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SD( AFTC WTI,DffiNESS ARM^S*<br />
In Janr:ar1z, 1978, Ttre ilonor:rabIe Hugh Faulkrer, lvtinister of Indian<br />
and Northern Affairs, anrowred that PaJ.ks Carnda urould begin a<br />
period of public csr:-sultation to assess the feasibility of setting<br />
asi& six wilderness areas in the Yukon and }brtlnest Territories<br />
as reseryes for futr:re natiornl parks. <strong>The</strong> six areas are<br />
representative of the different arctic regions in wtrich ttrey are<br />
located, and are wilderness tracts of spectacular scerrery and<br />
uniqlrc hj-storical vaIue. Thre proposals are part of Parks Canadars<br />
progran to establish a ocnplete rntional parks system to ensr.re<br />
tlre protection of natr:raI areas of Canadian sigrnificance ttrat<br />
represent tlre diversity of Canada's natural ard cultrral heritage.<br />
Of all ttre earth's eeatures, rren alore has tlre po\r{er to alter<br />
seriously tlre envjrorrnent that sr::ror.rds him. In h-is drive towards<br />
derrelopnent and progress man has proven his rnasterl orrer t}le<br />
envirornent, and the vast wil-derness areas that once dcndrnted<br />
Canada have r:rdergone striking trarrsf,orrnations. Yet, as developrent<br />
contiil.Es, ttre envirornental costs are beccndng increasingly apparent<br />
ard act as a cqlstant rerninder thrat the wilderress is a rorrrerer,r"able<br />
resource.<br />
Sinoe 1885, utren tlre resen/e that was to beccme Banff National Park<br />
was set aside for the people of Canada, the need has been reogrdzed<br />
to preserre for al-l tjJre udisturbed exarples of, our countqr's<br />
landscatrns, for ttre u-se and errjolznent of citizens and futr:re<br />
generations. To r:ndertake the protection of the rntr.ral heritage<br />
of a country as rast ard diverse as Canada is a corplex job,<br />
necessitating careful planning. Since tle establishnent of that<br />
first trnrk, the pnocess has rxdergone nany changes.<br />
Alttrough Canada's earliest parks were established in areas of<br />
spectacuJar beauty, it was soon recDgnized t}at a systern was reeded<br />
to identifir areas of outstanding sc.ene4f that together vrculd reprresent<br />
all of Canadars different landscapes. Gradually a rlore systematic<br />
app:roach e'volved r-rrtil, in 1971, Parks Canada divided the cotmtry<br />
into 48 natr,ral regions, 39 terrestrial and 9 rnarine. Itrese regions<br />
cqrsist of disti-rcti're natr-raI l-andscapes or envi-:orrrents ttrat can<br />
be seen as separate fron each other by their natrral features, even<br />
to tJ:e r.urtraired obsenrer. ftreir bor:ndaries are based on physiography,<br />
geography, biology, geology and ocearngraphy.<br />
* Prepared by Parks Canada<br />
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