Canada’s Protected Areas

The number of areas and the total area protected in Canada have both grown. As of 2011, 9.9% (991 482 km²) of Canada’s land area and about 0.70% (49 333 km²) of its marine territory have been protected. In the last 20 years, the total area protected has increased by 95% and in the last 5 years it has increased by 19%. Under federal jurisdiction, 505 033 km² are protected, a 47% increase since 1990.

Protected areas are lands and waters where development and use is restricted by legal or other means for the conservation of nature. Based on internationally recognized definitions, protected areas are classified according to their management objective. Limited development and industrial activity does occur in some cases. As of 2011, 94% of protected lands in Canada were in “strictly protected” categories.^[1]

Trends in proportion of area protected in Canada, 1990–2011

Note: Areas that lack information on creation date have been assumed to have been protected before 1990. Only areas recognized as protected under international standards are included.
Source: For Canada except Quebec: Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) (2011) Conservation Areas Reporting and Tracking System (CARTS); data current as of 31 December, 2011. For Quebec: Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs (2011) Base de données du Registre des aires protégées au Québec; data current as of 31 December, 2011.

Larger protected areas tend to be located in northern Canada, where there are fewer conflicting land uses. Although the distribution and size of individual protected areas is highly variable, the total represents an area close to the size of Ontario.

Protected areas in Canada, 2011 

Note: Terrestrial protected areas in (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) IUCN categories I-IV are shown in dark green, those in categories V and VI in medium green. Marine protected areas in IUCN categories I-IV are shown in dark blue, those in categories V and VI in medium blue. Not all provinces and territories report on protected areas that are privately owned.
Source: For Canada except Quebec: Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) (2011) Conservation Areas Reporting and Tracking System (CARTS); data current as of 31 December, 2011. For Quebec: Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs (2011) Base de données du Registre des aires protégées au Québec; data current as of 31 December, 2011.

Laws or agreements limit the amount and type of human activity in protected lands or waters, in order to conserve natural environments for the benefit of present and future generations of Canadians. Protected areas may be chosen to represent parts of the Canadian landscape, such as the boreal forest or an ocean shelf, or created to conserve endangered wildlife species, wildlife habitats, and unique or ecologically sensitive areas.

Federal, provincial and territorial protected areas are included in this report, as well as partial data from non-governmental environmental organizations. Examples of protected areas include national and provincial parks, national wildlife areas, migratory bird sanctuaries, wildlife reserves, and ecological reserves. This report does not contain comprehensive information on privately held conservation lands such as those owned by land trusts or lands still in private ownership but protected by conservation easements or similar agreements.

All protected areas are managed to conserve nature, but the 6% of areas not in “strictly protected” categories are focused on preserving landscapes where human use has produced an area with natural and cultural features that are both important,^[2] or on maintaining sustainable use of natural resources^[3] (view data).

The parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity set a new target in October 2010, to set aside 17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters and at least 10% of marine areas, by 2020. Canada, as a signatory to the convention, is contributing to this global target.

Related indicators

• Protected Areas, by Province and Territory 
• Protected Areas, by Ecozone⁺
• Protected Areas, International Comparison 

Other information

• Canadian Council on Ecological Areas
• Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs, Direction du patrimoine écologique et des parcs, Base de données du Registre des aires protégées au Québec
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• World Database on Protected Areas
• ProtectedPlanet.net