(Ottawa) – Parks Canada celebrates their 100th Anniversary in 2011 and Brian Jean, MP for Fort McMurray – Athabasca is encouraging Northern Albertans and all Canadians to take in the natural wonders that have been preserved for their enjoyment.

“Canadians enjoy the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in the world and Parks Canada employees work hard to keep our national parks as a living history lesson and I congratulate them for their dedication and efforts on behalf of Canadians,” said Mr. Jean.

National parks are located on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts, across the interior mountains and plains and Great Lakes, reaching as far north and south as Canada goes. They range in size from St Lawrence Islands National Park of Canada at just under nine square kilometres to Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada’s almost 45,000 square kilometres. include world-renowned names such as Banff and Jasper, as well as more recently established Ivvavik and Vuntut.

National parks tell the stories of Canada's natural beginnings - mountains forming, lakes emerging, rivers running, forests growing, glaciers moving, grasslands evolving - to anyone who takes the time to listen, to look and to understand. They tell tales of human history too, from traditional Aboriginal activities, to early exploration, to European settlement, to modern use. And they reveal ongoing natural processes - floods enriching, fires renewing, species migrating. They provide opportunities to connect with nature, people and events that define Canada.

Parks Canada is responsible for both protecting the ecosystems of these magnificent natural areas and managing them for visitors to understand, appreciate, and enjoy in a way that doesn't compromise their integrity.

Parks Canada is working to maintain or restore the ecological integrity of national parks. This means keeping ecosystems healthy and whole -- a state where ecosystem biodiversity, structures and functions are unimpaired and likely to persist.

The national parks of Canada are a source of pride for Canadians and an integral part of our identity and they celebrate the beauty and infinite variety of our land.