May 12, 2022 Chéticamp, NS Parks Canada Agency
Parks Canada is responsible for protecting nationally significant examples of natural and cultural heritage and sharing the stories of these treasured places.
Today, Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria, and Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton-Canso, on behalf of the Honorable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, along with representatives from La Société Saint-Pierre and the Parks Canada-Unama'ki Advisory Committee, unveiled the name of a new campground in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Planned for opening in July 2022, Terrain de Camping Cap-Rouge / Mkwesaqtuk Campground will be the first French and Mi'kmaw facility name in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
As construction of the new campground nears completion, Parks Canada has worked in partnership with members of La Société Saint-Pierre and the Parks Canada-Unama'ki Advisory Committee to select a name that will encourage Canadians to learn about the full scope of our shared history. The name Terrain de Camping Cap-Rouge / Mkwesaqtuk Campground honours Indigenous connections to this region and commemorates the Acadian peoples who were expropriated for the creation of the national park in 1936.
Cap-Rouge / Mkwesaqtuk Campground will offer visitors a unique opportunity to connect with nature and with Acadian and Mi'kmaq cultural heritage. Mkwesaqtuk is a Mi'kmaq word that describes a place or feature that distinctly changes to red. This Mi'kmaq expression would have been used to describe the coastal area that Acadians later called Cap-Rouge, on the western side of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The French and Mi'kmaw names capture the intent and spirit of Etuaptamumk, also known as the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, which combines Mi'kmaq and Western perspectives. This name demonstrates Parks Canada's commitment to incorporating Etuaptamumk into its cultural heritage and conservation initiatives and projects in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The collaborative naming process honours the history of the location, and offers opportunities for celebrating Mi'kmaq and Acadian cultural and linguistic connections.
Reservations for Terrain de Camping Cap-Rouge / Mkwesaqtuk Campground will launch today, May 12, 2022 on the Parks Canada Reservation Service for bookings beginning July 1, 2022. As the country's largest tourism provider, Parks Canada is committed to providing exceptional and meaningful experiences at iconic destinations like Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
