Quasuittuq National Park established
Protected area to offer four full-time jobs and six seasonal positions
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, June 22, 2015
QUASUITTUQ/CAMBRIDGE BAY
The federal government is establishing a new park in Nunavut, and with it are coming jobs.
Paul Amagoalik, Qikiqtani Inuit Association community director for Resolute Bay, is glad to see the Qausuittuq National Park become a reality. He says it is a beautiful area. - photo courtesy of Maude Bertran |
The Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) is celebrating the creation of Quasuittuq National Park, located north of Resolute Bay on Bathurst Island.
Paul Amagoalik, QIA community director of Resolute Bay, describes the area as beautiful.
"We live in the High Arctic, pretty much on top of the world," he said. "It's pristine, it's clean, lots of wildlife, the island itself has a lot of vegetation where animals can pasture. There are caribou, muskox, snowy owls."
He said the park area is like an Arctic desert with rolling hills, but with enough vegetation to support wildlife.
Establishing the park is hoped to bring economic and tourism benefits.
"So far we're thinking of at least four full-time positions and maybe six seasonal positions," said Amagoalik.
He hopes to hire beneficiaries of the Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement if he can.
"If we can get as much hiring from Resolute as possible, we'll try that," he said. "We'll also have parks staff support here. Hopefully we get as many beneficiaries from Resolute jobs as much as possible."
Qausuittuq National Park will also restrict the area from resource development and industry use, he said.
"We want to make sure it's pristine and habitable for all the animals that live there," said Amagoalik.
"We are pleased. We look forward to working with Parks Canada to make it operational in the very near future."
Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq said the process has taken a long time but she's glad to see it completed before the federal election.
"I wanted to make sure before the next federal election that I lived up to completing what I said I would complete and this is one of the commitments I made to my constituents," she said.
"The benefits of creating a park are we're creating a destination for Canadians or international communities to visit, and it's also a place to protect a key wildlife habitat."
