Canadian national parks

TheNational Parks of Canada,and some of theNational Historic Sites of Canada,are managed byParks Canada,an agency of the Government of Canada. If, when you picture Canada in your mind, you see vast wildernesses and mountain vistas, you are thinking of the national parks, one of the largest systems of protected areas in the world. As well, there are numerous historic sites protected by Parks Canada, some of which are also accessible by the general public.

Understand

The national parks cover more than328,000km²(127,000sqmi),or about 3.3% of the total land area of Canada. Together, Canada's national parks are larger than Norway.

Beginning withBanff National Parkin 1885, the federal government of Canada began putting aside scenic pieces of land aside for tourism. To this later were added more remote areas, where conservation rather than recreation are the focus. The parks range in size and amenities from small and highly developed areas on the edge of cities to vast wildlands the size of many European countries, but without any permanent population. Entrance to the parks are controlled by tollgates on the highways leading to them (if any), and one must pay to get in, or in some cases you can transit through a park, but have to pay to leave the highway.

It is not only the federal (central) government that operates parks in Canada. Each province also runs numerousprovincial parks,some of which are equally or more famous than their federal cousins, such asAlgonquin Provincial Parkin Ontario,Dinosaur Provincial ParkorKananaskis Countryin Alberta. Confusingly, the provincially-owned parks in the often nationalistic province ofQuebec,are also called "national parks"; for exampleGaspésie National ParkandMiguasha National Parkare not federal, but rather provincial parks, despite the name.

There are two notable parks which are administered by other branches of the federal government, not Parks Canada. Both are free to enter, so a Parks Canada pass isn't needed. They are:

• 1Gatineau Park,a major recreational attraction in theOutaouaisregion ofQuebecnearGatineauandOttawa), administered by the National Capital Commission.
• 2The Battlefields Park(Parc des Champs-de-Bataille) A major urban park and site of the 1759 Battle of the Plains of Abraham in which the British tookQuebec City.

National parks

There are 37 federally-operatednational parks,11 National Park Reserves, three National Marine Conservation Areas (NMCAs), one NMCA Reserve and one National Landmark. National Park Reserves are areas subject to indigenous land claims, their exact status and boundaries are therefore not considered permanent, but for a traveller they operate much the same as a full national park. Many of these places are designated asUNESCO World Heritage Sites.

National historic sites

Parks Canada also operates more than 170 of Canada'sNational Historic Sites.A few are located within national parks, such as Banff or Jasper.

This articles lists many of the more important sites. Various smaller sites are listed in their host cities.

Atlantic provinces

National parks

• 1Cape Breton Highlandsincludes a significant portion of the Cabot Trail, the world-famous overland route; the park has 26 marked hiking trails, beaches, and a top-ranked golf course.

• 2Fundyin New Brunswick showcases a rugged coastline which rises up to the Canadian Highlands, the highest tides in the world and more than 25 waterfalls. At low tide visitors can explore the ocean floor where a variety of sea creatures cling to life.

Gros Morne

• 3Gros Morneis a park andUNESCO World Heritage siteinNewfoundland.It is an area of impressive natural beauty, rural Newfoundland culture, and unique geological wonders including a number of fjords and the barren Tablelands.

• 4Kejimkujiklies in the rugged interior ofNova Scotia.Kejimkujik is a cultural landscape associated with the Mi’kmaq people, and incorporates 38 Indigenous sites, four petroglyph sites, three villages and a cemetery.

• 5Kouchibouguacin SoutheasternNew Brunswickdraws visitors to its very long sand dune, bogs, a boardwalk trail, hiking trails, network of bicycle trails, and the Cap-St-Louis fishing port.

Mealy Mountains

• 6Mealy Mountainsin central Labrador protects boreal forest, caribou, Atlantic salmon and trout, wolves, black bear, marten and fox, mountains, tundra, fjords and expansive native landscapes.

• 7Torngat Mountainsoccupies the northernmost tip ofLabrador.It is a rugged terrain of mountains and fjords that is accessible is by boat or chartered aircraft only.

• 8Pituamkek,established in July 2024 as the country's newest national park, extends over 50 km (30 mi) of barrier islands on the north shore of Prince Edward Island, also including some nearby islands and a small slice of the PEI shore. The park is an important bird area, and has been used for thousands of years as a Mi'kmaq hunting and fishing ground.

Prince Edward National Park

• 9Prince Edward Islandextends over 65 km (40 mi) of shoreline, including beaches, red sandstone cliffs and rolling sand dunes along the island's north shore, fronting the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It includes the farmhouse from Lucy Maud Montgomery'sAnne of Green Gablesbooks, a popular site for visitors.

• 10Sable Islandis a national park reserve in the Atlantic Ocean 300 km offshore fromNova Scotia.The reserves covers the entire island, which is home to over 550 free-roaming Sable Island Ponies. This feral horse population is protected by law from human interference. The island is usually visited by cruise ship or by chartered plane.

• 11Terra Novaprotects an area of the Eastern Island Boreal Forest on the east coast ofNewfoundland.It is a place where sheltered Atlantic fjords stretch inland to touch the boreal landscape.

National historic sites

• 1Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site–Baddeck,Nova Scotia,where the inventor of the telephone did some of his research and experiments in his summer home
• 2Cape Spear– easternmost point in Canada, nearSt. John's,Newfoundland- site of Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site
• 3Fort Anneand Scots Fort,Annapolis Royal,Nova Scotia;Two buildings remain of this 1629 fort
• 4Fort Beauséjour– the partially reconstructed ruins of a French fortress built 1751, nearAulac,New Brunswick
• 5Fortress of Louisbourg– a reconstruction of the 18th-century fortified French town ofLouisbourg,on Cape Breton Island,Nova Scotia
• 6Grand-Pré National Historic Site– former Acadian settlement, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site,Nova Scotia
• 7Green Gables Heritage Place– author Lucy Maud Montgomery based the location of her best-selling "Anne" series of books on the Green Gables farm nearCavendish,Prince Edward Island(PEI)
• 8Halifax Citadeland9York Redoubt– the citadel, a star fort overlookingHalifax,Nova Scotia,has been restored to its appearance during the Victorian era
• 10Hopedale Mission,inNunatsiavut,Labrador,is a group of seven historic buildings built as a Moravian mission to the Inuit which began in 1782
• 11L'Anse aux Meadows– a reconstruction of a Viking settlement on Newfoundland'sGreat Northern Peninsula
• 12Red Bay– historic whaling station and archaeological site nearForteau,Labrador
• 13Signal Hill– inSt. John's,Newfoundland,where the 1897 Cabot Tower overlooks the city's beautiful harbour

Quebec

National parks

In Quebec, parks operated by the provincial government are also called "national parks". This article lists only national parks operated by the federal government.

Monoliths in Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve

• 12Forillonat the end of Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula has a beautiful mix of forests, mountains, and shore with many recreational opportunities. 72 km (45 miles) of trails pass through ten distinct ecosystems. On the water, there are whale watching cruises, sea kayaking and paddleboarding excursions.

• 13La Mauriciehas 150 lakes and many ponds within the Eastern forest-boreal transition ecoregion of Quebec. A drive through the park provides spectacular views, and many opportunities for camping, canoeing, hiking through the forest, and wildlife sighting.

• 14Mingan Archipelagois a national park reserve on the North Shore ofQuebeccomprised of roughly 1,000 islands and coastal inlets. It features a unique set of limestone sculptures, which form the largest group of such monoliths in Canada.

National historic sites

• 14Forges du Saint-Maurice– an archaeological site of the first site of the steel industry and the first industrial town in Canada inTrois-Rivières.
• 15Fortifications of Québec–Quebec Cityis one of two cities in North America with a completely preserved fortification system. It has a length of 4.6 km, four gates, a citadel and three Martello towers and almost entirely surrounds Haute-Ville.
• 16Grosse Isle– a memorial for people who died at this quarantine station for immigrants fleeing the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s
• 17Lachine Canal– a beautiful 14.5-km bike path that runs along this historic canal inMontreal South West

Ontario

National parks

Bruce Peninsula

• 15Bruce Peninsulain southernOntarioforms the core of UNESCO's Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve. It is one of the largest protected areas in southern Ontario. It connects to the 904-km-longBruce Trailalong the Niagara Escarpment.

• 16Georgian Bay Islandsis composed of 63 islands in Ontario that are part of the world’s largest freshwater archipelago. Here, the windswept white pines and granite shores of the Canadian Shield turn to dense deciduous woodland.

• 17Point Peleein Ontario is Canada's smallest Park, and includes the southernmost point of mainland Canada. While significant breeding birds call the park home, Point Pelee's greatest importance is to migratory species moving through in spring and fall.

• 18Pukaskwain northern Ontario is known for its vistas of Lake Superior and boreal forests. The park protects part of the longest undeveloped shoreline anywhere on the Great Lakes. Its 60-km Coastal Hiking Trail which follows the north shore of Lake Superior.

Little Rouge River Lookout

• 19Rougeis the largest urban protected area in North America. It overlaps the cities of Toronto, Markham and Pickering and the Township of Uxbridge inOntario.It is accessible by city public transit buses. Unlike most Canadian national parks, admission is free, though camping fees are charged.

• 20Thousand Islandsis a collection of islands and secluded bays in easternOntariowith great opportunitiesfor kayaking and canoeing, and many hiking trails.

National historic sites

• 18Bellevue House– the home of Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John Alexander Macdonald from 1848 to 1849 inKingston
• 19Fort George,reconstructed British fort which featured prominently in the War of 1812, and20Fort Mississauga,which has one remaining building from the same era–Niagara-on-the-Lake
• 21Fort Wellington,a historical open-air museum in a fortification built during the War of 1812 with restored buildings, and22Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site,60-foot-tall (18 m) stone lighthouse tower that marks the site of a battle fought in 1838, during the Upper Canada Rebellion.–Prescott
• 23Laurier House– the former residence of two Canadian prime ministers: Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King,Ottawa
• 24Rideau Canal– a 202-km historical scenic waterway completed in 1832 that connects the towns of Kingston and Ottawa that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• 25Trent-Severn Waterway– a 386-km waterway built between 1833 and 1920 connecting Lake Ontario atTrentonto Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, atPort Severn,and Peterborough Lift Lock

Prairies

National parks

Moraine Lake in Banff National Park

• 21BanffinAlbertahas stunning mountain scenery tgat makes it one of Canada's most-visited parks. Together with six other national parks, it makes up the Canadian Rocky Mountain ParksUNESCO World Heritage site.

A bison in Elk Island National Park

• 22Elk IslandinAlbertais home to more than 40 species of free-roaming mammals including plains bison, wood bison, elk, moose, deer, beaver, and muskrat. Over 250 species of birds live here, making it a good place for birdwatching.

• 23GrasslandsinSaskatchewanincludes907km²(350sqmi)of the Prairie Grasslands natural region, protecting one of Canada's few remaining areas of undisturbed dry mixed-grass/shortgrass prairie grassland.

• 24Jasperis aUNESCO World Heritage SiteinAlbertathat is the largest of Canada's Rocky Mountain Parks. It offers stunning mountain scenery, more than 1,000 km of trails, and hot springs.

• 25Prince AlbertinSaskatchewanrepresent the transition from the prairies (open grasslands) through aspen parklands (poplar and other deciduous trees with open spaces between clumps) and boreal forest (coniferous trees, lakes, beaches).

• 26Riding MountaininManitobaprotects three ecosystems that converge in the area: grasslands, upland boreal and eastern deciduous forests. It offers over 400 km (250 mi) of trails for hiking, horse riding, and cross-country skiing.

• 27Wapuskin northernManitobais the best location in the world to view and photograph wild polar bears. It is one of the world's largest known polar bear maternity denning areas. It is accessible by helicopter or Tundra Buggy tour fromChurchill.

• 28Waterton Lakesis a park andUNESCO World Heritage siteinAlberta.The Canadian portion of Waterton Glacier International Peace Park protects the southernmost portion of the Canadian Rockies. It is known for its hiking and sight-seeing.

National historic sites

• 26Bar U Ranch– a ranch inLongview,Alberta,that is preserved as life was during the time period 1882-1950, allowing the visitor to experience and understand life on the historical ranch
• 27Batoche– former village and the site of an historic battle during the North-West Rebellion of 1885 nearPrince Albert,Saskatchewan
• 28Fort Battleford– five original North-West Mounted Police buildings ftom 1876 inBattleford,Saskatchewan
• 29Lower Fort Garry– a restored 19th-century fort and fur trading post where costumed staff recreate the 1850s inSelkirk,Manitoba
• 30Riel House,which commemorates the life of the Métis politician and activist Louis Riel and the daily life of Métis families in the Red River Settlement, and31The Forks,a park and public space for the arts, events, food and shopping inWinnipeg,Manitoba
• 32Rocky Mountain House– an archaeological site that contains the remains of several early 19th-century Hudson's Bay Company fur trade forts inRocky Mountain House,Alberta
• 33York Factory– a former Hudson's Bay Company post 120 km SE ofChurchill,Manitoba

British Columbia

National parks

• 29Glacierencompasses a portion of the Columbia Mountains and the Rogers Pass National Historic Site. Accessible by highway, many visitors come to see its high peaks, large, active glaciers, and one of Canada's largest cave systems.

  

  Gulf Islands National Park

• 30Gulf Islandsis a national park reserve in theSouthern Gulf Islands.It includes many islets and reef areas and offers incredible opportunities for boating, kayaking, hiking, camping and wildlife viewing.
• 31Gwaii Haanasis a national park reserve inHaida Gwaii.TheSG̱ang Gwaay Llnaagaysite is aUNESCO World Heritage Site,and since 2004, the entire park has been on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage.

  

  Kootenay National Park

• 32Kootenayis aUNESCO World Heritage Site.The park includes parts of the Kootenay and Park mountain ranges, the Kootenay River and the entirety of the Vermilion River.
• 33Mount Revelstokeis adjacent to the city ofRevelstokein the Kootenays. It protects a small herd of the threatened woodland caribou, and provides habitats for cougars, grizzly bears, lynxes, black bears, red foxes, moose, martens, coyotes, a variety of bats, wolf packs, several species of shrews, voles, mice, wolverines, and mountain goat.
• 34Pacific Rimis a national park reserve on the west coast ofVancouver Island.It is composed of three parts: the beautiful Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands (over 100 small islands and islets in Barkley Sound), and the West Coast Trail (a challenging 75-km trail along the west coast of Vancouver Island).
• 35Yohois a park andUNESCO World Heritage siteas part of theCanadian Rocky Mountain Parksbordering Banff in Alberta. It can be said to be British Columbia's equivalent of Banff or Jasper national parks.
• 36Admiralty Pointis a tiny92 hectares (230 acres)national park surrounded by the təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park of 1,100 hectares (2,700 acre). They are located inBelcarra,Greater Vancouver.

National historic sites

• 34Chilkoot Trail– a 33-mile, 54-km hike from the coast of north ofSkagway,Alaska to Lake Bennett
• 35Fort Langley National Historic Site– helps to tell the story of local fur trade and agricultural pursuits, the colonization story, and the ongoing history of theLangleyarea
• 36Gulf of Georgia Cannery– learn about the West Coast fishing industry at this historic cannery in Steveston area ofRichmond
• 37Stanley Park– one of North America's largest urban parks, it is an oasis of wilderness in the middle ofVancouver's west end,surrounded by a 9-km-paved path along the seashore

Northern Canada

National parks

Pangnirtung Fiord, Auyuittuq National Park

• 37Aulavikat the northern end of Banks Island in theNorthwest Territoriesis a remote park that protects Arctic Lowlands. It is a treeless Arctic desert with high winds, that is home to muskoxen, caribou, Arctic foxes, Arctic hares and wolves, and polar bears. It is accessed by boat arranged by local outfitters.

• 38Auyuittuqis a park inNunavut.Its name means "the land that never melts" inInuktitut.It protects many terrains of Arctic wilderness, such asfjords,glaciers, and ice fields. Mount Thor, the largest uninterrupted cliff face in the world, is a popular destination for rock climbers

• 39Ivvavikis a park andUNESCO World Heritage SiteinYukonthat is home to the Firth River, which is considered to be one of the great rafting rivers of the world.

• 40Kluanepark andUNESCO World Heritage Sitein Yukon known for the spectacular glacier and icefield landscapes as well as for the importance of grizzly bears, caribou and Dall sheep habitat. The park’s interior is generally accessible only via a flightseeing tour or on a serious mountaineering or ski touring expedition.

• 41Naats'ihch'ohis a national park reserve in theNorthwest Territoriesthat is accessible by float plane. It encompasses parts of the South Nahanni River watershed, and is home to grizzly bear, Dall’s sheep, mountain goats, and woodland caribou.

Virginia Falls, Nahanni National Park Reserve

• 42Nahanninational park reserve in the andUNESCO World Heritage Sitein the Northwest Territories. It protects a portion of the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region. The centrepiece of the park is the South Nahanni River (Naha Dehé), and four canyons reaching 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in depth.

• 43Qausuittuqis a remote park inNunavutthat protects an area of the Western High Arctic that is larger than Kosovo. It is accessible by chartered plane.

• 44Quttinirpaaqis a remote park inNunavutthat is larger than Taiwan. It is a polar desert with very little annual precipitation. Much of the highlands of the park are covered in ice caps. It is accessible by chartered plane.

Sirmilik Glacier

• 45Sirmilikis a remote park inNunavutthat protects Northern Eastern Arctic Lowlands Natural Region and parts of the Lancaster Sound Marine Region. The park can be visited by boat or snowmachine arranged through local outfitters.

• 46Thaidene Neneis a proposed national park reserve at the eastern end of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. This area is the size of Belgium, and is characterized by a striking archipelago of islands, peninsulas, landscape formations shaped by ancient ice sheets, dramatic red granite cliffs, a variety of climates, soils and ecosystem processes.

• 47Tuktut Nogaitlies far north of the Arctic Circle in the northeast corner of mainlandNorthwest Territories.The park is home to the calving grounds of the Bluenose-West caribou herd, and is a major breeding and nesting ground for a wide variety of migratory birds. It is accessible by chartered plane.

Ukkusiksalik National Park

• 48Ukkusiksalikis a park on the mainland of Nunavut. Inuit people lived here from the 11th century to the 1960s. There are more than 400 documented archaeological sites within park boundaries. It is accessible by plane charter year-round. Outfitters offer boat excursions in July and August, and snowmobile excursions in spring.

• 49Vuntutis a park in Yukon that is extremely remote and difficult to access, and has no developed facilities or trails. The northern two thirds of the park is made up of the rolling hills and peaks of the British Mountains, while the southern part is a vast wetland complex of shallow lakes and small streams

• 50Wood Buffalois a park andUNESCO World Heritage sitethat is larger than Switzerland and spans parts ofAlbertaand theNorthwest Territories.Canada's largest national park protects the largest bison population in North America and the largest inland delta.

National landmark

• 51Pingo National Landmark– a thousand domes of earth-covered ice found only in the high Arctic, 5 km west ofTuktoyaktukin theNorthwest Territories.

National historic sites

• 38Dredge No. 4– a wooden-hulled bucketline sluice dredge that mined placer gold on the Yukon River at Bonanza Creek, nearDawson City,Yukon
• 39Dawson Historical Complexand40SS Keno– preserved frontier buildings and boardwalks, saloons, and a vintage sternwheeler recall the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush days inDawson City,Yukon
• 41SS Klondike– inWhitehorse,Yukon,ran freight along the Yukon River from 1937 to 1950

Park entry fees

A polar bear in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba

Most Canadian national parks collect anentry fee,which varies by park. Canadian residents and international visitors pay the same price regardless of citizenship or place of residence. A few national parks are close to other parks (such as Banff National Park or Yoho National Park, mountain parks on the Alberta-BC border); it is possible to visit several parks in the same day and only pay once as the paid entry fee is valid until 4PM the following day.

Youth and children up to the age of 17 are allowed free admission to all national parks.

If visiting Canadian national parks for a week or more, or visiting more than a half-dozen national parks and national historic sites in a calendar year, it may be less expensive to purchase an annualDiscovery Pass.A Discovery Pass includes admission to national historic sites operated by Parks Canada, such as the Banff Park Museum, Cave and Basin National Historic Site, Bar U Ranch, Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site and Fort Langley National Historic Site.

Parks Canada does not operate all of Canada's national historic sites. To add confusion, Québec uses "parc national" for both federal and provincial (SÉPAQ) parks, which are two separate systems with non-interchangeable system passes. Due to its international, divided status theThousand Islandshas both a Canadian national park and an American state park, part of separate systems.

Visitor fees are used to enhance and maintain the parks and visitor services; they do not go to general government revenues.

Parks Canada Passes

TheDiscovery Passprovides unlimited admission for a full year at over 80 Parks Canada places that charge a daily entrance fee. It provides faster entry and is valid for 12 months from date of purchase. Prices for 2024 (taxes included):

• Family/group (up to 7 people in a vehicle): $151.25
• Children and youth (0-17): free
• Adult (18-64): $75.25
• Senior (65+): $64.50

TheCultural Access Pass:people who have received their Canadian citizenship in the past year can qualify for free entry to some sites.

Reservations

Campgrounds may be reserved in advance.Reservationsopen in January for the next Apr 1 to March 31 period. Reservations are available fromhttps://reservation.pc.gc.ca/or +1-877-RESERVE (☏+1-877-737-3783,8AM–6PM local time); Parks Canada general information is provided at☏+1-888-773-8888.

Respect

Cap Bon-Ami, Forillon National Park, Quebec

In short:Leave-no-trace campingis always advised in national parks.

Disturbing wildlife is illegal in a national park. Leave rocks, plants, bones and antlers as you found them. A few parks containarchaeological sitesor are in ecologically-sensitive locations such as the high Arctic. You may need to pack out any rubbish with you when you leave; if there are nolatrinesin a sensitive location, excrement should be packed out or buried. Anything left behind in the far north may take a very long time to decay, if it's biodegradable at all.

Some parts of the parks are restricted to protect wildlife; for instance, if a beachfront nesting habitat for endangered birds is not accessible to the public, it is left undisturbed with no roads into the protected segments.

Many parks are in remote or forested locations with essentially no local firefighting capability. A cook stove is preferable to an open camp fire, due to risk ofwildfires.Keep any fires small enough to burn to ash before you leave. Never build a fire on moss or Arctic tundra where it can spread underground.

Do not leave markers, messages or other manmade indicators behind; leave the parkland in its natural, untouched state for the next voyager. In some wilderness locations without marked permanent camp sites,leave-no-trace campingis advised.

A few parks in remote far northern locations likeEllesmere Islandor theTorngat Mountainsrequire visitors register on entry and notify the park office on departure. Failure to deregister (or leave a message indicating your party successfully completed its trip) risks the launch of a very expensive and awkward search if authorities mistakenly believe you are still stranded in the park.

Flying recreational drones is prohibited – offenders may face fines of$25000if caught.

Stay safe

Vuntut National Park, Yukon

Help is not always close at hand. Parks Canada sites vary from beaten-path (such as theRideau CanalinOttawaor theAnne of Green Gablessite inPrince Edward Island National Park) tonext-to-impossible destinations(such as parts ofNunavutand the high Arctic). In some places, asatellite phonemay be the only communication in an emergency andGPSthe only waypoint or location marker. A national 24-hour emergency dispatcher may be reached inJasper,Alberta at☏+1 780-852-3100(freephone:☏+1-877-852-3100) if attempts to contact a local park office fail, but it may take days for help to arrive in adverse conditions in a truly remote location accessible only by aircraft.

As adverseweathermay delay your departure from a remote location; it's best to carry a few extra days worth of provisions.

If heading far from the beaten path, leave an itinerary with intended route locations, activities and date of expected return, names of all visitors and guides in the group (with emergency contact info for each) and description of major identifiable equipment (like tents orwatercraft).

Dangerous animalsare a hazard; you are on their turf, so be bear aware. Foodstuffs may need to be packaged in bear-resistant containers. Significant restrictions dictate who may carry firearms in national parks. By necessity, Parks Canada allows specially-licensed guides, natives or researchers to carry firearms for protection from polar bears in nine of the parks: Ivvavik and Vuntut (northern Yukon), Aulavik and Tuktut Nogait (Northwest Territories), Quttinirpaaq (Ellesmere Island, Nunavut), Sirmilik and Auyuittuq (Baffin Island, Nunavut), Torngat Mountains National Park (Labrador) and Wapusk National Park (north of Churchill, Manitoba). The bears are a protectedspecies at riskbut, if warning shots, flares, air horns or pepper spray fail to scare bears away from humans, the armed native bear guards are empowered to use lethal force to protect human life.