Ottawa, Ontario, November3, 2011 -- The Honourable Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, will receive today the Royal Canadian Geographical Society's Gold Medal, its highest honour, recognizing the Harper Government's leadership role in the expansion and preservation of the Nahanni National Park Reserve.
"I am honoured to accept this Gold Medal on behalf of our government," said Minister Kent. "Nahanni is one of the crown jewels of our national parks system and our government's recent expansion of the park has been hailed as one of the greatest conservation achievements of our generation."
Minister Kent will accept the Gold Medal at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society's Annual Dinner tonight. The Medal, first bestowed in 1972, provides an opportunity for the Society to recognize a particular achievement by one or more individuals in the general field of geography or a significant national or international event.
In 2009, Nahanni National Park Reserve was expanded to six times its former size and is now the third largest national park in Canada. It protects over 30,000 km2 (almost the size of Vancouver Island) and over 90% of the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem in the Dehcho region. Nahanni was recognized as the world's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.
The Royal Canadian Geographical Society was founded in 1929 with a mandate of "making Canada better known to Canadians and to the world." With more than 200,000 members, it is the largest not-for-profit educational organization in the country. In addition to maintaining a wide range of education, research and exploration initiatives, the Society publishes Canadian Geographic and Géographica magazines, The Canadian Atlas, and the Canadian Atlas Online.
Parks Canada works to ensure Canada's historic and natural heritage is protected and, through a network of 43 national parks, 167 national historic sites, and four national marine conservation areas, invites Canadians and people around the world to engage in personal moments of inspiring discovery at our treasured natural and historic places.
For additional information, please see www.parkscanada.gc.ca or www.rcgs.org/.
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Information:
Office of the
Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
Media Relations
Parks Canada
819-953-8371
