Saskatchewan Parks turns 75

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Seventy-five years have passed since the first provincial parks were created in the province, and Saskatchewan Parks is gearing up to celebrate the milestone.

Cypress Hills, Duck Mountain, Good Spirit Lake, Moose Mountain, Katepwa Point and Little Manitou provincial parks were established in 1931, one year after the federal government transferred control of natural resources to the provinces. Today, the province boasts 34 provincial parks, eight historic sites, 130 recreation sites and 24 protected areas, all part of a parks system that covers about 1.4 million hectares or 3.5 million acres.

Every year about 2.3 million people visit Saskatchewan?s parks, which offer up a variety of natural, historic and recreational opportunities.

"Whether you want to immerse yourself in the wilderness solitude of a northern forest, experience the culture of the first peoples, relax in the comforts of a luxury resort or get some exercise on a golf course or a cross-country ski trail, Saskatchewan parks have it all," said Bob Herbison, a marketing specialist with Saskatchewan Parks.

The province's rich Aboriginal history is also showcased at a number of the parks sites, and local Aboriginal communities are often involved in those efforts.

"We work with the adjacent First Nations at many of our parks to supply Aboriginal programming. After all, they are the history of Saskatchewan," Herbison said.

At Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park there are staff from the neighbouring Nekaneet First Nation who offer programming to visitors. The area, where three separate blocks of hills rise 600 metres above the plains along the Saskatchewan and Alberta borders, has long been recognized as a traditional hunting and gathering place for many Aboriginal people and is also strongly associated with the practice of spiritual beliefs, including the sundance.

Fort Carlton, located an hour's drive north of Saskatoon, is another park that recognizes and celebrates the contribution of Aboriginal people. Several years ago the provincial historic park began to expand its interpretive program by involving members of the nearby Beardy?s and Okemasis First Nation so the central role Aboriginal people played in the fur trade could be recognized. Just outside the stockade, several tipis are set up to represent the tipi village that materialized at the fort each spring and fall, stretching as far as five kilometres down the North Saskatchewan river bank. Inside the tipis are examples of the trade goods First Nations people received in return for their furs.

Aboriginal people have been involved in providing interpretation at the tipi village in the past and more participation is being encouraged in the future. To date, their focus has been mostly cultural in nature, but discussions are underway to expand their participation especially regarding important events that occurred in the area. Metis from nearby Batoche defeated North West Mounted Police based at Fort Carlton during the Northwest Resistance of 1885 and the fort was home to one of the most prominent First Nations leaders in Saskatchewan history, Big Bear who was born in the Fort Carlton area.

"In most parks across the province, we work with First Nations to entertain and teach visitors by storytelling and dancing, particularly for special events, but ongoing in some instances as well," added Herbison. "We encourage participation wherever possible and have First Nations program staff in at least 14 of our parks."

Many sacred areas are also included within the Saskatchewan Parks system as well, Herbison said. "For example, St. Victor Petroglyphs Provincial Historic Park is a beautiful cliff-top setting in southern Saskatchewan which holds one of the more fascinating prehistoric mysteries. It is the only horizontal petroglyph site on the Canadian plains and the petroglyphs are a series of rock carvings that show expressive human faces, hands and feet, grizzly bear and other animal tcks, turtles and various symbolic images."

"We've worked with the First Nations about not only protecting the rock carvings but also letting them evolve as their originators intended by not putting a building over them," Herbison said. "That is, we agreed to let the sun and the wind and the rain take their toll and let Mother Nature work her wonders."

Events to commemorate the Saskatchewan Parks anniversary will be ongoing all year, but July 9 to 15 will be the key week when most of the parks will be holding their celebrations.

For more information about the anniversary celebrations go to www.se.gov.sk.ca/saskparks.