National park creation projects in progress

Four projects to create national park are currently in development. Since they are at different stages of the creation process, the information presented on this page will be updated as the documentation is made public.

In partnership with the Ouje‑Bougoumou Cree Nation, the Gouvernement du Québec plans to create Parc national Assinica in the Nord‑du‑Québec region. The territory will have an area of 3,193 km².

This national park project is located about twenty kilometres north of the Cree village of Ouje‑Bougoumou, located north of the towns of Chapais and Chibougamau. Nearly one-fifth of its area is occupied by bodies of water. Some of them are known for the quality of fishing, while others are known for long canoe trips.

The Crees are present on the territory of the Parc national Assinica project, where they keep their customs and culture alive by practising their traditional activities. The Cree communities are participating actively in the creation of the national park. Once created, the national park will be operated by the Cree community of Oujé-Bougoumou.

The relief of the territory is a vast undulating plain where many eskers and moraines (complex of rock debris transported or deposited by a glacier) are interspersed with peatlands. Black Spruce stands form most of the forest cover. Jack Pine and two century-old White Spruce grow on the edge of the watercourses. Exceptional forest ecosystems characterize several islands in the large lakes present in the territory. The national park project would contribute to protection of the habitat of species at risk, including Woodland Caribou Forest Ecotype (in French only) and Bald Eagle (in French only). Several wildlife and plants species likely to be designated as threatened or vulnerable are also found there. 

For more information on this project, consult the state of knowledge (PDF 63 Mb).

The Parc national de la Côte-de-Charlevoix project is being developed within the territory of the municipalities of Saint-Simon and Baie-Sainte-Catherine, in the regional county municipality of Charlevoix‑Est. It includes the Baie-des-Rochers, Les Palissades, and Pointe-aux-Alouettes sectors. The study area (PDF 6.03 Mb) (in French only) covers nearly 63 km^², most of which is already protected by the Réserve de biodiversité projetée de la Côte-de-Charlevoix.

The Baie-des-Rochers sector runs along the shoreline of the Fleuve Saint-Laurent, extending from Anse à Boudin in the south to Anse du Chafaud aux Basques in the north, the Baie des Rochers being in the center of this sector. The landscape is characterized by numerous rocky escarpments overlooking the river, along with several small coves. The average elevation is approximately 350 meters. This sector is home to several northern red oaks, which grow at the northernmost limit of their distribution range.

The Les Palissades sector corresponds to the area formerly occupied by the Les Palissades Forest Education Center. The topography of this territory is rugged, featuring a mountainous landscape that includes Montagne des Taillis, which rises to nearly 600 meters, as well as a 400-meter-high rock wall stretching over nearly 4 kilometers. The territory is also traversed by the meanders of the Rivière Noire. The presence of red pine forests and sugar maple stands in these two sectors is of particular ecological interest.

The Pointe-aux-Alouettes sector holds significant historical value. It was here that the French, represented by Samuel de Champlain, concluded the Franco-Aboriginal Alliance in 1603 with the three Algonquian nations present at the time (Innu, Anishinaabeg, and Wolastoqiyik). This alliance was a prelude to the establishment of a colony in New France.

The Parc national des Dunes-de-Tadoussac project is being developed within the territory of the village municipality of Tadoussac, in the regional county municipality (RCM) of La Haute-Côte-Nord. More specifically, it concerns the Dunes sector, which borders the Fleuve Saint-Laurent. The proposed park would cover an area of 6,8 km2.

In 2024, the Minister has given the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) a mandate to hold a public hearing in the context of the establishment of the Parc national des Dunes-de-Tadoussac. Documentation related to this public hearing is available on the BAPE website.

For more information on this project, consult the following documents:

• State of knowledge (PDF 43 Mb) (in French only)
• Information document (PDF 10.15 Mb) (in French only)

The Parc national Iluiliq project results from the Sanarrutik Agreement of 2002. This partnership agreement between the Gouvernement du Québec, the Makivik Corporation, and the Kativik Regional Government aims to foster economic and community development in Nunavik, including the development of national parks in the region. Inuit communities of Ivujivik and Salluit are participating in the process of creation of Parc national Iluiliq. The inuktitut toponym "Iluiliq" was chosen by Inuit.

The territory targeted by this project is located at the northern extremity of Québec. Its creation will allow the protection of the unique coastal landscapes of the Détroit d’Hudson. This coast is characterized by fjords with rock walls 300 to 400 meters high, sometimes orange-colored.

This project is distinguished by the high quantity of archaeological sites present. It is possible to see the vestiges of camps of Inuit and their ancestors and observe the Woodland Caribou Tundra Ecotype. The territory also accommodates a wide variety of rare plants. Some have not been inventoried anywhere else in Québec.

For more information on this project, consult the state of knowledge (PDF 346 Mb).