Ukkusiksalik National Park protects approximately 20,880 km2 within the Central Tundra Natural Region. At the heart of Ukkusiksalik National Park is Wager Bay, an inland sea that extends 100 km westward from Hudson Bay.
The national park contains an impressive variety of land forms including eskers, mudflats, cliffs, and rolling tundra hills. A wide range of habitats exist in the park, supporting such wildlife as caribou, muskox, wolf, polar bear, barren-ground grizzly bear and arctic hare. Along the Arctic coast, Canada geese, snow geese, tundra swans and other waterfowl nest and moult. Overhead, golden eagle, bald eagle, peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, rough-legged hawk and other birds of prey soar.
Coastal elements are prominent in the park, which includes a major marine component. Wager Bay has distinct features which include eight-metre tides and strong tidal action that produces a dramatic reversing waterfall. In addition, two areas of salt water remain open year-round, contributing to the rich marine mammal life found in the park.
The area is also considered to be of scientific and historic importance due to the number and quality of its archaeological sites. The region has always been, and remains, important to local Inuit communities, who travel there to hunt and fish. Over 500 archaeological sites have been identified in the park, including such features as fox traps, tent rings, food caches and Inuksuit. Glimpses of more recent history can also be found at the abandoned Hudson Bay Post and deserted Roman Catholic mission.
Ukkusiksalik has been under study as a national park since 1978. In August 2014, the Government of Canada took the final step to formally establish Ukkusiksalik National Park under the Canada National Parks Act. This resulted in greater ecological protection to important northern ecosystems and contributes to the completion of Canada’s National Parks System by protecting a representative portion of the Central Tundra Natural Region. It also honours the commitment made to Inuit to establish this park.
Since 2006, the Government of Canada has taken actions that will eventually add a total of 161,389 square kilometres to its network of protected areas. As a result, this would increase the total land and water that comes under Parks Canada’s stewardship by more than half. This represents a significant contribution to the conservation goals of the National Conservation Plan.
-30-
