Apodaca Provincial Park is tucked away on Bowen Island, off the coast of British Columbia. This small protected piece of wilderness is less than an hour away from the big city, yet it’s quintessential wild West Coast with ocean vistas, Douglas Firs and remarkable sunsets.
Seven years ago, this park was the site of a very important first date for me and now-husband. We wanted to get outdoors, into the fresh air, away from the city, and someplace special. You could say that my romantic life is intrinsically linked to a Canadian park. I know I’m not the only one who can make that claim, either – so many of my friends and family have enjoyed first, second and even one-hundredth dates in Canada’s parks. I’ve even had friends plan honeymoons in these wild and protected places. Whether you’re sharing a tandem kayak, one blanket next to a campfire, or a two-person tent, there’s an undeniable romance to Canada’s parks and wild spaces (Paris and Rome, eat your hearts out!)
A photo of Theo’s now-husband on her first perfect park in Apodaca Provincial Park, British Columbia
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), in partnership with MEC, has seized this sense of romance with gusto and created Plenty of Trees, an online dating quiz, to help you choose your perfect park date. When you answer 10 perfect park date questions, Plenty of Trees helps you discover what a wild and wonderful experience in the wilderness might look like for you and your lover. Your perfect park date might belong on a driftwood-covered beach in Pacific Rim National Park, British Columbia. Or perhaps it’s a trip in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, or on the windy shores of the Bay of Fundy National Park in Nova Scotia. Some of these parks are easy to get to, others require planning, but all are worth the journey, and we can’t ever take these parks for granted.
Canadian national parks only cover 2.5% of the country. That’s a small percentage when you consider how Canada has three coasts, 243,000km of coastline, and 9,984,670km sq. of land in between (courtesy National Resources of Canada website.)
Only 10% of Canada’s landscape has been permanently protected from industrial development pressures. Not only do we need to continue to create new parks so that wild spaces are protected from threats, we need to advocate on behalf of the parks that already exist so that they’re managed safely. Our parks are the places where wildlife and ecosystems flourish now and and will flourish for generations to come.
Through campaigns like Plenty of Trees, CPAWS is taking on conservation watchdog duties across Canada, and is working to better connect the importance of protecting park space in Canada to our everyday lives. Park protection ultimately comes through advocacy work, partnerships like the one between CPAWS and MEC, and a movement of hearts and minds among Canadians who want to see more park space created by governments.
Bowen Island Sunset. Photo courtesy flickr user Rick Smith
It’s been seven years since my own perfect park date. Every September, we return to Apodaca Provincial Park to mark the occasion and stand among the Douglas Firs as we watch a West Coast sunset. I love that love began in a park for me and my wish is for you to feel love in a park, too. Plenty of Trees is waiting for you. Give in to the temptation and take the quiz.
