Bruce Peninsula National Park now 90 percent complete
TORONTO, July 18, 2018 /CNW/ - Canada's national parks play a critical role in fighting climate change, protecting wildlife and our natural spaces, and supporting jobs and local economies across the country.
Today, Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, along with Beth Gilhespy, Chief Executive Officer of the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC), announced that with support from the BTC, Parks Canada has reached an agreement to acquire the 3,272 acre Driftwood Cove property at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula.
Through Budget 2018 the Government of Canada is investing more than $1.3 billion to protect our nature, parks, and wild spaces ? and this funding was used to acquire the Driftwood Cove property. The Bruce Trail Conservancy also committed a significant financial contribution towards the purchase, and played a critical role in acquiring the property as a portion of the famous Bruce Trail runs through the property.
The acquisition will now bring Bruce Peninsula National Park to 90 per cent completion. Located along the rugged coast of Georgian Bay, the park is a Canadian gem: It contains limestone coasts, cliffside cedars, clear-water lakes, and is home to black bears, barred owls and a variety of bird species.
Since the establishment of Bruce Peninsula National Park in 1987, Parks Canada has added over 140 parcels of land to the park on a willing seller?willing buyer basis. The Driftwood Cove property is one of the largest privately-held parcels of land in the Georgian Bay area, and will represent 9 per cent of the national park's lands, and 22 per cent of its shoreline.
This historic investment in nature will also help the Government meet its international commitments for biodiversity, sustainable development, and climate change, including conserving at least 17 per cent of our land and freshwater by 2020. Currently 10.5 per cent of our land and freshwater are protected.
Within four hours of several major cities, Bruce Peninsula National Park provides opportunities for many urban and new Canadians to discover and connect with nature. For those interested in experiencing Bruce Peninsula, particularly the iconic Grotto, please plan your trip by visiting the Parks Canada website - https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/bruce/activ/experiences/grotto.
Quotes
"Bruce Peninsula National Park contains many endangered species, rugged cliffs overlooking Georgian Bay, and holds cultural significance to local Indigenous peoples. Our investment to help complete Bruce Peninsula National Park ? with the support of Bruce Trail Conservancy ? is a true legacy for our children and grandchildren."
The Honourable Catherine McKenna,
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada
"The ecology and geology of the 3,200-acre Driftwood Cove property are truly magnificent. The Bruce Trail Conservancy is very grateful to the previous owners for allowing access for the Bruce Trail on their land and is delighted to partner with Parks Canada to preserve the land, and ensure that the eight kilometres of the Bruce Trail remain in place. We look forward to working with Parks Canada in the coming months to implement new Bruce Trail projects elsewhere within Bruce Peninsula National Park."
Warren Bell,
Chair, Bruce Trail Conservancy Board of Directors
"Acquisition of Driftwood Cove by Parks Canada permanently preserves a crucial part of the Bruce Trail on the ecologically-significant Bruce Peninsula, and ensures that hundreds of thousands of Canadians each year can continue to experience this irreplaceable landscape. The Bruce Trail Conservancy's financial commitment to the Driftwood Cove acquisition is a testament to the strength our 30-year relationship with Bruce Peninsula National Park, and to our own growing capacity for land preservation and Bruce Trail securement, made possible through the support of our members, volunteers and donors."
Beth Gilhespy,
Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Trail Conservancy
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SOURCE Parks Canada
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