Creating resilient shorelines

The shorelines are eroding at Cap-des-Rosiers in the Gaspé Peninsula’s Forillon National Park. This unprecedented process has been aggravated by rising sea levels in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, increased storm intensity, and a decrease in the amount protective ice in winter. As a consequence, park roads, trails and other infrastructures that are not suited to a coastal environment have begun to deteriorate, raising maintenance costs and safety concerns. Further, these environmental changes have reduced the integrity of the area’s natural and cultural features – beach habitat for spawning capelin has reduced considerably and an historic monument is at risk of being washed out to sea. In response, Forillon National Park staff set out to restore the dynamic coastal environment using ecologically sensitive and sustainable solutions.