Facts about Canada´s Park

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Park Information
• Established on May 9th, 2003 by Parks Canada
• Located in British Columbia in the gulf islands
• 33 square kilometres over 16 islands.
• 40th reserve of the 43 in Canada
• Spread across 15 islands and many islets and reefs in the northern reaches of the inland
• Rocky shorelines and steep headlands.
• Park was made to protect the unique eco-system, which is rich in its healthy plant life and diverse animal life
Landform
• Part of the Cordilleran region
• underlain by folded and highly faulted sedimentary rocks
• This specific area of BC is seismically active overlying a tectonic subduction zone
• Glacial ice as much as a mile thick carved the landscape over two glacial periods
• sea levels have remained the same for the last 5,000 years
Climate
• Canada’s only Mediterranean type climate warm and dry in the summer and mild and wet in the winter
• Mediterranean type of climate with dry summers, moderate rainfall in the winter
• More than 2000 hours of sunshine annually
• Summer temperatures are around 200C
• Winter temperatures are cooler at 5-100 C
• Freezing temperatures are rare
• Autumn is the foggiest season and spring brings the windiest weather
Wildlife
• The wide variety of terrestrial and marine habitats mean that the wildlife found in the Gulf Islands is very diverse
• Eagles, falcons, turkey vultures fly in the sky
• Hundreds and thousands of sea birds and shore birds and water fowls visit this reserve
• There are no large predators in the islands
• 15 endangered species, 10 threatened species and 13 species of special concern
• Animals of such include, butterflies, sharp tailed snakes, shellfish, ferns, bats, killer whales
Birds
• Blue Heron
• Bald Eagle
• Kingfisher
Sea Life
• Salmon
• Jellyfish
• Octopus
• Anemone
• Sea Stars

Mammals
• Otters
• Harbour Seal
• California Sea Lion
• Steller’s Sea Lion
• Northern Elephant Seal
Whales, porpoises and dolphins
• Orca
• Gray Whale
Humpback Whale
• Minke Whale
• Dall’s Porpoise
• Harbour Porpoise
• Pacific Dolphin
Vegetation
• There are plant life in the Gulf islands cannot be found elsewhere in Canada
• Garry oak and arbutus trees (smooth red bark and evergreen leaves)
• Garry oak ecosystem is one of Canada’s most endangered ecosystems
• Dominant ecosystem of the southern Gulf Islands is Douglas fir balsam red cedar
• Areas of open wildflower meadows and grassy hilltops
• Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry and gorse
Park activities
• Kayaking, boating, hiking, camping and tide pool exploration
• Cycling is popular on the larger islands, with the hilly topography giving cyclists a good workout
• You can only visit some islands by boat or ferry rides, giving kayakers and boaters unique opportunities to explore and hike more remote areas and islands
• Also a great place to go site seeing, at the top of the Mount Waterburton Pike mountain on Saturna Island
• On clear days, the snow-capped Olympic Mountains, volcanic Mount Baker, and the Coast ranges on both Vancouver Island and the mainland can be seen.

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