Parks Canada Celebrates Successful Canada 150 Season at PEI National Park and Historic Sites

More Canadians than ever before enjoyed amazing experiences at Parks Canada places in 2017

September 28, 2017                                                 Prince Edward Island                                                         Parks Canada Agency

National parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas represent the very best that Canada has to offer and tell stories of who we are, including the history, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, the Government of Canada offered free admission for all visitors to Parks Canada places, to encourage Canadians to experience their rich history and heritage in a special way. Parks Canada is pleased to have welcomed more visitors to our treasured places than ever before, and to have played an important role in the celebration of Canada 150.

This year, Parks Canada sites in PEI offered new and innovative programs to help visitors experience the outdoors, learn more about our environment and experience Canada’s rich heritage. At PEI National Park, Parks Canada launched accessibility mats at Stanhope Beach and opened the new floating boardwalk at Greenwich. The Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI and Parks Canada continue to work together in a number of ways to showcase Mi’kmaq culture at Parks Canada places in PEI. In PEI National Park, visitors were able to discover the rich culture of the Mi’kmaq people through story, song and dance: A’tuken / Tell Stories at Stanhope campground, Cavendish Campground and Greenwich interpretation Centre. The travelling exhibition, N’in n’a L’nu: The Mi’kmaq of Prince Edward Island, created by the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI in partnership with Parks Canada, was also showcased at the Greenwich Interpretation Centre.

Highlights from the PEI national historic sites include the “Imagine A Country” booth on the Confederation Centre plaza, the citizenship ceremony at Ardgowan, and the centennial of National Historic Sites Day at Green Gables Heritage Place. In mid-July, Nova Scotia Elder and master canoe and wigwam builder Todd Labrador worked with PEI Mi’kmaq Elders and community members to construct a traditional birch bark wigwam at Port-La-Joye--Fort Amherst. A rotating schedule of demonstrations took place in the wigwam throughout the summer including the ancient Mi’kmaq game of waltes, Mi’kmaq songs and language and traditional medicines.

If you didn’t get a chance to visit PEI National Park this summer, take some time this fall to explore! While facilities will be closed between Thanksgiving and Victoria Day, PEI National Park remains open for Islanders and other visitors year-round. The fall is an ideal time to bike or hike the network of trails in the park. Green Gables Heritage Place is open to visitors, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until October 31 and by special appointment in November.

The Government is committed to preserving our national parks, while making them more accessible so that Canadians, including youth and newcomers, can experience the outdoors and learn about our environment. Parks Canada continues to ensure the best possible visitor experience for people coming to our places, and has effectively managed 2017’s increased visitation.

To help visitors plan their experiences, Parks Canada launched a mobile app earlier this season. The app is incredibly popular and, to date, there have been over 150,000 downloads. The Parks Canada Mobile App is a great planning tool which offers up-to-date information and resources to help visitors plan their visit and discover breathtaking locations, including a list of hidden gems and other unique and memorable experiences at national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas.