Georgian Bay Islands National Park of Canada

Restoration Project

Footprint Reduction

The islands of Georgian Bay form the world’s largest freshwater archipelago.  They contain significant number of species at risk and a high diversity of amphibians and reptiles.  Georgian Bay Islands National Park helps to protect and present this unique habitat.  Over the past few years, Parks Canada has made efforts to reduce the parks operational footprint within the park in order to increase the amount of available habitat for species such as the Cerulean Warbler, a species of special concern.  With operations now taking place in Honey Harbour, you will notice the compound that once was home to the Warden Office, the "house on the hill", and some of the smaller buildings have been removed.  These areas will soon be re-vegetated to represent the natural forest community.  This will include trail re-alignment to allow people to experience restoration in action!  In total, over 20,000m2 of habitat will be created with both ecological and visitor experience benefits.

Georgian Bay Islands National Park represents just one small part of an extensive and unique island ecosystem that needs to be managed carefully, so that humans and the rest of nature can coexist harmoniously. By taking proactive steps towards restoring areas both within the park and in Honey Harbour, GBINP strives to lead by example in providing as much natural habitat to native plants and animals as possible, helping to strike a balance between human and wildlife needs. For more information on how to naturalize your shoreline or replace your dock with a more ecologically friendly model, please visit the park office or call (705) 526-9804.