How did Cape Breton Highlands National Park Come to Be?

In the early part of the 20^th century the Federal Government made a commitment to the establishment of National Parks. These parks were to be protected environments that would strike a balance between public access and their enjoyment and preservation. The guiding principal upon which National Parks were founded can best be summed up with the phrase “use without abuse”.  The federal act that came into being when the National Parks Agency was founded stated that “ the national parks of Canada are hereby dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment.”

The first national parks were established in Western Canada and included Banff, Alberta, Glacier, B.C. and Jasper. Alberta.  Following the establishment of these and other western parks there was a move to establish parks in other provinces and over time there were parks established in other provinces including Ontario and Manitoba.

In the early 1930’s discussions and lobby efforts were made by provincial politicians in the Maritime Provinces to designate national parks in the region and the Parks Department of the Federal Government undertook to search out appropriate location(s) that would be suitable. It was at this time that the Cape Breton Highlands area was identified as an appropriate location for a National Park due to it’s ruggedness and outstanding scenery.  In 1936 the Government of Nova Scotia deeded 95,000 hectares of land in the Cape Breton highlands to the Federal Government and the Cape Breton Highlands National Park was founded.

Once the park had been officially formed efforts began to put in place infrastructure that would provide access and enjoyment opportunities to people wishing to visit the park. During this period (1937-1938) the priority was to improve the roads to and in the park. Prior to this undertaking, the roads in northern Cape Breton were unpaved and notoriously difficult to navigate and it was clear to all that improving them was the first step in making the park a destination.

This picture is dated circa 1930 and shows a

section of the Cabot Trail near Cap Rouge on

the west side of the island

.

Cabot Trail road construction 1932

Alexander Graham Bell on Cabot Trail - Date and
Location unknown

Fortunately todays Cabot Trail is a much
better road surface!

Additional Cape Breton Pictures: Tom Childs, who resides in Aberdeen, Cape Breton has put together an outstanding collection of Cape Breton photographs. If you have never visited Cape Breton and would like to understand why many people consider Cape Breton to have some of the best scenery in the world please visit his site and judge for yourself. Anyone interested in pictures more specific to the northern part of the island where Highlands Links is located sould refer to any pictures in areas marked Ingonish, Northern Cabot Trail, Aspy Bay,
Dingwall, Pleasant Bay, Meat Cove and White Point.

http://www.capebretonestates.com/about_cape_breton.html

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For anyone interested in a much more complete understanding of the development of National Parks in the Maritime Provinces it is suggested that you refer to a well written and researched book by Alan MacEachern.  The details of this publication are:

"Natural Selections - National Parks in Atlantic Canada 1935-1970"

Author - Alan MacEachern,

McGill - Queen's University Press 2110

ISBN:  0-7735-2157-7