Kouchibouguac National Park () is a

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

located on the east coast of New Brunswick in Kouchibouguac and was established in 1969 to preserve a section of the Canadian Maritime Plain region. The park includes barrier islands,

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

, lagoons, salt marshes and forests. It provides habitats for at least 15 species protected under the ''Canadian Species at Risk Act'', including the endangered

piping plover The piping plover (''Charadrius melodus'') is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from e ...

, and the second largest tern colony in North America. Colonies of harbour seals and grey seals also inhabit the park's of sand dunes. It is also home to the extremely rare and fragile

Gulf of St. Lawrence aster ''Symphyotrichum laurentianum'' (formerly ''Aster laurentianus'') is a critically imperiled species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae endemic to the southern shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada. Commonly known as Gulf of St. ...

, though in 2006, storms eradicated most of the asters' colonies. The park's size is . Recreational activities in the park include swimming, cycling and hiking. In recent news, the park has reported sightings of the fisher marten in the area, making it one of the few places in New Brunswick that have fisher populations. The park's various public activities attract thousands of visitors each year. Kouchibouguac offers a range of activities, from a river adventure in a voyageur-style canoe, to going seal watching, to a talk about Mi'kmaq

band government In Canada, an Indian band or band (french: bande indienne, link=no), sometimes referred to as a First Nation band (french: bande de la Première Nation, link=no) or simply a First Nation, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subjec ...

s. The park is also home to the popular Kelly's Beach.

History

The park was founded by

Parks Canada Parks Canada (PC; french: Parcs Canada),Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, th ...

in 1969 in order to set aside sensitive

and

bogs A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main Wetland#Types, types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, ...

. The region is included in traditional unceded Mi'gmaq territory, and was used by local Indigenous Peoples for hunting, fishing, plant harvest, trade and living before even the first European settlers. The rules of the time dictated that all permanent residents had to be removed for a park to be created. These residents were mostly descendants of the Mi'gmaq, and the Acadians, whose ancestors had been deported. Most of these people's livelihoods depended on fishing, hunting, agriculture, forestry and tourism. The rules of the time dictated that all permanent residents had to be removed for a park to be created. These residents were mostly Acadians, whose ancestors had been deported. As a result,

encountered great difficulty expropriating land from numerous land owners who lived in seven communities (approximately 215 families, including over 1200 individuals). These seven communities were Claire-Fontaine, Fontaine, Rivière au Portage, Kouchibouguac, Guimond Village, Cap St-Louis, and Saint-Olivier. The residents were generally seen as so poor that government officials believed they would benefit from having to start their lives again elsewhere. The government created courses with the intent that people might lead more productive lives. Government officials believed that they were rehabilitating the people by evicting them. The residents resisted this eviction, shutting down the park on several occasions. The most notable of these was

Jackie Vautour John L. Vautour (1929/1930 – February 7, 2021 bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

s, a boardwalk trail, eight hiking trails, a network of bicycle trails, two campgrounds, canoe and boat launch and the Cap-St-Louis fishing port. But this beauty cannot eliminate the pain experienced by the former residents, whose story is now told in a permanent exhibit at the park's Visitor Centre. The park has a Mi'kmaq name which is reflected in the name of the Kouchibouguac River. The river's name means "river of the long tides" in Mi'kmaq. The decision to name the park in this manner did not sit well with many local residents, Acadians who wanted a name that better reflected their identity. Many wanted the park to be called Claire-Fontaine, after one of the communities that was destroyed. As a result of the resistance to the park, Parks Canada changed its rules, so no one would ever again experience forced removal. Other rivers that flow through the park include the: * Black River * Kouchibouguacis River * Saint-Louis River * Portage River The story of the park had been the subject of two big budget documentaries. In addition, the park was the subject of a short film in 2011's '' National Parks Project'', directed by

Jamie Travis Jamie Travis (born August 13, 1979) is a Toronto-based filmmaker who has written and directed award-winning short films, music videos and television commercials. He received international recognition for his two short film trilogies, ''The Patter ...

and scored by

Casey Mecija Casey Mecija is a multi-disciplinary artist, academic and musician. She is active in Toronto's music and cultural scene. Early life Casey Mecija was born and raised in Brantford, Ontario. She is of Filipino descent. Mecija has been based in To ...

Don Kerr Don Kerr is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is the drummer, lead singer and front man of Toronto band, Communism. He plays in Ron Sexsmith's band,Ohad Benchetrit. There is also a website which provides access to 26 video portraits of the people removed from their land as part of the process of creating the park.Returning the Voices to Kouchibouguac National Park
Returningthevoices.ca. Retrieved on 2013-08-09.

Fauna

Mammal species that inhabit on the land are raccoon,

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, Ontar ...

, moose, species of bats, timber wolf,

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

, black bear,

beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

marten A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on t ...

, species of shrews, river otter,

porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...

muskrat The muskrat (''Ondatra zibethicus'') is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and habitat ...

, species of mice, woodchuck,

mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...

striped skunk The striped skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') is a skunk of the genus '' Mephitis'' that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on ac ...

, and snowshoe hare. Bird species of this park are

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

s, a number of geese, woodpecker, three species of falcons, ducks,

loon Loons (North American English) or divers (British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family Gaviidae and order Gavi ...

s, a variety of owls, and

hawk Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...

s. Marine animals that inhabit offshore are a variety of

seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...

, dolphins,

porpoise Porpoises are a group of fully aquatic marine mammals, all of which are classified under the family Phocoenidae, parvorder Odontoceti (toothed whales). Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals an ...

s, and variety of whales.

Management

In 2009, Kouchibouguac National Park was designated as a Dark-sky preserve in order to protect nocturnal habitats, limit light pollution, and to increase appreciation for the cultural heritage associated with the night sky. In 2010, a management plan was published outlining four "Key Strategies" pertaining to the parks management and relationship to the public. In 2017, the 2010 management plan was reviewed, including a ''State of the Park Assessment.'' Key concerns for improvement included: * Weathering infrastructure such as roads and service buildings. * Insufficient cultural resource preservation and access for descendant populations or visitors. * Improving co-management relationship between stakeholders, especially between Mi'gmaq Peoples, park managers, and recognizing Indigenous values. * Increased recreational activity, especially fishing of softshell clam and brook trout, and that the park is accessible both by land and by sea, making management of illegal activity or extreme weather events (such as wildfires or flooding) more challenging. * Terrestrial and marine invasive species. * Increased peripheral development projects and urbanization. * Climate change and related symptoms, in particular sea level rise, exacerbated storms, and barrier island and dune erosion. As of 2021, the ''Kouchibouguac National Park Management Plan'' describes a long-term plan to implement four "Key Strategies" into the park's management by 2071. The Plan was created by Parks Canada in response to both the ''Parks Canada Agency Act'' and the ''Canada National Parks Act'', and involves a variety of stakeholders, including local Indigenous Peoples, notably the Mi'gmaq, descendants of Acadian and English permanent residents who had been expropriated to create the park, economic partners, and the Canadian public. Parks Canada is required to release an annual report on the efficacy of the Key Strategies and overall progress, and to continue to receive comments from stakeholders on the implementation of the Plan over time. Parks Canada is required to officially review the Plan at least every ten years, but may do so sooner in the interest of maintaining appropriate management strategies. The Kouchibouguac National Park Management Plan's four "Key Strategies" are summarized as: # "''A healthy and resilient park."'' To properly document the environmental systems, human activity, and ecological threats in the region, and to use this information to improve its ecosystem functions and mitigate habitat degradation. # "''A park at the forefront."'' To continue to present to visitors contemporary management strategies of the landscape, and to maintain modern, sustainably powered amenities and recreation where applicable. # "''Reflection of engaged communities."'' To continue to include the variety of stakeholders in the decision-making process, to continue to nurture the relationships between Kouchibouguac National Park, Mi'gmaq partners, and former residents of the region, and to improve the cultural resource management of over 30 Indigenous and four non-Indigenous archaeological sites. # "Highly satisfied visitors throughout the year." To enhance the selection of year-round recreational and cultural activities for visitors while continuing to safeguard and promote ecological integrity, and to become an exemplary winter-season destination.

References

Parks Canada site
{{Authority control National parks in New Brunswick Dunes of Canada Geography of Kent County, New Brunswick Tourist attractions in Kent County, New Brunswick Protected areas established in 1969 Beaches of New Brunswick Landforms of Kent County, New Brunswick 1969 establishments in New Brunswick Canada geography articles needing translation from French Wikipedia

History

Fauna

Management

See also

References