Natural Region 19
STATUS OF NATIONAL PARKS:
Three national parks represent this region: St. Lawrence Islands (9 km 2), La Mauricie (536 km 2) and Georgian Bay Islands (26 km 2).
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St. Lawrence Islands National Park, composed mainly of granite islands scattered for 80 kilometres along the St. Lawrence River, presents a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna, including many species considered rare, threatened or endangered such as the pitch pine and the black rat snake.
Each island has its own particular mix of species, depending on its size, bedrock and recent history. |
A short walk across many islands can take you from a hardwood forest typical of areas much further south to moist shady slopes where northern species flourish.
The islands that make up the park were formerly Indian lands, surrendered under treaty and held in trust by the Government of Canada. By the turn of the century, many had been sold for summer homes. In 1904, local residents urged the federal government to reserve for the public nine islands designated for sale. These formed the nucleus of the park, which was formally established in 1914.
La Mauricie National Park is quintessential "Shield Country", a land of rich mixed-wood forests and over 150 lakes set into the gently rolling Laurentian Hills. Sport fishing for speckled and lake trout and canoe tripping along the routes that crisscross the park are the best ways to experience La Mauricie's Laurentian heritage. The park was established in 1970 pursuant to a federal-provincial agreement with the Government of Quebec.
Georgian Bay Islands National Park consists of 59 islands and shoals on the east side of Georgian Bay. The park is a transition between natural regions 29 and 19. This interface results in a merging of many habitats, giving the park a great diversity of flora and fauna and many rare species. More species of reptiles and amphibians, including the eastern Massasauga rattlesnake, are found here than in any other national park.
The islands making up the park were formerly Indian lands surrendered by the Chippewa in 1856 and held in trust by the Department of Indian Affairs.
By the turn of the century, the Georgian Bay region had become a popular vacation area with waterfront lands quickly being bought up.
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With commendable foresight, the Commissioner of National Parks, J.B. Harkin, recommended the purchase of 28 islands from the Department of Indian Affairs in 1924. The park was formally scheduled in 1929.
National Parks System Plan, 3 rd Edition