Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
The Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park is a provincial park in south-central Ontario
, between Gravenhurst
and Minden
. The park, named for Elizabeth II
, Queen of Canada, is 33,505 hectares in size, making it the second largest park south of Algonquin Park (after Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park
), but it has a fragmented shape as a result of many private lands within its boundary.
It was originally known as Dalton Digby Wildlands Provincial Park, after the two townships it encompassed, before being renamed on October 9, 2002, to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee visit to Ontario. It fulfilled a promise by the then-Conservative
government of Ontario to name a new provincial park in her honour. In response, the group Citizens for a Canadian Republic
requested that the Ministry of Natural Resources
set a moratorium on the naming of properties in Ontario after members of the Canadian Royal Family; however, the protest attracted little attention.
The park is one of the largest and least developed natural areas south of Algonquin Park. It protects an ecological diverse and biologically significant area with more than 50 vegetation patterns
. The park has a low rolling topography
which includes organic soils, flat sandy deposits, wetlands, bare bedrock plain and bare bedrock uplands with shallow soil patches, characterized by numerous rock ridges, including scenic cliffs and gorges, separating dozens of small lakes, rivers and streams.
This vast area was once covered with forest and deeper soils prior to the logging era. Following logging, devastating forest fires swept through the area burning off the shallow organic soils leading to severe soil erosion and barren rock surfaces. Many lakes were filled, or partly filled with sediment, and have become marshes. There are a few islands in the various lakes that escaped the fires, and accordingly remain with deeper soil and much larger trees that stand out boldly in the otherwise low-relief terrain. For many years, this region was known as 'The Burnt Lands'.
As of 2006, the park is still in the planning stage, and a non-operating park without any visitor facilities or services.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, between Gravenhurst
Gravenhurst, Ontario
Gravenhurst is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located approximately south of Bracebridge, Ontario. The mayor is Paisley Donaldson...
and Minden
Minden, Ontario
Minden Hills is a township in, and the county seat of Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the geographical townships of Snowdon, Lutterworth, Anson, Hindon and Minden. It is usually referred to as Minden, after its largest community. Minden Hills had a permanent population...
. The park, named for Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, Queen of Canada, is 33,505 hectares in size, making it the second largest park south of Algonquin Park (after Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park
Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park
Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park is a 375 km² area of preserved wilderness and recreational areas in south-central Ontario, Canada. It is located to the north and east of the main belt of the Kawartha lakes primarily in the township of North Kawartha...
), but it has a fragmented shape as a result of many private lands within its boundary.
It was originally known as Dalton Digby Wildlands Provincial Park, after the two townships it encompassed, before being renamed on October 9, 2002, to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee visit to Ontario. It fulfilled a promise by the then-Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
government of Ontario to name a new provincial park in her honour. In response, the group Citizens for a Canadian Republic
Citizens for a Canadian Republic
Citizens for a Canadian Republic is a not-for-profit Canadian organization founded in 2002 that advocates the replacement of the Canadian monarchy with a head of state who would either be chosen through a general election or elected by parliament...
requested that the Ministry of Natural Resources
Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario)
The Ministry of Natural Resources is a government ministry of the Canadian province of Ontario that responsible for Ontario’s provincial parks, forests, fisheries, wildlife, mineral aggregates and the Crown lands and waters that make up 87 per cent of the province...
set a moratorium on the naming of properties in Ontario after members of the Canadian Royal Family; however, the protest attracted little attention.
The park is one of the largest and least developed natural areas south of Algonquin Park. It protects an ecological diverse and biologically significant area with more than 50 vegetation patterns
Patterned vegetation
Patterned vegetation is a vegetation community that exhibits distinctive and repetitive patterns. Examples of patterned vegetation include fir waves, tiger bush, and string bog. The patterns typically arise from an interplay of phenomena that differentially encourage plant growth or mortality...
. The park has a low rolling topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
which includes organic soils, flat sandy deposits, wetlands, bare bedrock plain and bare bedrock uplands with shallow soil patches, characterized by numerous rock ridges, including scenic cliffs and gorges, separating dozens of small lakes, rivers and streams.
This vast area was once covered with forest and deeper soils prior to the logging era. Following logging, devastating forest fires swept through the area burning off the shallow organic soils leading to severe soil erosion and barren rock surfaces. Many lakes were filled, or partly filled with sediment, and have become marshes. There are a few islands in the various lakes that escaped the fires, and accordingly remain with deeper soil and much larger trees that stand out boldly in the otherwise low-relief terrain. For many years, this region was known as 'The Burnt Lands'.
As of 2006, the park is still in the planning stage, and a non-operating park without any visitor facilities or services.
Fauna
The following species have been identified in the park:- 13 amphibians and 12 reptiles, of which 5 are provincially rare, including the endangered Northern Ribbon Snake
- 117 bird species, of which 6 are provincially rare. 23 species are known to breed inside the park.
- 17 mammals, such as American Black BearAmerican black bearThe American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, American BeaverAmerican BeaverThe North American Beaver is the only species of beaver in the Americas, native to North America and introduced to South America. In the United States and Canada, where no other species of beaver occurs, it is usually simply referred to as "beaver"...
, and MooseMooseThe moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration... - 63 invertebrates, of which 8 are provincially rare
- at least 8 fish species, such as rainbowRainbow troutThe rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, lakeLake troutLake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, and brook troutBrook troutThe brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
, largemouthLargemouth bassThe largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
and smallmouth bassSmallmouth bassThe smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
.
See also
- List of Ontario parks
- Ontario ParksOntario ParksOntario Parks is the branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources that administers the provincial parks in Ontario, Canada. The Ontario Parks system covers over 78,000 square kilometres , about 10 percent of the province's surface area or the equivalent of an area approximately equal to Nova Scotia...
- Natural Environment Park (Ontario)Natural Environment Park (Ontario)"Natural Environment Park" is the designation given by the Ontario Provincial Park System to parks which act as both recreational parks and Nature Reserves. They protect wildlife, while allowing camping and other recreational activities....
- Monarchy in OntarioMonarchy in OntarioBy the arrangements of the Canadian federation, Canada's monarchy operates in Ontario as the core of the province's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. As such, the Crown within Ontario's jurisdiction is referred to as the Crown in Right of Ontario, Her Majesty in Right of Ontario, or the...