OTTAWA, December 13, 2004 -- The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment, is pleased to announce the designation of the Missinaibi River to the Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS). Ontario's Missinaibi River is one of North America's longest free-flowing protected river corridors. Designated for its outstanding scenic beauty and significant natural and cultural heritage features, and its importance as an ancient Aboriginal travel way and fur trade route, the river has an enduring rugged and wild character. It also offers visitors opportunities for long wilderness canoe trips. "The Missinaibi River flows through a wild boreal landscape that is key to tourism and resource development," said Minister Dion. "All activities related to this area are undertaken with the highest level of respect, encouraging an appreciation of a waterway protected in its natural state." "The Missinaibi is an important part of the region's tourism infrastructure," said the Honourable David Ramsay, Minister of Natural Resources for Ontario. "Designation to the CHRS will provide a wide range of social and economic benefits, both within Missinaibi Provincial Park and in the surrounding areas." The Missinaibi is in the boreal forest of the Canadian Shield. The hilly terrain and well-drained soils of the southern part of the watershed are dominated by Jack pine. Stands of white birch and trembling aspen, marking the sites of recent forest fires, form a mosaic with pine forests that border the river. As the Missinaibi River enters the Hudson Bay lowlands, it passes into the northern range of the boreal forest. Here, the Missinaibi slows and widens in flat low-lying, poorly drained clay soils supporting black spruce, white spruce, balsam fir, trembling aspen and white birch forests. Signs of beaver and moose are everywhere along the waterway. Bald eagle may be seen travelling its length in search of prey. The park provides visitors with scenery that is both striking and geologically significant. The white water stretches of the river also challenge travellers. Gorges like the one below Thunder House Falls and unusual deposits like the fossil occurrences are not seen elsewhere in Ontario. The Missinaibi River is a major tributary of the Moose River watershed draining into James Bay. The park boundary is 501 kilometres in length, and contains 89,600 hectares. The Canadian Heritage Rivers System is Canada's national river conservation program. It is a cooperative program of the governments of Canada, all ten provinces and three territories. The objectives of the CHRS are to give national recognition to Canada's outstanding rivers and to ensure long-term management that will conserve their natural, cultural and recreational values. The Missinaibi becomes the thirty-fourth river to be designated to the CHRS and the eleventh Canadian Heritage River in Ontario. - 30 - For further information: Emma Orawiec Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Environment (819) 997-1441 Nicole Racette National Director National Corporate Communications Branch Parks Canada Agency (819) 953-6782
