Creation

At the end of the nineteenth-century, Canadian governments began to set aside relatively unsettled regions as parks, and to limit the types of activities that could take place within them. In 1885, Canada created its first national park, in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. The Province of Ontario’s first provincial park, originally called Algonquin National Park, was created in 1893. From the documents gathered here, you will gain a sense of some of the Ontario government’s interests in setting aside this land for a park.

Since its creation, the name and the boundaries of the Park have changed slightly. The basic principles governing the Park, however, remain the same.

In this section you may discover whether any of the activities encouraged, or simply tolerated, in the Park’s operation might have helped to contribute to Thomson’s death.

Government Documents

Journal Articles