Kuururjuaq — a Nunavik park developed and managed by Inuit

September 30, 2013

Kuururjuaq is Nunavik’s second provincial park. The region is now home to four designated parks, and reserves for two more. The Park is being managed for the Quebec Government by an Inuit organization.

Kuururjuaq is situated near the northern tip of the Québec–Labrador Peninsula. The park blankets 98% of the Koroc River watershed plus five lesser watersheds for a total area of 4,461 square kilometres.

Each summer a few dozen people visit Kuururjuaq. They come to enjoy the scenery, and for more dramatic activities such as rafting down the Koroc or to hike Mt. D’Iberville, Quebec’s highest peak at 1,652 metres (5,419 feet). Mt. D’Iberville sits along the border between Quebec and Labrador, next to Kuururjuaq’s neighbouring park: Torngat National Park.

Nunavik’s parks are unique in that they are developed and managed by Inuit — a number of park employees are trilingual and have family history in the area.

This year Parks staff transported 60,000 pounds of construction materials to Kuururjuaq park’s base camp over the winter. Materials were used to build this new shelter, which can sleep about a dozen visitors plus parks staff. Also being built are other shelters closer to Korluktok Falls, and a the headwaters of the Koroc, due to a $2.25 million funding agreement between the Quebec government, the local landholding corporation and the Kativik Regional Government (KRG), which runs from 2013-2017.

Commentary

Premier Marios visited the Park two weeks ago and announced new funding arrangements. The beauty and remoteness of Kuururjuaq Park is captivating. The cooperative park management with KRG is unique and noteworthy. Tourism can only increase to this region in the long run.

Sources

• a)http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674kuururjuaq_a_nunavik_park_developed_and_managed_by_inuit/



• b)http://www.nunavikparks.ca/en/parks/kuururjuaq/index.htm



• c)http://www.krg.ca/