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Mountains of Canada

Mountains of Canada

During the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, mountain areas were recognized as critical link in securing the well-being of life on the planet. Mountains contain as much or more biodiversity than any other area, and provide among other resources, half of the world's fresh water. Mountains are home to our elk, grizzlies and many other animal and plant species. They are also repositories of our cultural heritage - at least one in ten people live at or near major mountain ranges. Yet, mountain environments and cultures are under threat of being destroyed at an alarming rate. Climate change, industrial development, environmental degradation, and even wars take their toll.

To raise awareness of these problems, the United Nations had declared 2002 the International Year of Mountains with the hope that countries all over the world would promote the conservation and sustainable development of mountain regions. The goal behind this step is to increase understanding of mountain environments, their overall importance in providing basic resources essential to human well-being, and to encourage citizens to push their governments to take active measures to ensure peace and stability in mountain regions, and to protect the mountain ecosystems. Visit www.mountainpartnership.org to learn more about mountains around the world (external link, page will open in a new window).

Canada has been blessed with an abundance of mountains, and they have played a pivotal role in the shaping of our society. Our settlements often developed at the edge of mountain areas, as our ancestors looked for shelter under the majestic summits, and for resources to extract for their daily needs. Mountains became part of our folklore and our collective psyche.

The following set of gallery pages represents a pictorial tribute to Canadian mountains. We will start a virtual journey where the book of geological history of our continent opens first - by visiting the old mountains of the East, and finish where the geological history is still being written - with the young mountains of the West. Along the way, remember to click on individual images to see a larger view.

Mountains of Canada Eastern mountains The Rockies Coast Mountains

 
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