| Kejimkujik National Park | |
|---|---|
| Parc national Kejimkujik | |
 Little River | |
  Kejimkujik National Park (Nova Scotia) Show map of Nova Scotia | |
 Interactive map of Kejimkujik National Park | |
| Location | Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Nearest city | Halifax |
| Coordinates | 44°23′57″N65°13′06″W / 44.39917°N 65.21833°W /44.39917; -65.21833 |
| Area | 404 km2 (156 sq mi) |
| Established | 1967 |
| Visitors | 75,284 (in 2022–23[1]) |
| Governing body | Parks Canada |
| Official name | Kejimkujik National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1994 |
Kejimkujik National Park (/ˈkɛdʒɪməˌkuːdʒɪk/)[2] is anational park of Canada, covering 404 km2 (156 sq mi) in the southwest ofNova Scotia peninsula. Located within three municipalities,Annapolis,Queens, andDigby, it consists of two separate land areas: a large inland portion, which is coincident with the KejimkujikNational Historic Site of Canada, and the Kejimkujik National Park Seaside on the province's Atlantic coast.[3]
Kejimkujik is the only heritage site in Canada that has the dual designation as both a national park and anational historic site for the entirety of its landscape.[4] Designated in 1994, the national historic site is aMi'kmaqcultural landscape of forested upland plain located between Nova Scotia'sSouth Shore andAnnapolis Valley regions. It is home to severalpetroglyph sites, historical habitation sites, fishing, hunting and foraging territories, important historical travel routes (particularly canoe routes), and burial grounds dating back millennia.[5]
TheRoyal Astronomical Society of Canada has designated the inland portion of the park a nationaldark-sky preserve,[6] with some of the best night sky viewing conditions in southern Canada. Every summer, Kejimkujik hosts a "Dark Sky Weekend" with interpretive experiences highlighting the park's outstandingstargazing opportunities. Interpretive events during the weekend typically focus onastronomy and storytelling incorporating theconstellations visible in the region's night sky during the summer.[7]
The national park is named afterKejimikujik Lake. With a surface area of 26 squarekilometres,[8] Kejimkujik Lake is the largest lake in the park and the second largest freshwater lake inmainland Nova Scotia.
The nameKejimkujik is officially translated to "tired muscles" in theMi'kmaq language (possibly a reference to the physical effects of a long canoe trek through the area's waterways), although other sources interpret it to mean "swollen waters" or "attempting to escape".[9] Some Mi'kmaw knowledge holders (and Parks Canada's official interpretation) state that the name derives from the Mi'kmaq word Kejimkuji’jk, which means "little fairies". Prior to the establishment of the area as a national park, Kejimkujik Lake was called Fairy Lake.[10]
Canoe routes in the park have been used for thousands of years by theMi'kmaq to travel from theBay of Fundy to the Nova Scotia peninsula'sAtlantic shore.[11] A major travel route for the Mi'kmaq was theMersey River, which drains areas deep in the peninsula's inland, includingKejimkujik Lake, to theAtlantic Ocean. Historically, the Mi'kmaq travelled up the Mersey River (inland) to the area around Kejimkujik Lake, where they lived and hunted during the fall and winter months.[9] Historically, fall coincided with the inland migration ofcaribou,[12] which inhabited theCanadian Maritimes until the early 20th century and provided an important food resource for the Mi'kmaq.[13] Also important to the Mi'kmaq was the abundance ofeels found in the area's waterways, with evidence of eelweirs constructed along the Mersey River possibly dating back thousands of years.[14]
There are several Mi'kmawpetroglyph sites in Kejimkujik, which contain around 500 individual glyphs.[9] They are primarily found onslate beds on the eastern side of Kejimikujik Lake, but other sites are also known. Petroglyphs in the park receive a high level of protection because of their cultural and historical significance. Only one site can be visited by the public, and is only accessible via a guided tour with park staff during the summer months.[15] Petroglyphs in Kejimkujik illustrate aspects of Mi'kmaw life shortly afterEuropean colonization of the area, and are dated to the 1700s and 1800s. Many glyphs are symbolic, and their subject sometimes ambiguous. Motifs associated with traditional culture including canoes,wigwams, traditionalregalia, and decorative designs are common inclusions. Some glyphs illustrate aspects of the area's historical ecology through portrayals of animals that were formerly important to the Mi'kmaq as a food resource, likecaribou.[16] Caribou were driven toextirpation in theMaritime Provinces in the centuries following European settlement of the region, and have not occurred in the Kejimkujik area since around the late 19th century. While there are images ofgame animals, plants are notably absent.[15] The petroglyphs also illustrate motifs associated with European colonial culture, likesailing ships,horses, women in dresses,Christian symbols, and five-pointed stars.
After European settlement, the Mi'kmaq living in the area found it increasingly difficult to maintain their traditional way of life. Many Mi'kmaq families were forced off of their hunting grounds by settlers who were clearing the land forfarming andlogging. Poverty eventually became pervasive for the area's Mi'kmaq residents. Ultimately, many of these residents either took up farming themselves or found employment as hunting and fishingguides for wealthy visitors to the area, who were drawn by the region's storied wilderness andwild game.[9]
Today, the area does not serve as a residential area, but is still considered to be a spiritual home to the Mi'kmaq people.[9] Opportunities for park visitors to learn about and experience Mi'kmaq culture and history are a primary component of Kejimkujik's interpretive programming, and include interpretive tours of one of the petroglyph sites, a recreated traditional Mi'kmaw encampment with an authenticwigwam, storytelling events, and an annual summer workshop demonstrating the art of Mi'kmaw birchbark canoe building by a renowned Mi'kmaw craftsman.[17]
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area around Kejimkujik Lake was a popular tourist destination for sport fishing (primarily forbrook trout) and hunting (primarily formoose). Most of the tourists visiting the area at this time came from elsewhere in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[18] Much of the rural economy of inland southwestern Nova Scotia at that time was based on supporting this industry, withoutfitting andguiding providing an important source of income for many of the region's inhabitants, especially during the summer and fall months. Many cabins and lodges were built around the eastern shores of Kejimkujik Lake to accommodate the sporting industry, the most famous and luxurious of which was the Kedge Rod and Gun Club (later known as Kedgemakooge (Kedge) Lodge),[19] built in the late 1870's.[20] Kedge Lodge and the other wilderness resorts in the area played a significant role in cementing Kejimkujik Lake's reputation as a vacation destination, hosting such notable guests asBabe Ruth andZane Grey. While most of the historical cabins and lodges that existed in Kejimkujik are no longer standing, one of the original cabins near Peskawa Lake is maintained as a backcountry rental accommodation for park visitors.
In 1969, theGovernment of Canada designated the recreational and wilderness areas around Kejimkujik Lake as a National Park of Canada in recognition of the area's Mi'kmaw history, intactold growthAcadian forest, and rare wildlife communities.[21]
The main Jeremy's Bay campground has 355 campsites, many suitable for large RVs, and generates about $1 million per year in fees.[22] A group campground for up to 80 people is located at Jim Charles Point, named after the eponymous local Mi'kmawguide who lived at the site in the mid-1800s.[23] Kejimkujik is a popularbackcountry camping destination, offering the largest selection of backcountry wilderness campsites found in a national park in the Canadian Maritimes (46 backcountry campsites in total). Many of the park's backcountry campsites are accessible only via canoe, but some can be accessed byhiking orbiking into the backcountry as well.[24] Two cabins are available for campers to rent in the park's backcountry, one of which is original from the region'ssporting era, and the other is a replica of a historic hunting cabin that existed in the area.
Often considered among the top paddling destinations inAtlantic Canada (thanks to its historic portage routes and many lakes), Kejimkujik is a popular destination forcanoeing,kayaking, andstand-up paddleboarding.[25] Much of the park's backcountry, including many of its backcountry campsites, can only be accessed by paddling. Park staff maintain a network ofportages (many of them centuries old) for ease of moving between the park's lakes. Commoncanoe routes in the park include a loop connecting Big Dam, Frozen Ocean, and Channel Lakes, as well as the lakes south and west of Kejmkujik Lake, including Peskowesk and Peskawa lakes. From Peskawa Lake, it is possible to reach theShelburne River and enter theTobeatic Wilderness Area, located just outside the park.[26] An independent outfitter operating at Jake's Landing offers canoe,kayak, and other equipment rentals for park visitors.[27]
In addition to the main parkway road, Kejimkujik has eight trails designated forbiking (in addition to hiking).[28] Some of the backcountry campsites can also be accessed by biking, including both of the park's backcountry cabin rentals. The park's newest trail, Ukme'k (meaning "twisted" in theMi'kmaq language), includes technical features specifically intended formountain bikers.[29]
Comprising a substantial portion of theSouthwest Nova Biosphere Reserve, Kejimkujik protects vast areas ofAcadian forest, including both upland areas and forested wetlands. Most of the park's forest is second growth, having been subjected to heavylogging and human-causedforest fires in the two centuries prior to the park's establishment. Despite this, several areas of the park still host intact originalold-growth forest. The stands of original forest found in Kejimkujik represent some of the last remaining old growth forest in theCanadian Maritimes, and are considered among the park's greatestecological attributes.[30] Old growth forest in the park consists primarily ofeastern hemlock,yellow birch,American beech,sugar maple, andred maple. Overall, about one fifth of the park's forest consists ofconifer species.[31] Wildflowers bloom from April through October and common species includestarflower,rose twisted-stalk,twinflower,painted trillium,pink ladyslipper,northern blue flag iris, andthreeleaf goldthread.[32] Several carnivourous plants are found in Kejimkujik, includingpurple pitcher plant,spoonleaf sundew, andhorned bladderwort. Kejimkujik also hosts a high diversity ofparasitic plants, includingeastern dwarf mistletoe,pinesap,ghost pipe,beech drops, andAmerican cancer-root. Kejimkujik is considered a hotspot for Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora, a group of 90 unrelated plants, many of them rare in Canada, that are slow-growing and are specialists in habitats with high disturbance and low fertility.[33] One of the two known lakes in Canada that hostwater pennywort are found in Kejimkujik National Park.[34] Overall, there are some 544 species ofvascular plants known from the park.[32]
Some 34 species of mammal are known to occur within the park, including:snowshoe hare,northern flying squirrel,beaver,porcupine,North American river otter,fisher,American ermine,bobcat,eastern coyote,American black bear andwhite-tailed deer.[35]Moose were formerly common in the area that is now Kejimkujik, but are today very rare; having been listed as anendangered species inmainland Nova Scotia.[36] In 1986, Kejimkujik was the site ofreintroduction efforts forAmerican marten,[37] which continue to inhabit the park in low densities.[38]
Considered to be a regional hotspot forherptile diversity, the park's wetlands and forests host a greater variety of amphibians and reptiles than anywhere else inAtlantic Canada.[39] Many of the reptiles inhabiting Kejimkujik are considered to bespecies at risk in Canada, likeBlanding's turtle,[40] andeastern ribbonsnake.[41] Other herptiles found in Kejimkujik includecommon snapping turtle,eastern painted turtle,garter snake,ringnecked snake,smooth greensnake,red-bellied snake,spotted salamander,eastern red-backed salamander,eastern newt, andfour-toed salamander. Frogs found in the park include:American bullfrog,green frog,pickerel frog,wood frog,leopard frog,American toad, andspring peeper.[42]
Birds often encountered in Kejimkujik includehermit thrush,ovenbird,white-breasted nuthatch,American woodcock,eastern wood pewee,barn swallow,northern parula,yellow-bellied sapsucker,ruffed grouse,common loon,barred owl, and theAmerican black duck.[43]
Formerly an esteemedangling destination (primarily forbrook trout), Kejimkujik's native fish stocks have recently been dramatically reduced by the presence ofchain pickerel.[44] Chain pickerel was first confirmed in the park in 2018, and has since spread to much of Kejimkujik's waterways. Chain pickerel are both apredator on and a direct competitor of brook trout, forcing the park to adopt mandatory release requirements for all trout (and all native fish generally) landed by anglers in the park.[45] Parks Canada has taken action to mitigate some of the effects of chain pickerel, and is actively researching long-term solutions to reduce the fish's impact.[46] Other fish found in Kejimkujik's waterways includeyellow perch,white perch,white sucker,brown bullhead,American eel,golden shiner,banded killifish,creek chub,nine-spined stickleback. Historically, the park stocked populations ofbrown trout andlake whitefish to enhance angling, but this practice was discontinued.[47]
Common loons in the park have the highest levels ofmethyl mercury in their blood of any loons in North America, the result ofbioaccumulation from their environment. This has led to reductions in their reproduction rate.Yellow perch, 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) long, is their main source of food, and these have been found to have more than twice the mercury level than those from neighbouringNew Brunswick.[48]
The park is located in a flat plain. Its highest point, Mount Tom, is at 180 m (590 ft).Precambrian toOrdovicianquartzite andslate form thebedrock, along withDevoniangranite. These rocks provide few nutrients to the soils that develop from them.Podzols are found in well-drained areas, which poorly-drained areas are dominated byGleysols andpeat bog.[49]
Fifteen percent of the park is covered by lakes. Evidence of theLast Glacial Period includedrumlins,erratics, andeskers.[49] Major rivers include the Mersey, and theShelburne, major lakes include Kejimikujik, andLuxton.
The park has ahumid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfb) with four distinct seasons. Being located inland, in the western part of Nova Scotia, the park has warmer temperatures and higher precipitation than eastern sections of Nova Scotia.[50] Winters are cold with a January average of −5.0 °C (23.0 °F). During this time of the year, the maximum temperature often stays below freezing although frequent mild spells push maximum temperatures above freezing frequently (about 12–19 days from December to February) and occasionally above 10 °C (50.0 °F) when the wind is from the southwest.[50] On average, there are 3.3 days where the temperature falls below −20.0 °C (−4.0 °F) per year. Winters are characterized by stretches of unsettled weather, resulting in high precipitation and cloud cover.[50] Snowfall is high, averaging 243.7 centimetres (95.9 in) a year.
Summers are warm with a July average of 19.6 °C (67.3 °F) and precipitation is lower (though significant) than the winter months. Temperatures in the park rarely exceed 30.0 °C (86.0 °F), occurring on 5.9 days per year owing to the moderating influence of the ocean.[51] Spring and fall are transitional seasons that feature mild temperature although they are unpredictable. The park receives 1,453.0 millimetres (57 in) of precipitation per year, which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.
| Climate data for Kejimkujik National Park, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1966–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.0 (64.4) | 17.6 (63.7) | 27.9 (82.2) | 31.5 (88.7) | 33.3 (91.9) | 34.4 (93.9) | 34.4 (93.9) | 36.5 (97.7) | 34.0 (93.2) | 29.3 (84.7) | 22.9 (73.2) | 17.6 (63.7) | 36.5 (97.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.5 (31.1) | 0.5 (32.9) | 4.4 (39.9) | 10.6 (51.1) | 17.2 (63.0) | 22.0 (71.6) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.0 (77.0) | 20.8 (69.4) | 14.2 (57.6) | 8.2 (46.8) | 2.6 (36.7) | 12.5 (54.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.0 (23.0) | −4.3 (24.3) | −0.6 (30.9) | 5.2 (41.4) | 11.1 (52.0) | 16.0 (60.8) | 19.6 (67.3) | 19.1 (66.4) | 15.1 (59.2) | 9.1 (48.4) | 4.0 (39.2) | −1.4 (29.5) | 7.3 (45.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −9.6 (14.7) | −9.1 (15.6) | −5.5 (22.1) | −0.2 (31.6) | 5.0 (41.0) | 9.9 (49.8) | 13.8 (56.8) | 13.2 (55.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 3.9 (39.0) | −0.2 (31.6) | −5.3 (22.5) | 2.1 (35.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −31.0 (−23.8) | −34.0 (−29.2) | −27.0 (−16.6) | −15.6 (3.9) | −7.8 (18.0) | −2.0 (28.4) | 0.0 (32.0) | −1.0 (30.2) | −5.0 (23.0) | −8.9 (16.0) | −17.0 (1.4) | −29.0 (−20.2) | −34.0 (−29.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 158.5 (6.24) | 117.8 (4.64) | 124.1 (4.89) | 113.6 (4.47) | 105.8 (4.17) | 96.8 (3.81) | 76.0 (2.99) | 93.2 (3.67) | 116.6 (4.59) | 144.1 (5.67) | 160.6 (6.32) | 146.1 (5.75) | 1,453 (57.20) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 71.7 (28.2) | 53.4 (21.0) | 39.1 (15.4) | 12.9 (5.1) | 0.7 (0.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.3 (0.9) | 12.3 (4.8) | 51.2 (20.2) | 243.7 (95.9) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 19.7 | 17.0 | 16.7 | 16.1 | 17.7 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 14.1 | 16.1 | 17.1 | 18.2 | 19.4 | 201.8 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 10.6 | 8.4 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 8.3 | 37.4 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 15:00 LST) | 78.0 | 70.1 | 60.5 | 58.0 | 57.5 | 60.3 | 60.3 | 60.4 | 63.8 | 66.8 | 75.9 | 80.6 | 66.0 |
| Source:Environment Canada (snow 1971–2000)[51][52][53][54][55][56] | |||||||||||||
The novel,The Tent Dwellers byAlbert Paine,[57] chronicles his travels through inland Nova Scotia with his companion, Edward Breck, and their two hired guides on a trout fishing trip in 1906. The trip's route took the party through what is now Kejimkujik National Park and the nearbyTobeatic Game Reserve during the height of the region'ssport fishing era. The details documented by Paine inThe Tent Dwellers provide a valuable first-hand account of the region's landscape and wildlife as they existed in the early 20th century. Today,The Tent Dwellers is closely associated with Kejimkujik'scamping culture, and canoe expeditions retracing the novel's original 1906 route are occasionally undertaken by canoeing enthusiasts.[58][59]
Several literary works of fiction have featured Kejimkujik as a primary setting, includingA Canoer of Shorelines by Anne M. Smith-Nochasak,[60] and the children's book,The King of Keji by Jan L. Coates.[61] The book,Images of the Keji Country by Don Pentz, features a collection ofwatercolour paintings illustrating the landscape and waterways of Kejimkujik.[62]
Kejimkujik Seaside, known formally as Kejimkujik National Park Seaside, is a day-use park administered byParks Canada, located south of the village ofPort Mouton along Nova Scotia'sAtlantic coast. While geographically separate and ecologically distinct from Kejimkujik National Park's inland portion (located 93 kilometres away),[63] Kejimkujik National Park Seaside was established and added to Kejimkujik National Park in 1988 to ensure the unique coastal features of mainland Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast were represented in Canada's national parks system.[64]
Kejimkujik National Park Seaside encompasses 22 squarekilometres of coastal wilderness, including examples of coastal barrens, regionally rare forests characterized by high humidity,[65]bogs,barrier beaches, and shallowlagoons.[66] Renowned for its whitesand,[67] St. Catherine's River Beach, located within the park, is one of the largest protected beaches in Nova Scotia.[68] Forest occurring within Kejimkujik National Park Seaside has been found to host uniquelichen assemblages, including severalspecies at risk likeblue felt lichen.[65]
Wildlife hosted at Kejimkujik Seaside includes species likeAmerican black bear,white-tailed deer,raccoon,American mink, and many shorebirds; includingsemi-palmated sandpipers,least sandpipers,willets,semipalmated plovers, andsanderlings. The park also protects important nesting habitat forpiping plover, a species listed asendangered in Canada (COSEWIC).[69] The shallow waters immediately offshore of the park hostharbour seals andgrey seals[70].
The ecology of the park'sestuaries has been severely impacted by the effects ofEuropean green crab, aninvasive species, on localeelgrass beds. Eelgrass, often considered akeystone species, providesnursery habitat for a range of marine invertebrates and fish. In particular, eelgrass beds in the park are important to juvenilesoft-shelled clams, a species with local significance as acommercial fishery. The effects of European green crab have been linked to a substantial decline in the number of juvenile soft-shelled clams found in the park's estuaries.[71]
Human usage of the area that is now known as Kejimkujik Seaside dates back thousands of years, with aspear head made by the ancestors of the Mi'kmaq some 2500-5000 years ago having been found in the park. The Mi'kmaq likely used the area for hunting and foraging in more recent times. Around 1604,Samuel de Champlain camped in and mapped the area around Port Mouton, including the landscape now included within the park. The earliest European settlement in what is now Kejimkujik Seaside, dating to the late 18th century, included a homestead built by freeblack loyalists.[72]
In addition to its renowned stretches of white-sand beaches and turquoise-coloured coastal waters (St. Catherine's River Beach),[73] Kejimkujik National Park Seaside boasts two coastal hiking trails, Harbour Rocks Trail (2.6 km one-way) and Port Joli Head Trail (4.75 km one-way).[74] Kejimkujik Seaside is a popularpicnic andbirdwatching destination.[75]
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