Latest news with #ParksCanada
CBC
7 hours ago
- General
- CBC
Q&A: Message in a bottle from 1983 found on Sable Island
Social Sharing A Parks Canada archaeology technician on Sable Island recently found a message in a bottle that contained a note and an old Canadian $2 bill. It happened in mid-May on the sliver of land about 300 kilometres southeast of Halifax. Parks Canada says a message in a bottle is usually found once a year on the island — give or take. Sarah Medill is an operations co-ordinator for Parks Canada on Sable Island. She spoke to CBC's Information Morning Cape Breton. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Tell us the story of this message in the bottle. In mid-May, Mark Doucette — an archaeologist out here working on another project — found this bottle in the area where they were working, and he brought it back to the parks team and we brought it back to the station. And so we tend to make a little bit of a deal when we find things like this on the island and invited everybody who was here. So I think there was about eight people on the island at the time to come for the opening and the unveiling. You make it a bit of a thing? We do make it a bit of a thing. It's always kind of an exciting find because you never know what's going to be inside or what the message is going to be. Let's start from the outside. Tell us about the bottle and what kind of shape was it in when Mark found it? You could actually still recognize it as a Gordon's gin bottle. And so it still had sort of the embossment of the name on it but like a lot of the bottles on Sable Island — they don't break because there's no rocks on the island or around the island. They come up intact, but they do get quite sandblasted. It was a little hard to see into the bottle, but you could definitely tell that there was something inside it. And they had screwed the cap back on and then sealed it up with electrical tape. And even that was still relatively intact, so the condition was pretty good. What was in it? When we opened it up, there was definitely a rolled-up note and in the rolled-up note was also a Canadian $2 bill … Actually, the first thing you noticed when you opened it, you could actually still smell the gin. Really? Yeah, it still had a very alcoholic aroma to it. And unfortunately the gin also made some of the writing on the letter that they wrote a little hard to make out. And so some of the letters were missing, but we were able to eventually make out that one side said "We're from the crew of the Wimpy Seahunter supply ship" and then it provided a date. So they set it ashore sometime near Sable Island on Jan. 14, 1983. "Congratulations" was written on [the note] as well … on getting your two dollars. Where did they set it adrift? Well, it would have been somewhere around Sable Island, it implies anyway. So a supply ship around that time, there was offshore oil and gas platforms on the island. So this was probably a resupply ship for those or a support ship. So that bottle has been around for 42 years with that message in it? Exactly. I wonder how long it's been on the island, because the sand fills in and comes off, right? Yeah, it does. And who knows, it could have come ashore fairly recently or bobbed around for a little while shortly after they released it. The sand will sometimes bury things and then other storms will expose them again. The area where the bottle was found was on the north side of the island. So when you think of Sable Island, you kind of imagine it as a big smile and a crescent shape. And so the north side of the island is on the inside of that crescent and it sort of almost acts as a basket for catching things out of the ocean. So it's sort of mixed in with a lot of other stuff. So do you know anything about that? What did you say the name of the vessel was? So it was a little hard to make out originally because the W was missing and what turned out to be a P was sort of written looking like an R. So initially we were like looking at the IM ray Seahunter. But then once the note dried again, it was still a bit damp with the leftover gin. You could see the impressions for the W and some searching online, we did see that there was a boat called the Wimpy Seahunter that was in the area in the '80s, early '80s. You said there have been other finds like this? We find a message in a bottle about once a year on the island, give or take. And in the last probably 10 years, we've had one that was set adrift as early as in the 1930s. And that was from a boat that was travelling from somewhere in the U.K. to North America. And the person who wrote the message sounded like they were moving from Scotland to somewhere in North America at the time. It was written on the ship's sort of information sheet, so that was fairly interesting too. And it was the vessel, I believe it was called the Caledonia. And so that was only found probably six or seven years ago and but you know, sent to sea in the 1930s. What's another one? We had a group of maybe Grade 6 students in Massachusetts that set a bottle adrift with just little hellos and messages, and we think that was maybe a school project just to see if something was returned. What are you gonna do with your $2 Canadian bill? As far as I know, I think the archaeologists took the note in the bottle and the $2 bill back with them. It'll probably go to archives for a bit anyway.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Looking for National Park ‘Dupes'? Try Canada.
For national park lovers, the recent staff and budget cuts to the U.S. National Park Service threaten to bring long admission lines, shuttered campgrounds and overflowing garbage cans. If you're seeking to avoid the potential chaos, there's a set of parallel parks just north of the border, in Canada's park system. American visitors are second only to Canadians in park visitation, said Guy Thériault, the chief spokesman for Parks Canada, which oversees 48 national parks. It could be a big year for Canadian parks, with politics and the economy driving visits. Canadians are canceling trips to the United States to protest President Trump's tariffs and threats to Canadian sovereignty, while also dealing with a weak Canadian dollar (the U.S. dollar is worth about 1.38 Canadian dollars). 'I think it's going to be very busy, with domestic travelers staying at home and busy with international travelers,' Mr. Thériault said. Dropping gas prices may help. 'We rely on a big U.S. drive market,' he said. Whether you drive or fly, the following Canadian alternatives offer similar appeal to certain American parks. Instead of Acadia National Park, in Maine Fundy National Park, in New Brunswick Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
‘Aggressive' black bear euthanized in Waterton Lakes National Park
Parks Canada says a bear had to be euthanized in southern Alberta last week after exhibiting 'unusual and aggressive behaviour' toward humans. According to a social media post, the organization received a report on Saturday, May 24, about a black bear that approached a hiker on Cameron Lakeshore Trail in Waterton Lakes National Park. Parks Canada says the bear behaved in a manner deemed 'not safe' for maintaining 'human-wildlife coexistence.' The encounter prompted officials to close an area surrounding Cameron Lake and nearby trails. The following day, Parks Canada's wildlife team located a bear matching the description of the one involved in the May 24 incident, which they say was exhibiting 'similar behaviours.' After careful consideration, the decision was made to euthanize the bear. Parks Canada says the action is in line with its standard human-wildlife coexistence procedures. 'This action is always a last resort and will only be taken if necessary to do so in the interest of public safety,' Parks Canada said. 'Human and wildlife safety is of the utmost importance to Parks Canada. While this was an isolated incident, we want to remind visitors that wildlife and public safety is a shared responsibility – we all have a role to play.' Parks Canada is asking people to report bear sightings of concern immediately by calling 1-888-927-3367.
Canada Standard
4 days ago
- General
- Canada Standard
Government of Canada recognizes the historic significance of Rockcliffe Park Historic District
Located northeast of downtown Ottawa, this district is an example of suburban planning traditions of the second half of the 19th century. May 30, 2025 Ottawa, ON Parks Canada Today, the Honourable Mona Fortier, on behalf of the minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, commemorated the national historic significance of Rockcliffe Park Historic District at a special plaque unveiling ceremony. National historic designations illustrate the persons, places, and events that have marked history in Canada. Together, they tell the stories of who we are and connect us to our past, enriching our understanding of ourselves, each other, and this country. Located at the confluence of the Ottawa, Rideau, and Gatineau Rivers, this residential district covers an estimated area of 1.77 km2. Known to the Anishinbeg as Kishkbik , Rockcliffe Park is part of an important historical area where Indigenous people have lived, gathered, harvested, and traded for millennia. Following European settlement, this neighbourhood district was designed and laid out in 1864 by Thomas Coltrin Keefer, as part of Thomas MacKay's large estate purchased in the 1830s. Rockcliffe Park is an excellent example of the picturesque English and American suburban planning traditions of the second half of the 19th century. The varied, high-quality architecture was the work of renowned architects, who promoted the use of a variety of styles such as Tudor, Georgian, and Queen Anne. Amalgamated with the City of Ottawa in 2001, Rockcliffe Park retains a high degree of integrity and many of the key elements associated with its original design. The Government of Canada, through Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant people, places, and events that shaped this country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster understanding of and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada's past and present. The designation process under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: -30-
Cision Canada
4 days ago
- General
- Cision Canada
Government of Canada recognizes the historic significance of Rockcliffe Park Historic District Français
Located northeast of downtown Ottawa, this district is an example of suburban planning traditions of the second half of the 19 th century. OTTAWA, ON, May 30, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Mona Fortier, on behalf of the minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, commemorated the national historic significance of Rockcliffe Park Historic District at a special plaque unveiling ceremony. National historic designations illustrate the persons, places, and events that have marked history in Canada. Together, they tell the stories of who we are and connect us to our past, enriching our understanding of ourselves, each other, and this country. Located at the confluence of the Ottawa, Rideau, and Gatineau Rivers, this residential district covers an estimated area of 1.77 km 2. Known to the Anishinābeg as Kishkābikā, Rockcliffe Park is part of an important historical area where Indigenous people have lived, gathered, harvested, and traded for millennia. Following European settlement, this neighbourhood district was designed and laid out in 1864 by Thomas Coltrin Keefer, as part of Thomas MacKay's large estate purchased in the 1830s. Rockcliffe Park is an excellent example of the picturesque English and American suburban planning traditions of the second half of the 19 th century. The varied, high-quality architecture was the work of renowned architects, who promoted the use of a variety of styles such as Tudor, Georgian, and Queen Anne. Amalgamated with the City of Ottawa in 2001, Rockcliffe Park retains a high degree of integrity and many of the key elements associated with its original design. The Government of Canada, through Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant people, places, and events that shaped this country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster understanding of and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada's past and present. The designation process under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: Quotes "Today's designation of Rockcliffe Park Historic District as a site of national historic significance reminds us that historic neighbourhoods are part of the urban fabric of Canada, including ones that were carefully designed in the 19 th century. Historic suburbs such as this, hold a landscape's memories and continue to reflect the presence of the communities that have shaped them. Recognizing this place as a national historic site honours the efforts communities make to maintain and preserve the places where they live, and ensures that the layers of history, that are a part of every neighbourhood, are not forgotten." The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages "Rockcliffe Park is a cherished gem in our community, embodying both natural beauty and the rich historical significance of its built heritage. By valuing and preserving these elements, designations like this one enable us to honour the past, celebrate our shared heritage, and reflect a commitment to preserving these special places for all." The Honourable Mona Fortier Member of Parliament for Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester Quick Facts Artefacts found along the Ottawa River indicate that people from many Indigenous nations passed through this crossroads, which was part of a complex communication and transportation network that spanned North America. Since 1864, the Village of Rockcliffe Park has been and remains a predominantly single-family residential community. The neighbourhood was planned to provide housing for future civil servants moving to Ottawa, which became the capital of the Province of Canada in 1866 and of the new Dominion of Canada in 1867 and continues to provide an inviting environment for many of Ottawa's diplomatic missions. Private residences of national significance and several embassies can be found in the neighbourhood. Built in 1959 on Lansdowne Road North, Hart Massey House is an iconic example of mid-20 th -century modern residential architecture in Canada. Hart Massey House was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2018. Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the minister responsible for Parks Canada on the national significance of persons, places, and events that have marked Canada's history. To date, more than 2,270 designations have been made nationwide. Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration and these important stories are shared with Canadians. Parks Canada is committed to working with Canadians in our efforts to tell broader, more inclusive stories in the places that it manages. In support of this goal, the Framework for History and Commemoration outlines a comprehensive and engaging approach to sharing Canada's history through diverse perspectives. Related Links Parks Canada Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)
