National park creation projects in progress

Five national park creation projects are 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 Cree Nation of Oujé‑Bougoumou, 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 project is being developed about twenty kilometres north of the Cree village of Oujé‑Bougoumou, located north of the municipalities 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 in 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 the majority 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) and Bald Eagle (in French). Several wildlife and plants species likely to be designated as threatened or vulnerable are also found there. Read the state of knowledge of the Parc national Assinica project (PDF 63 Mb).

The Parc national de la Côte‑de‑Charlevoix project is being developed in the territory of the municipality of Saint‑Siméon, in the regional county municipality of MRC de Charlevoix‑Est. More specifically, it concerns the Palissades and Baie‑des‑Rochers sectors. Its area currently corresponds to that of the projected Côte‑de‑Charlevoix biodiversity reserve, which is 61.9 km^2.

The Parc national des Dunes‑de‑Tadoussac project would be situated in the municipality of the village of Tadoussac in the in the municipalité régionale de comté (MRC) de La Haute‑Côte‑Nord. More specifically, it concerns the Dunes sector adjoining the St. Lawrence River and would cover an area of 6.5 km2.

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. The mandate of the BAPE begins on April 1, 2024, and the report must be submitted to the Minister not later than August 16, 2024. Documentation pertaining to the public hearing is available on the BAPE website  (in French only).

Read the status report on the Parc national des Dunes-de-Tadoussac project (PDF 43 Mb) (in French only).

Read the information document on the Parc national des Dunes-de-Tadoussac project (PDF 10.15 Mb) (in French only).

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

The territory concerned by this project is located at the northern extremity of Québec. The territory will have an area of 777.5 km². Its creation will allow protection of the unique coastal landscapes of Hudson Strait. This coast is characterized by fjords with rock walls 30 to 400 metres high, sometimes orange coloured. Consult the map to see the boundaries of the project (PDF 1.03 Mb) (in French).

This project is distinguished by the high quality of archaeological sites present. It is possible to see the vestiges of camps of Inuits and their ancestors and observe the Woodland Caribou Tundra Ecotype. The park project is located next to a Thick-billed Murre colony. These birds nest on the walls west of Cape Wolstenholme. The territory also accommodates a wide variety of rare plants. Some have not been inventoried anywhere else in Québec. Read the state of knowledge of the Parc national Iluiliq project (PDF 346 Mb).

In partnership with the Cree Nation of Mistissini, the Gouvernement du Québec plans to create Parc national Nibiischii  in the Nord-du-Québec region. The territory will have an area of 11,848 km². It was granted provisional status as a projected biodiversity reserve  in March 2007.

This project includes Lac Mistassini. Covering about 2,335 km², this is the biggest natural lake in Québec. The project will also include the big Lac Naococane, part of the Otish Mountains massif, the Témiscamie River and Lac Albanel. This vast territory, typical of the boreal forest, is mostly occupied by the Crees. Consult the map of the boundaries of the project (PDF 4.74 Mb) (in French).

The project’s territory also contains the Colline-Blanche archaeological site, which includes a quartzite quarry and cave named “L’Antre de Marbre”.

Once the park is created, the government will delegate its operation to the Cree Nation of Mistissini. This Cree Nation suggested the name “Nibiischii “, which means “lands surrounded by water”. The site is located in the heart of the mountains of this vast territory. Several large rivers, such as the Rupert, Eastmain, La Grande, Péribonka, Aux Outardes and Manicouagan Rivers, have their source there. Read the state of knowledge of the Parc national Nibiischii project (PDF 1.43 Mb) (in French).

In the context of the public consultation on this project, various documents were made public:

• The environmental and socioeconomic impact assessment (PDF 7.81 Mb) (in French) and its companion document (PDF 4.08 Mb) (in French).
• The provisional master plan (PDF 2.90 Mb) (in French);
• The public hearing report on the project  (in French);
• The conservation plan of the projected Albanel-Témiscamie-Otish biodiversity reserve  (in French).