Westmeath Provincial Park

Westmeath Provincial Park, on Bellows Bay along the south shore of the Ottawa River near Westmeath, Ontario, preserves one of the southern Ottawa River’s finest sand dune and wetland complexes. Formed as ice age drainage and the Champlain Sea deposited sand and clay, its dunes are considered the best remaining example of their kind along the river. The park supports about 300 plant species, abundant birdlife, and important habitat for the threatened spiny softshell turtle and the map turtle. Opened in 1991, it is managed mainly to protect its dunes, wetlands, and rare species, while research, limited access, and ongoing threats have shaped its modern history.

Québec · Canada