2 Canadian Places Were Named Some Of The Most Exceptional Geological Sites In The World
Canada is a nation filled with natural beauty. Now, even more of it is being globally recognized. The Cliffs of Fundy in Nova Scotia and Discovery in Newfoundland have both been given Global Geopark status.
The announcement was made in a July 10 news release from UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
Global Geoparks are designated as regions with international geological significance, according to the UNESCO website. In addition to helping preserve the natural beauty of these areas, the organization also helps support sustainable tourism to the sites.
The Cliffs of Fundy are packed with history and breathtaking views. Those include some of the oldest dinosaur fossils and highest tides in the world.
UNESCO also notes on their website that the Cliffs of Fundy are "one of the earliest known sites of human habitation in northeastern North America," having been home to the Mi'kmaq for thousands of years.
Discovery in Newfoundland is home to rocks that are over 500 million years old and excellently preserved fossils from the Ediacaran period.
Discovery was also inhabited by the now-extinct Beothuk people, who may have been encountered by early explorers, according to the Geopark's website. The name is a direct reference to the landing made by Giovanni Caboto, who is known in English as John Cabot, in 1497.
The province's holiday, Discovery Day, was named for the arrival of Cabot all those centuries ago. However, the name is officially set to be changed after consultation with Indigenous leaders.
These two newly designated Global Geoparks join three others that are also located in Canada: Percé, located in the Gaspé Peninsula; Stonehammer, found in the Bay of Fundy; and Tumbler Ridge in the northern Rocky Mountains of British Columbia.
These new additions to the country's Geoparks continue to highlight Canada's natural beauty from coast to coast.