Government of Canada Invests in Prince Edward Island National Park
News release
Shoreline protection measures to support park ecology and roadwork to improve visitor access
September 17, 2018 Cavendish, PEI Parks Canada Agency
Parks Canada is responsible for protecting and presenting nationally significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage. The Government is committed to preserving our national parks, while making them more accessible so that more Canadians, including youth and newcomers, can connect with nature.
The Government of Canada is pleased to announce $4.4 million in funding to protect the shoreline along the Gulf Shore Parkway and to improve road access to the popular visitor areas in Prince Edward Island National Park. Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Cardigan, made the announcement on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Catherine McKenna.
The shoreline protection along the Gulf Shore Parkway will reduce erosion and protect the important park access corridor between Brackley and Dalvay. This work will include the installation of armourstone at Covehead Pond; an area where the protective dunes had been blown out in a previous storm. By maintaining this infrastructure, we will prevent potential shoreline damage to the Gulf Shore Parkway from storm events, which is attributed to a rise in sea levels due to climate change.
Also, as part of the project, roadway work to the Covehead Wharf Road and Dalvay Crescent will improve visitor access to these popular park areas. Additionally, the removal and replacement of a section of the roadway at MacKenzies Brook, on the Gulf Shore Parkway West in Cavendish in 2019 will ensure a safe, high-quality experience for visitors travelling in this breath-taking section of the park. Each of these roadway improvements will provide visitors with high-quality and safe access to the some of the most iconic areas of the park, while protecting sensitive ecological zones along the shoreline.
Following the largest consultation ever on Parks Canada, through the Minister’s Round Table, Minister McKenna has put forward her priorities for Parks Canada. Prince Edward Island National Park is an excellent example of Parks Canada’s efforts to protect and restore our natural spaces and enable Canadians to discover and connect with nature. PEI National Park also helps sustain the local economy and tourism sector. Investments in infrastructure directly respond to the feedback of Canadians related preserving ecosystem health, while improving the state of built infrastructure in national parks and historic sites.
Millions of Canadians celebrated Canada 150 with free admission to Parks Canada’s places in 2017 and more Canadians than ever before had amazing experiences. PEI National Park experienced an increase in visitation of 36%, with more than 100,000 additional visitors. In 2018 and beyond, Parks Canada is making discovering nature and connecting with our history easier and more affordable for families with free admission for youth aged 17 and under and new Canadians.
Quotes
“Through infrastructure investments like this one, the Government is preserving Canadian national parks, while supporting local economies and contributing to the growth of the tourism sector. This shoreline protection project is a concrete example of how our Government is protecting Prince Edward Island National Park from the impacts of climate change, while the improvements to access roads in the park are providing tourists with opportunities to discover and enjoy this national treasure. This helps create more jobs in our island’s distinctive tourism sector. I encourage people to visit Parks Canada’s destinations in Prince Edward Island to experience the outdoors and learn more about our environment and history.”
Lawrence MacAulay,
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Cardigan
Quick facts
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Prince Edward Island National Park is home to sand dunes, barrier islands and sandpits, beaches, sandstone cliffs, wetlands, and forests.
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Prince Edward Island National Park also features unique cultural resources; notably Green Gables Heritage Place, part of L. M. Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site, and Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site.
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Parks Canada is investing an unprecedented $3 billion over 5 years to support infrastructure work to heritage, tourism, waterway, and highway assets located within national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas across Canada. This investment will ensure these cherished places are protected and secured for the future.
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Contacts
Marie-Pascale Des Rosiers
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
613-462-5473
marie-pascale.desrosiers@canada.ca
Media Relations
Parks Canada Agency
855-862-1812
pc.media@pc.gc.ca