NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, Pool's Cove, October 21, 2006 --
One of Newfoundland and Labrador's most visually stunning and pristine rivers - the Bay du Nord - is now a member of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS).
The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, and the Honourable Clyde Jackman, the provincial Minister of Environment and Conservation announced today that the Bay du Nord has been designated as a Canadian Heritage River.
"This pristine river flows through one of the last remaining natural wilderness areas on the Island of Newfoundland," said Minister Ambrose. "The river and its watershed are exceptionally beautiful, in addition to being ecologically important as the calving grounds and winter range of the island's largest caribou herd."
"The barrens, forests, lakes and rapids of the Bay du Nord and its watershed offer world-class recreational and natural heritage experiences," said Minister Jackman. "This designation will help us to preserve the area for future generations to experience and enjoy."
Located in south-central Newfoundland, largely within the provincial Bay du Nord Wilderness Reserve and Middle Ridge Wildlife Reserve, the section of the Bay du Nord encompassed by its CHRS designation flows 75 kilometres from Rainy Lake in the northeast to its mouth at Pool's Cove in the southwest. It traverses the glaciated landscape of the central Newfoundland plateau, passing through a series of large lakes and lake chains along its route.
For canoeists and outdoor enthusiasts, the Bay du Nord offers a wide range of water conditions and challenges, from gentle waters flowing through marshes, to narrow channels with raging whitewater and many rapids. At its spectacular Smokey Falls, the river rushes down a 20-metre rock outcrop.
The Bay du Nord watershed is rich in natural heritage. It includes the Hermitage Fault, which marks the juncture where North America, Europe and North Africa collided 120 million years ago, and divides two distinct structural zones - the Avalon Zone, with rocks over 600 million years old, and the Gander Zone with rocks between 355 and 410 million years old. The watershed also contains Eastern Newfoundland's largest Canada goose habitat and a large population of bald eagles.
Land use along much of the Bay du Nord's course is controlled under the province's Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Act, which limits the extent of human activity that occurs within the watershed. The Act ensures that the area is maintained in a natural state, and that recreational activities - including canoeing, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling - are managed to ensure its ecological integrity.
For much of its course, the river's landscape is dominated by a mixture of barrens interspersed with patches of boreal forests, peat lands and lakes. Repeated fires have left their mark, creating vast heath lands of dwarf shrubs, including lambkill and crowberry.
"I am very pleased to add this beautiful river to Canada's family of heritage rivers and the Canadian Heritage Rivers System," said Minister Ambrose. "Through its designation, the contributions of the stakeholders and partners who made it possible, and its management plan, we will protect this river for all Canadians to experience and enjoy."
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 conserves their natural, cultural and recreational values.
Information:
David H. Taylor
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Newfoundland East Field Unit
Parks Canada
709-772-0285
Joanne Huppé
Communication Advisor
National Corporate Communications Branch
Parks Canada
819-953-8699
Diane Hart
Director of Communications
Dept. of Environment and Conservation
709-729-2575 or 709-685-4401
dianehart@gov.nl.ca
Backgrounder associated with this News Release.
BAY DU NORD DESIGNATED AS CANADIAN HERITAGE RIVER
