Torngat Mountains National Park | |
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Parc national des Monts-Torngat | |
Location in Canada | |
Location | Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |
Nearest city | Nain |
Coordinates | 59°26′09″N 63°41′47″W / 59.43583°N 63.69639°W[1] |
Area | 9,700 km2 (3,700 sq mi) |
Established | July 10, 2008 |
Governing body | Parks Canada |
Torngat Mountains National Park (Inuktitut: Tongait KakKasuangita SilakKijapvinga)[2] is a Canadian national park located on the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The park encompasses 9,700 km2 (3,700 sq mi; 2,400,000 acres) of mountainous terrain between Northern Quebec and the Labrador Sea.[3] It is the largest national park in Atlantic Canada and the southernmost national park in the Arctic Cordillera. It partially contains the Torngat Mountains, the highest mountains in mainland Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.
The Torngat Mountains National Park was created to honour the relationship that Inuit of Labrador and Nunavik have with the land. Parks Canada works with these groups in order to conserve the ecological integrity of the land, as well as to inform visitors of the park's history with Inuit groups. The subarctic mountains are part of the greater Inuit homeland, known as Inuit Nunangat.[4] The area in and around the park is governed by Inuit and it has been named "Nunatsiavut", translating to "our beautiful land" in their native language. The mountains are an important place for the Inuit and have been known as the "place of spirits".
An area called Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve was set aside with enactment of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement on December 1, 2005,[5] with the intention of creating a national park.[6] When the Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement came into effect on July 10, 2008, the park was officially established, and the National Park Reserve became Torngat Mountains National Park, the first in Labrador.[7]
In the Torngat Mountains, there are diverse animal and plant species in ecological communities. Indigenous cultures are deeply connected to and dependent on caribou for their food resources and cultures. This park protects wildlife including: boreal woodland caribou, black bears, Labrador wolf packs, red and Arctic foxes, polar bears, peregrine falcon, and golden eagle among others. Four different climatic regions enable these different species to co-exist. As the temperature rises, the ice in this area shrinks and shrubs grow rapidly, affecting local residents, species and tourists.
The park is open year-round and is accessible via charter air flight, cruise ship, or snowmobile.[8] It offers wilderness-oriented recreational activities such as, hiking, scrambling, and kayaking.