Quttinirpaaq National Park is a stunning but remote park in Nunavut in northern Canada/Parks Canada, Wayne Lynch

The new management plan for Quttinirpaaq National Park aims to protect the environment and connect Canadians to Nunavut.

Part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Quttinirpaaq is at the tip of Ellesmere Island and is the northernmost and second largest national park in Canada. Named by Inuit, "Quttinirpaaq" meaning "at the top" — a fitting name for the most northern national park in Canada, located less than 800 kilometres (500 miles) from the North Pole. 

Based on input from Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord Inuit and other partners — including federal and territorial government departments, Inuit organizations, academic researchers, and visitors past and present — the second management plan for Quttinirpaaq will guide the park's management over the decade while ensuring Inuit rights are protected and Inuit knowledge or Qaujimajatuqangit is used to guide management decisions.

Through this plan, Parks Canada will protect an important example of natural heritage in Canada, will engage and collaborate with Inuit, and will provide an opportunity for visitors to experience and discover the environment in new and innovative ways.

Polar bears call Quttinirpaaq National Park in Nunavut home/Parks Canada, Wayne Lynch

The plan outlines the following key strategies:

• Honouring Shared Commitments: Strengthen Inuit engagement in the Quttinirpaaq through active involvement in park management, thereby fostering economic opportunities and community connections in adjacent areas.

• Working Together: Parks Canada collaborates with partners to strengthen Inuit engagement in Quttinirpaaq. Through collaboration, Parks Canada will strive to align research, tourism, and infrastructure initiatives in Quttinirpaaq with community interests, and strengthen Inuit involvement in research efforts.

• Learning from People and Land: The management of Quttinirpaaq will bring together science and Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit knowledge) to foster Avatittinnik Kamatsiarniq (respect and care for the environment) and increase understanding of the natural and cultural values of the park and the greater region. This knowledge will be used to encourage global appreciation and understanding of the High Arctic, the impacts of climate change and Inuit ingenuity in adapting to challenges and changing circumstances.

Too few people get the chance to visit Quttinirpaaq National Park in Nunavut/Parks Canada, Wayne Lynch

Quttinirpaaq protects 37,775 square kilometres of land. 

It plays a significant role in understanding human history in the Arctic, with some of the oldest and one of the densest concentrations of prehistoric Arctic archaeological sites within its boundary. The park's landscape is dominated by glaciers and mountains yet includes a remarkable diversity of unique and localized ecosystems. The park is viewed as a global point of reference for the effects of climate change.

Visitation to Quttinirpaaq is greatly affected by access since cruise ships and charter flights are the only way for most visitors to get to the park.

Between 2008 and 2017, the average number of annual visitors when no cruise landed was 17. During this period, there were three years when ships did land, and the park saw an average of 215 visitors. In addition, an average of 20 researchers are in the park annually, spending anywhere from five days to two months. While 40 to 150 Department of National Defence personnel may use the airstrip at Tanquary Fiord during the operating season, they rarely spend the night.