Bonavista Peninsula park earns UNESCO designation
It’s a day of celebration on the Bonavista Peninsula.
Rock dating back more than half a billion years, and some of the best-preserved Ediacaran fossils in the world, have earned the region a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Global Geopark designation.
The announcement came early Friday from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and the Canadian Geoparks Network, following the decision made at a UNESCO meeting in Paris.
Discovery is now among a short list of five Global Geoparks in North America.
John Norman, chair of Discovery Geopark’s board of directors, stated in a news release, “The board of Discovery expresses their deepest thanks to all those who have supported our efforts over this time and we look forward to continuing to work with everyone as we now move together after designation to promote our Geopark area as a destination.”
This designation, Norman added, will mean extra potential for the region’s tourism industry, once travel
ramps up again in a postcovid-19-pandemic world.
“This … has far-reaching benefits for our tourism industry (private and notfor-profit) and municipalities, and will especially be true for recovering our local economy both financially and in terms of creating new and sustainable employment
POST-COVID.”
The announcement is the reward for 13 years of commitment by local community leaders and volunteers, he said.
Norman noted the founding groups that took the first steps for designation — the Sir William Ford Coaker Heritage Foundation,
Tourism Elliston, the Trinity Historical Society and the King’s Cove Historical Society.
He also lauded Sean O’brien, a former senior geologist with the province, who planted the seed for the geopark.
The Discovery group was also helped along the way by local towns and businesses, staff at the Geological Survey of Canada, the Department of Natural Resources and paleontological researchers from Cambridge, Oxford and Memorial universities.
Funding came from the province’s tourism department and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
Discovery was one of two Atlantic Canadian geoparks to receive UNESCO designation Friday.
The Cliffs of Fundy, with more than 40 geosites across 125 kilometres, where Canada’s oldest dinosaur fossils are located, also received designation.
“Becoming a UNESCO Global Geopark is a tremendous achievement — international recognition that is very prestigious and difficult to obtain,” said Liette Vasseur, president, and Sébastien Goupil, secretary-general, of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO stated in a news release. “We salute the efforts of those who have worked relentlessly over the years to champion the nominations for the Cliffs of Fundy and Discovery, two remarkably beautiful sites.”
Geoparks are sites recognized by UNESCO for their exceptional geological heritage. Being designated a geopark means having the ability, and working with local stakeholders, to preserve unique geological sites and educate visitors about them.
“Geoparks also play a leading role in fostering highquality, sustainable tourism and contributing to the vitality of local economies,” noted the news release from the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
Discovery was one of 17 applicants approved for UNESCO Global Geopark status at the France conference.
The Global Geoparks Network now includes 161 sites in 44 countries.
Jim Miller, treasurer of the Discovery Geopark, said in an email, “Our region has had many successes over the years and has been recognized by many government agencies and departments, educational institutions and scholars for coming together as a region to achieve great things.
“Today we have another reason to be proud of our area. We did this together, with lots of help, for which we are truly appreciative.”
An achievement of this magnitude for the Bonavista region would normally mean a celebratory gathering to mark the occasion and thank those who contributed.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, that’s not possible.
So the party is on hold, for now.
“We look forward to holding a regional celebration in the future when it is safe to do so,” said Norman.