Pukaskwa National Park

Established in 1978, Pukaskwa National Park covers an area of 1,878 square kilometres and is located in the heart of Canada's Boreal Forest ecozone.

About the visual art

• Location: Pukaskwa National Park of Canada, Northeastern Lake Superior, Ontario
• Company: Marcel Morin (Lost Art Cartography)

Pukaskwa National Park is one of five national parks in Ontario, located at the northeastern corner of Lake Superior, just south of the town of Marathon. Anishinaabe presence in this area dates back thousands of years where "Pukaskwa Pits" (rock-lined depressions possibly known as Thunderbird Nests) can be found along the park's cobblestone beaches. There are many spellings of the word "Pukaskwa" and many legends about the meaning of the word. Some contend that the word is descriptive terminology concerned with cleaning fish. Others suggest it could mean "eaters of fish," "something evil," or "safe harbour." The 60-km Coastal Hiking Trail starts at the northern end of the park following the rugged coastline of Lake Superior; this trail is also part of the Trans Canada Trail. Many plants that grow inside Pukaskwa National Park are typically found in Arctic alpine regions, including encrusted saxifrage, bird's-eye primrose, and butterwort. Pukaskwa is home to the northernmost populations of Pitcher's thistle in Canada, with four colonies of the plant existing and self-sustaining on the coastal dune areas within the park.

Marcel Morin has been working in the field of cartography and GIS for 30 years specializing in cartographic and graphic design for print publication, interpretative map design including large map installations made of wood and stone. For the past 25 years, he has worked with numerous First Nations and Métis Settlements, specializing in Traditional Use, Ecological Values and Historical Communities mapping. Marcel lives and works from his home in Grand Pré, Nova Scotia.

See the map