Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park Management Plan Tabled in Parliament

The management plan contributes to protecting the environment and connecting Canadians to an Inuit homeland in northern Labrador

NAIN, NL, Sept. 22, 2023 /CNW/ - National parks are gateways to discovering, learning about, and connecting with nature. Parks Canada is a recognized leader in conservation and takes actions to protect national parks and national marine conservation areas and contributes to the recovery of species at risk.

The management plan for Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park was tabled in Parliament today. Reviewed every 10 years, management plans are a requirement of the Parks Canada Agency Act and guide the management of national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas.

The new plan for Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park outlines the following key strategies:

• New Gatherings ? From Sea to Sky: Parks Canada can support its partners to help make Base Camp a sustainable operation financially, culturally, and environmentally so it can continue to support visitors, researchers, the Cooperative Management Board, and Inuit Elders and youth to connect with the land and the stories in the park, and with each other.
• Honouring Our Commitments: Parks Canada will work with the Nunatsiavut Government, Makivvik Corporation, and the Cooperative Management Board to maintain the ecological integrity and cultural heritage values of the park, recognize and honour Inuit knowledge and the connection Inuit have with the land, and provide opportunities for Inuit and Inuit businesses.
• Sharing the Inuit Story ? Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga through an Inuit Cultural Lens: Sharing the Inuit story is vital for connecting Inuit, visitors, and Canadians to Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga and fostering an understanding of the cultural and historical significance of this Inuit homeland. Honouring Inuit knowledge will be a living legacy for the park. Expanding the reach of Inuit stories with visitors and Canadians will improve the understanding and appreciation of why Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga is a special place.

This national park is cooperatively managed with Inuit of Nunavik (Quebec) and Inuit of Nunatsiavut (Labrador) who were involved in the preparation of the management plan to shape the future direction of the heritage place. Partners, stakeholders and the Canadian public were also engaged. Through this management plan, Parks Canada will protect an important example of natural heritage in Canada, engage and collaborate with Inuit, and provide an opportunity for Canadians to experience and discover our environment in new and innovative ways.

The Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park Management Plan is available on the Parks Canada website. To learn more about Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park, please visit Torngat Mountains National Park.

"National historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas are a source of shared pride for all Canadians. They protect our shared natural and cultural heritage, support biodiversity, and tell the stories of Canada from all perspectives. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the management plan for Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park that will help shape the future of this treasured place. As the Member of Parliament for Labrador, I applaud this collaborative effort to ensure Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park continues to protect our shared national heritage and will be enjoyed for generations to come."

Yvonne Jones
Member of Parliament for Labrador and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Northern Affairs

"The new management plan is a strategic framework to guide Parks Canada and Inuit of Nunatsiavut and Nunavik in management and operation of the national park for the next ten years and was developed in the spirit of cooperation that has characterized the relationship between the Cooperative Management Board and Parks Canada since the park was established in 2005. The management plan reflects the wishes of Inuit of Nunatsiavut and Nunavik to reconnect them with the Torngat Mountains which is their homeland, to ensure the knowledge of Elders is passed down to future generations of Inuit, to protect this homeland for all time, and to share the Inuit story of Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga with Canadians for generations to come."

Martin Lougheed
Chair, Cooperative Management Board
Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga (Torngat Mountains National Park)

• Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park protects and presents 9,700 km² of spectacular Arctic wilderness and a magnificent Inuit cultural landscape.
• The Torngat Mountains are among the highest, most rugged mountains in eastern North America and provide one of the world's most beautiful coastlines.
• Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park is the traditional homeland of Inuit of Labrador and Nunavik. Inuit have traveled and lived among the deep fjords, towering mountains and wide valleys of this land for centuries, following the migratory paths of the whale, polar bear, and caribou.
• Evidence of human history spanning thousands of years is found throughout the park. Inuit continue to use this area for hunting, fishing, and travelling throughout the year. More than a wilderness, this is an Inuit homeland. It is a place where Inuit say "Alianattuk," which means "this is a good place to be."
• Visitors have the opportunity to experience this breathtaking landscape together with Inuit. Excursions into the park by air, by sea or on foot deepen visitors' understanding of the connections between the majestic wild nature of this special place and the enduring cultural traditions of its people.
• Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park welcomes approximately 500 visitors per year.

Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park Management Plan
Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park Management Plan (Inuttitut translation)
Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga-Torngat Mountains National Park Management Plan (??????)
Torngat Mountains National Park website

SOURCE Parks Canada