Rocky Harbour – On Sunday, August 13, Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains, Newfoundland and Labrador, on behalf of Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, participated in an Official Ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Federal-Provincial Agreement to establish Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The event was attended by many dignitaries including the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, former Prime Minister of Canada; Chief Mi’sel Joe of Miawpukek First Nation; Chief Brendan Mitchell of Qalipu First Nation; Gerry Byrne, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills; mayors from Gros Morne National Park enclave communities; Shirley Montague, Chair of the Gros Morne Cooperating Association; and Ron Hallman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Parks Canada. The ceremony concluded with area mayors signing an agreement to work together on a collaborative regional approach to tourism which will serve as a foundation for the next 50 years.
Gros Morne National Park, internationally recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is marking its 50th anniversary milestone with a series of celebrations planned in collaboration with Indigenous partners, local communities, and others over the course of the entire year. This 50th anniversary year provides an opportunity for reflection – on shared accomplishments, lessons from the past, and the way forward, as we lay a foundation for the next 50 years.
“Parks Canada administered places, like Gros Morne National Park, represent the very best that Canada has to offer and tell stories of who we are, including the stories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples. For fifty years, the passionate teams at Gros Morne National Park, in collaboration and partnership with Miawpukek First Nation, Qalipu First Nation, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the surrounding communities, have made significant conservation gains and delivered exemplary experiences to thousands of visitors from here and abroad. Congratulations on fifty years of collaboration and conservation!” – Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada
“Today Gros Morne is an international destination, a Unesco World Heritage Site, and together with local communities, tourism businesses, Indigenous and other partners we welcome, and together, share the stories of this place, our home, with over a quarter of a million visitors annually. ” – Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains, Newfoundland and Labrador