A signing ceremony was held at Parks Canada Place in Gatineau, Quebec which included remarks by the Honourable Seamus O'Regan, Minister of Indigenous Services on behalf of the Government of Canada as well representatives from Ireland's Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The twinning arrangement will promote bilateral cooperation and exchanges for the mutual benefit of these national parks and historic sites, which have an important role in habitat protection and the conservation of iconic species, as well as in cultural heritage of both countries.
Terra Nova National Park is the most easterly national park in Canada and shares many characteristics in common with Connemara National Park in Ireland. Both parks protect similar ecosystems of bogs, wetlands and woodlands, and protect many common species including the pine marten. There is also a strong historical cultural connection between the east coast of Newfoundland and Ireland.
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Signal Hill National Historic Site in St. John's played an important role in Canada's communications and defence history. In 1901, atop Signal Hill, Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless transmission, a landmark achievement in global communications history. The Marconi Station in Ireland is the site where Guglielmo Marconi transmitted the wireless transatlantic messages.
The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan TD, said: "I am delighted that my Department – through the National Parks and Wildlife Service – is entering into a twinning arrangement with Parks Canada. Both parties aim to capitalise on the significant networking & knowledge sharing opportunities given the natural and cultural resources protected and presented by both organisations, as well as our respective mandates. The connections between the people, culture and history of Ireland and the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador in particular further enhance the opportunity for success in working together."
The Honourable Catherine Mckenna, Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, also said: "On behalf of Parks Canada, I would like to thank all those involved for their dedicated efforts to establish this important twinning arrangement between these special places here in Canada and Ireland. Going forward this unique collaboration will provide exciting opportunities for the sharing of best practices in joint efforts to conserve ecosystems, preserve heritage and promote natural and cultural tourism at these sites."
