting-edge science and conservation work, and the Marsh Restoration Project is the most ambitious conservation initiative to be undertaken to date. The marsh comprises 70% of the park’s area and is an internationally significant wetland, recognised under the Ramsar Convention.
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Parks Canada works with Indigenous communities across the country – including Caldwell First Nation and Walpole Island First Nation – as partners in conserving Canada’s natural heritage. The marsh restoration project is being planned and implemented hand-in-hand with Indigenous peoples, who have stewarded this land for thousands of years.
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Parks Canada takes its mandate to protect ecological integrity very seriously and is the only national parks system in the world that has fully implemented, system-wide ecological integrity monitoring and reporting program, consisting of more than 700 independent scientific measures that inform park-specific priorities and guide investments in conservation.
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The Government of Canada is pleased to continue to offer free admission to all Parks Canada’s places for youth aged 17 and under. By encouraging young people to discover nature and connect with history, we can help to inspire the next generation of stewards for these protected places. In celebration of diversity, Parks Canada continues to offer free admission to new Canadian citizens for one year through the Institute for Canadian Citizenship’s Cultural Access Pass Program.
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Contacts
Sabrina Kim
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
819-938-9413
Sabrina.kim@canada.ca
Media Relations
Parks Canada Agency
855-862-1812
pc.medias-media.pc@canada.ca
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