Québec National Parks Day, 5th Edition - Saturday, September 6, 2014 - For the Pleasure of Being Active in Nature!

QUÉBEC CITY, Aug. 21, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - On Saturday, September 6, 2014, Québeckers are invited to visit the 24 national parks of the Parcs Québec network for the 5^th edition of Québec National Parks Day. For this very special event, admission to the parks will be free that day. In addition to regular discovery and outdoor activities, the parks will be offering special programming, under the theme Pour le plaisir de bouger en nature! (For the Pleasure of Being Active in Nature!) This is an opportunity to discover or rediscover the protected areas of Québec and stimulate everyone's interest in outdoor activities, no matter what their age.

"The benefits of nature are immense. Since many people, especially youngsters, suffer from a nature deficit, we invite people from across the province to come play outside on this special day. The national parks in the Parcs Québec network are particularly great places for enjoying activities in nature", declared Martin Soucy, Vice President of Operations for Sépaq (Parcs Québec sector).

For the Pleasure of Being Active in Nature!
This open house day will feature special activities such as guided excursions (on foot, by kayak, in a rabaska canoe), outdoor yoga classes, Huttopia tent tours, fantasy makeup for kids, rallies, free equipment trials, barbecues and Le Grand défoulement for the Québec Cancer Foundation on a trail in every park. The event's spokesperson, François Tremblay, environmental journalist for the TVA show Salut, Bonjour!, will be at Parc national d'Oka to meet the people and host the Défi en famille (Family Challenge) starting at 10 a.m.

See the entire programming for Québec National Parks Day 2014: http://www.parcsquebec.com/journee. (In French only)

6,990 km² of Protected Areas
The national parks in the Parcs Québec network are more than 6,990 km² of lands protected for the benefit of current and future generations, 200 hiking trails, 150 cabins, 4,400 campsites, and much more. They offer stunning scenery, a wide variety of outdoor and discovery activities, spectacular trails, a great diversity of plant and animal life and a rich and authentic cultural heritage.

"We are fortunate in Québec to live in such a magnificent place! The 5^th edition of Québec National Parks Day is a great time to discover or rediscover these protected areas. I invite all Québeckers to take ownership of their parks for the pleasure of being active in nature," stated the Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, Laurent Lessard. 

About the Parcs Québec Network
In 1999, the government mandated Sépaq to set up a network of national parks in Québec that would be comparable to other great world networks in terms of conservation, education and customer service. Each time a park is created, we as a society are choosing to protect this heritage for current and future generations. Sépaq manages 24 national parks in the Parcs Québec network.                              

LIST OF NATIONAL PARKS PER TOURIST REGION

Regions	National Parks
Abitibi-Témiscamingue	Parc national d'Aiguebelle Parc national d'Opémican (opening planned for 2017)
Bas-Saint-Laurent	Parc national du Bic Parc national du Lac-Témiscouata
Cantons-de-l'Est	Parc national du Mont-Mégantic
	Parc national du Mont-Orford
	Parc national de la Yamaska
Cantons-de-l'Est/Chaudière-Appalaches	Parc national de Frontenac
Charlevoix	Parc national des Grands-Jardins
	Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie (temporarily closed for major works in 2014, re-opening in 2015)
Duplessis	Parc national d'Anticosti
Gaspésie	Parc national de la Gaspésie
	Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé
	Parc national de Miguasha
Lanaudière/Laurentides	Parc national du Mont-Tremblant
Laurentides	Parc national d'Oka
Montérégie	Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville
	Parc national du Mont-Saint-Bruno
Outaouais	Parc national de Plaisance
Québec	Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean	Parc national des Monts-Valin
	Parc national de la Pointe-Taillon
	Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean/Charlevoix/ Bas-Saint-Laurent/Manicouagan	Parc marin du Saguenay-Saint-Laurent

Image with caption: "Légende photo : Parc national du Mont-Tremblant - Crédit : Mathieu Dupuis, Sépaq (CNW Group/Société des établissements de plein air du Québec)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140821_C2161_PHOTO_EN_5006.jpg

SOURCE: Société des établissements de plein air du Québec

Source: Lucie Boulianne, Communications Manager, Sépaq, [email protected], 418 686-4875; Information: France Gaignard, Ping Communication, [email protected], 514 616-7705