Canada Parks Day is July 21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Parks across Canada - Canada’s Parks Day, an annual celebration showcasing the nature and history of the country, will take place nationwide on Saturday, July 21st.

This year, the national event will build on last year’s theme of Canada’s Parks-- Real Nature, Real History, Real Experiences, reminding us of the natural beauty and educational experiences awaiting visitors in parks, as well as the sense of history found in many parks and our historic sites.


Set aside your computers, televisions and smart phones for a day, then go out and explore and enjoy all that Canadian national parks, national historic sites, provincial, territorial and municipal parks have to offer on this special day dedicated to celebrating our nation’s parks. After you have rejuvenated yourself in the great Canadian outdoors, use your form of technology to share your experience by visiting www.facebook.com/ParksDay.

Coinciding with this theme, throughout 2012, Parks Canada is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 with events at more than twenty Parks Canada sites giving visitors a unique opportunity to relive the past and some of the most important moments of this fascinating period in our history.

2012 is also a significant year of celebrations across the country from the west where Alberta Parks is celebrating their 80th anniversary to Nova Scotia where Amherst Shore Provincial Park and Mira River Provincial Park are celebrating 45 years and Dollar Lake Provincial Park is celebrating 30 years. Both Mira River and Dollar Lake annually host fun, family-oriented events to commemorate Parks Day and this year will be no different.

First celebrated in 1990, Parks Day is a great opportunity for Canadians and visitors to the country to enjoy and discover the treasures and natural beauty that exists all around us in parks and historic sites from coast to coast to coast. People of all ages are invited to learn more about the nature and history of Canada by participating in Parks Day festivities. From nature walks to canoe tours, art displays, kite making workshops,
lumberjack demonstrations, the choice in events is as vast as the beauty within the thousands of Canadian parks and historic sites.

There are many great events taking place all across the country. For further information on events that are taking place in a park or historic site close to you, visit www.parksday.ca and click on “events”. After choosing your province or territory on the map, you will be provided with a listing of all events taking place there with times and descriptions for each.

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For further information on Parks Day or to obtain photos, please contact:
Laurie Collette
Parks Day Coordinator
Canadian Parks Council
(705) 652-5159
lcollette@parks-parcs.ca