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Parc national d’Opémican projectQuébec Premier Pauline Marois confirmed at a press conference in Témiscamingue on March 21, 2013 that the Québec government was moving ahead with the creation of the Opémican National Park. It will be the 26th park in Québec’s national parks network and the second located in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. At the same time, the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks, Yves-François Blanchet, released the public consultation report submitted to him in December 2012 by the chair of the public consultation, Brian Harvey.
Description of the area
Bordered on either side by lakes Témiscamingue and Kipawa, the Opémican national park project will protect a sample of the Southern Laurentides natural region. The area under study for the park covers 341 km2 and currently is protected in part (237.7 km2) by the status of proposed biodiversity reserve. This territory is characterized by rugged topography of relatively low relief, consisting of a plateau with flat-topped hills. The numerous cliffs along Lac Témiscamingue are the most striking feature of the landscape. Also to be seen are peregrine falcons, which for the last few years have nested in the cliffs. Forest transition zone
Lying in the transition zone between deciduous forest and mixed boreal forest, the area under study includes a variety of habitats that are rich in floral and fauna species, some of which are rare. There are stands of white and red pine in abundance, as well as mature maple, hemlock, young stands of birch and poplar, and numerous lakes, streams and wetlands.
Témiscamingue history Right in the heart of the proposed park, on the shores of Lac Témiscamingue, the Opémican historical site and buildings testify to the beginning of the logging and log driving activities that took place in this region. It is a site of very great interest, both for presenting the history of the development of Témiscamingue and as one of the few surviving architectural reminders of the log drives of yesteryear. Documentation
Print copies are available from Ministère’s Direction du patrimoine écologique et des parcs: Telephone:
418-521-3907 Public ConsultationInformation sessions were held in Témiscaming and Ville-Marie on April 18 and 19, 2012 to present the Opémican National Park project and answer questions from citizens. The MDDEFP subsequently held public hearings on June 9 and 10, 2012 to hear the views of individuals and organizations with an interest in the creation of the new national park in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Over 600 briefs were submitted to the MDDEFP, 69 of which were presented at the June 2012 public hearings. Press releases :
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