Nemiskam National Park

Coordinates: 49°32′21″N 111°25′02″W / 49.539164°N 111.417321°W Nemiskam National Park was created north of the community of Nemiskam (today a ghost town)^[1] in south central Alberta, Canada, in 1922. The park was closed and delisted in 1947. The first Park Superintendent was Edgar McHugh.^[2] Nemiskam is a First Nations word meaning "between two valleys", referring to the Chin Coulee and Etzikom Coulee on either side of the former community.^[1]

History

Beginning in 1914, a large portion of the 139 km² (54 sq mi) of land^[3] that would later form Nemiskam National Park was designated the Nemiskam National Antelope Reserve,^[2] to protect Pronghorn (often referred to as antelope). The area was one of many pronghorn reserves created in Alberta and Saskatchewan at that time.

Nemiskam National Park was one of several national parks created in the Canadian Prairies expressly to protect and regenerate dangerously low populations of bison and Pronghorn. Other 'regeneration' parks were Buffalo National Park and Wawaskesy National Park (both in Alberta) and Menissawok National Park in Saskatchewan.

With the rebound of pronghorn herds in southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, Nemiskam was closed in 1947, as the Buffalo (closed 1940), Wawaskesy (closed 1938) and Menissawok (closed 1930) 'regeneration' parks had been earlier. All four parks were delisted from the record of national parks in 1947, with the Nemiskam land returned to general use.

Notes

1. "Nemiskam". The Place Names of Alberta: The Land, The People, and Their Stories. Heritage Community Foundation and Friends Geographical Names of Alberta. 2008. Archived from the original on 2010-12-08.
2. Burns, Robert J.; Schintz, Michael J. (2000). Guardians of the Wild: A History of the Warden Service of Canada's National Parks. Calgary, Canada: University of Calgary Press. p. 159. ISBN 9781552380185. ISSN 1494-0426. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
3. Fish, Fur & Feathers: Fish and Wildlife Conservation in Alberta 1905-2005. Edmonton, Canada: The Fish and Wildlife Historical Society and the Federation of Alberta Naturalists. November 2005. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-96961-347-3. Retrieved 2010-12-23.

References

• Lothian, W.F. (1987). "Volume IV: Chapter 7: Preserving Canada's Wildlife". A History of Canada's National Parks. Parks Canada. ISBN 0-662-11497-3.
• Lothian, W.F. (1987). "National Parks Established for the Protection of American Bison and Pronghorn Antelope" (PDF) (Map). "National Parks Established for the Protection of American Bison and Pronghorn Antelope" (PDF). Parks Canada. Volume IV: Chapter 7: Preserving Canada's Wildlife. ISBN 0-662-11497-3.