Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Auyuittuq National Park

As I've written, I am so happy to learn Canada values their National Parks and while some countries are trying to reduce their National Parks and the protections those areas have historically had in place, Canada is not only continuing to protect their National Parks, but they are increasing them as well. I have been learning about these amazing places across Canada and today I'm writing about Auyuittuq National Park, which is a national park located on Baffin Island's Cumberland Peninsula, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut. 

• The park was initially known as Baffin Island National Park when it was established in 1972, but the name was changed in 1976 to its current name to better reflect the region and its history. 
• It features many terrains of Arctic wilderness, such as fjords, glaciers, and ice fields. 
• Although Auyuittuq was established in 1972 as a national park reserve, it was upgraded to a full national park in 2000.
• One of Canada's largest parks and located almost entirely within the Arctic Circle, Auyuittuq on Baffin Island preserves a rugged arctic wilderness featuring some of the highest peaks of the Canadian Shield.
• Auyuittuq means "the land that never melts" in Inuktitut, it protects spectacular granite peaks, deep fjords, and the massive Penny Ice Cap.
• The park is home to Mount Asgard (with its distinct twin towers) and Mount Thor, which features the world's highest uninterrupted vertical drop (1,250 meters).
• All visitors must register at a Parks Canada office and attend a mandatory safety and orientation session before entering the park.
• The region is active polar bear country. Proper deterrents and bear safety protocols are essential.
• Melting glaciers create intense, fast-moving rivers which can be incredibly dangerous to cross.
• Severe, hurricane-force winds, dropping temperatures, and rapidly changing conditions are common.
• Species which live in Auyuittuq Park include lemmings (both the North American brown lemming and the northern collared lemming), red foxes, snowy owls, peregrine falcons, ermines, rough-legged hawks, gyrfalcons, beluga whales, snow geese, polar bears, wolves, narwhals, Canada geese, Arctic foxes, Arctic hares, and some barren-ground caribou.
• Auyuittuq is pronounced: ow-you-ee-took (ow like cow, you, ee, took).

You will find more information about Auyuittuq National Park at this link.