NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
People around the world can now make virtual visits to some of Canada's Northern wilderness parks, including two in the NWT.
Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who is also the minister responsible for Parks Canada, tried out a Google Street View Trekker camera during a visit to Wood Buffalo National Park last summer. The minister was exploring the park's Karstland Trail. - photo courtesy of Parks Canada |
On April 30, Google Street View imagery of the five national parks became available on Google Maps and Google Earth.
That includes panoramic images of Wood Buffalo National Park, which is shared between the NWT and Alberta, and Tuktut Nogait National Park, located east of Paulatuk.
Cathie Bolstad, the executive director of NWT Tourism, said it's wonderful the two NWT parks are now on Google Street View.
"The more we can get beautiful, spectacular
Northwest Territories out there in the worldwide web where people are watching video and looking for places to go, the better for us," she said.
Bolstad took a quick look at Wood Buffalo National Park on the day it became available on Google Street View.
"When it comes to tourism, people are picking and making choices by surfing the web and looking for exotic and spectacular things to do that are unique experiences," she said.
"We've got iconic attractions and they're gorgeous, and how wonderful it is that it's another avenue for
people to find them."
The other national parks new to Google Street View are Auyuittuq in Nunavut, Ivvavik in the Yukon and Torngat Mountains National Park in Labrador.
The official arrival of the parks on Google Street
View was announced by Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who is also the minister responsible for Parks Canada.
"Thanks to this collaboration with Google, we can showcase Canada's amazing Northern national parks and inspire people to visit and personally connect with these beautiful national treasures," stated Aglukkaq in a news release.
"I invite Canadians to visit Google Maps and discover the North's spectacular scenery, unique wildlife and pristine wilderness - Canada as they have never seen it before."
Google also welcomed the Northern national parks to its service.
"Parks Canada's Northern parks are some of the most incredible and remote places on Earth," stated Aaron Brindle, a spokesperson for Google Canada, in the Parks Canada news release.
"We are proud to be
able to showcase this spectacular landscape and share with a global audience this important part of Canadian culture."
Google trained seven Parks Canada team members to collect Street View images using specialized equipment, like the Street View Trekker camera.
David Britton, acting field unit superintendent for the southwest NWT with Parks Canada, said Canadians and people all over the world are going to be able to virtually explore the beautiful parks through Google Earth, or to use the new tool to plan a trip and experience the spectacular landscapes firsthand.
"It is a tremendous tool for exploration, trip planning, or education and learning," he said in written comments to News/North.
Britton noted the staff of Wood Buffalo National Park took the Google Trekker camera out to some of the park's most unique and fascinating landscapes.
"We went on our hiking trail system at Salt River, to Grosbeak Lake, to the Salt Plains and down Parson's Lake Road," he said.
"We also went to beautiful Pine Lake and to Sweetgrass in the far south of the park."
Britton said it is exciting to think that people from anywhere in the world can see what it is like to walk on the Salt Plains or to explore the haunting landscape of Grosbeak Lake.
The acting superintendent noted the goal of the project is to enable people to learn about Canada's natural and cultural heritage, better understand why those places are so significant, and to get them dreaming of visiting the inspiring destinations.
Parks Canada and Google have already documented highlights from most national parks and historic sites in the south.
