Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database
This is a database of protected and other conserved areas.
Introduction
The Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) is the national repository of the most up to date spatial and descriptive data on Canada’s terrestrial and marine protected areas (PA) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM). Compiled and managed by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), CPCAD is developed in collaboration with a diverse range of partners, including federal, provincial, and territorial governments, Indigenous governments, local governments, non-governmental organizations and private landowners.
CPCAD is used by a wide range of organizations, including governments, environmental non-governmental organizations, academia, land managers, industry, and the public.
CPCAD supports:
- Canada’s national reporting on protected and conserved areas through:
- Canada’s international reporting on protected and conserved areas as a result of Canada’s commitments under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity through:
- Canada’s National Reports to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity
- the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)
- Canada’s protected areas program by providing baseline information for:
- the design and expansion of protected and conserved areas networks
- species at risk, critical habitat, and integrated conservation planning
- other assessments, analysis, and visualizations by diverse users
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Background information
CPCAD partnerships
The CPCAD database has evolved from the Conservation Areas Reporting and Tracking System (CARTS), which was originally a collaborative initiative between ECCC and the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA). CCEA played a pivotal role in developing the foundational tools and guidance for recognizing and reporting protected areas across Canada.
Since 2018, CPCAD has been compiled and managed by ECCC in partnership with a diverse network of data providers. These include federal, provincial, and territorial governments, Indigenous organizations, local governments, environmental non-governmental organizations, and private landowners. The number of data providers continues to expand each year, strengthening a comprehensive national view of Canada’s conservation efforts.
New data providers in 2025 included:
- Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society
- Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation
New data providers in 2024 included:
- Ducks Unlimited Canada
- Manitoba Habitat Conservancy
- Otipemisiwak Métis Government
- Transport Canada
New data providers in 2023 included:
- Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area
- BC Nature
- J.D. Irving Limited
- Miistakis Institute
- Nature Conservancy of CanadaFootnote 1
- Northern Biomes LTD
- Regional District of Central Okanagan
CPCAD is endorsed by the Pathway initiative
Data and resources
By clicking on any of the following download links, you agree to the following terms:
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GIS data access
The CPCAD geospatial data can be used and accessed with Geographic Information System (GIS) software that supports ESRI file geodatabases (.gdb) such as ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Desktop, and QGIS. It can also be accessed through ESRI REST Web Mapping Services available on the Open Government Portal.
December 2025 CPCAD file geodatabaseFootnote 2
For historical CPCAD data please email: scf-geocarto-cws-geomapping@ec.gc.ca
Statistics
Region |
Baseline areaFootnote 3 (km2) |
PA (km2) |
OECM (km2) |
Total (km2) |
PA (%) |
OECM (%) |
Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National terrestrial |
9,984,670 |
1,285,161 |
115,618 |
1,400,780 |
12.9 |
1.2 |
14 |
Alberta |
661,848 |
102,879 |
176 |
103,055 |
15.5 |
0 |
15.6 |
British Columbia |
944,735 |
150,266 |
38,596 |
188,862 |
15.9 |
4.1 |
20 |
Manitoba |
647,797 |
71,864 |
231 |
72,095 |
11.1 |
0 |
11.1 |
New Brunswick |
72,908 |
7,410 |
167 |
7,578 |
10.2 |
0.2 |
10.4 |
Newfoundland and Labrador |
405,212 |
28,203 |
31 |
28,234 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
Northwest Territories |
1,346,106 |
173,847 |
63,145 |
236,992 |
12.9 |
4.7 |
17.6 |
Nova Scotia |
55,284 |
7,887 |
84 |
7,972 |
14.3 |
0.2 |
14.4 |
Nunavut |
2,093,190 |
213,037 |
0 |
213,037 |
10.2 |
0 |
10.2 |
Ontario |
1,076,395 |
120,263 |
253 |
120,516 |
11.2 |
0 |
11.2 |
Prince Edward Island |
5,660 |
252 |
65 |
318 |
4.5 |
1.2 |
5.6 |
Quebec |
1,512,418 |
257,107 |
41 |
257,148 |
17 |
0 |
17 |
Saskatchewan |
651,036 |
51,110 |
12,830 |
63,940 |
7.9 |
2 |
9.8 |
Yukon |
482,443 |
101,760 |
1 |
101,761 |
21.1 |
0 |
21.1 |
National marineFootnote 4 |
5,750,000 |
657,396 |
236,566 |
893,963 |
11.4 |
4.1 |
15.5 |