St. Lawrence Islands National Park of Canada

Natural Wonders & Cultural Treasures

Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve

A biosphere reserve, as defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is an area that has important natural and ecological values and is a place where people live, work, and enjoy a variety of economic and recreational activities based on respect for the environment. The concept of a biosphere reserve is that local committees of representatives from key sectors such as agriculture, tourism, business, conservation, and education, work together to develop projects that link conservation with economic development in their region. The committees are voluntary and community-based, not connected to governmental or regulatory authorities.

As of July 2005, UNESCO had designated 482 biosphere reserves in 102 countries around the world. Thirteen have been designated in Canada, including the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, which was officially recognized in 2002. The Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve complements other local and regional conservation initiatives and is a coordinating force to reduce duplication of effort. It also adds the new dimension of linking conservation and economic development. Celebrating the historical and cultural richness of the area's past, the reserve works to sustain its future with shoreline and water quality conservation measures combined with tourism and recreational development.

Canadian Biosphere Reserves:

Charlevoix (Québec)
Clayoquot Sound (British Columbia)
Frontenac Arch (Ontario)
Georgian Bay Littoral (Ontario)
Lac St. Pierre (Québec)
Long Point (Ontario)
Mont Saint Hilaire (Québec)
Mount Arrowsmith (British Columbia)
Niagara Escarpment (Ontario)
Redberry Lake (Saskatchewan)
Riding Mountain (Manitoba)
Southwest Nova (Nova Scotia)
Waterton (Alberta)

For more information check out the UNESCO website.

Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve Map.