The Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park is a provincial park in south-central
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Canada, between
Gravenhurst and
Minden
Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...
. The park, named for
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, who at the time was
Queen of Canada, is 33,505 hectares in size, making it the second largest park south of
Algonquin Park
Algonquin Provincial Park is an Ontario provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Canada. Addit ...
(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
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
government of Ontario to name a new provincial park in her honour.
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
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
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
Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the Topsoil, upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, Atmosphere of Ea ...
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'.
The park contains numerous outdoor recreation opportunities including six major canoe routes, the Ganaraska Hiking Trail Wilderness Section, and remote fly-in fishing camps.
[ Ont Parks. (2006). Retrieved 2013-12-02.]
The park is a "non-operating park" without any visitor facilities or services. Backcountry camping is allowed.
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 bear
The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is Endemism, endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with ...
,
North American beaver
The North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') is one of two Extant taxon, extant beaver species, along with the Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber''). It is native to North America and has been introduced in South America (Patagonia) and Europe ...
, and
moose
The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...
* 63 invertebrates, of which 8 are provincially rare
* at least 8 fish species, such as
rainbow
A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...
,
lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
, and
brook trout
The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada. Two ecological forms of brook trout h ...
,
largemouth and
smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass (''Micropterus dolomieu'') is a species of freshwater fish in the Centrarchidae, sunfish family (biology), family (Centrarchidae) of the order (biology), order Centrarchiformes. It is the type species of its genus ''Micropterus ...
.
See also
*
List of Ontario parks
This is a list of protected areas of Ontario that are administered by Government of Ontario. Ontario Parks and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks are the provincial bodies responsible for managing these protected areas.
...
*
Ontario Parks
Ontario Parks is a branch of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in Ontario, Canada, that protects significant natural and cultural resources in a system of parks and protected areas that is sustainable and provides opportuni ...
*
Natural Environment Park (Ontario)
*
Monarchy in Ontario
By the arrangements of the Canadian federalism, Canadian federation, Monarchy of Canada, Canada's monarchy operates in Ontario as the core of the province's Westminster system, Westminster-style Parliamentary system, parliamentary democracy. As s ...
*
Royal eponyms in Canada
In Canada, a number of sites and structures are named for royal individuals, whether a member of the past French royal family, British royal family, or present Canadian royal family thus reflecting the country's status as a constitutional mona ...
References
External links
*
Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Background Information
{{Ontario parks
Provincial parks of Ontario
Protected areas of Kawartha Lakes
Protected areas established in 2002
2002 establishments in Ontario