The UNESCO World Heritage List now includes a new site in Quebec: Anticosti Island. The World Heritage Committee on Tuesday confirmed the addition of the province’s largest island to the list because of its geology, which reflects the first mass extinction of animal life on a global scale.
The island’s candidacy, supported by the federal government since 2017, was based essentially on the “outstanding universal value” and “global recognition” of its geology, particularly through its fossils.
“The island of Anticosti is internationally renowned for its exceptional fossils dating from the Upper Ordovician to the Lower Silurian. [il y a près de 445 millions d’années], which does not exist anywhere else in the world. “This period represents an important milestone in Earth’s history, namely the first mass extinction of animal life on a global scale,” said a statement released by Parks Canada.
Natural laboratory
André Desrochers, scientific director of the Steering Committee for the UNESCO application dossier, studied the geology and paleontology of Anticosti for several years. And according to his argument in Le Devoir, Quebec’s largest island, as a witness to this period, is “a novelty in its class.”
Mr. Desrochers traveled to the island this summer to support colleagues from the United States, France and Belgium who came to collect samples as part of their research.
“Anticosti is the world’s best natural laboratory for studying fossils and sedimentary layers at the Ordovician-Silurian boundary, and this period coincides with a critical point in the evolution of life on Earth: the first mass extinction of life,” he explained .
The geologists who came this summer are trying to replace certain pieces in the great puzzle of evolution. The island’s rock layer contains fossils of marine organisms that lived on Earth about 440 million years ago – and many of which disappeared during the mass extinction.
“Historic day”
The Trudeau government welcomed Anticosti’s inclusion on Tuesday. “Anticosti is a true gem of Quebec, Canada and the world. This extraordinary island reveals secrets about our past and the impact of climate change on the Earth millions of years ago,” said Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Member of Parliament for Gaspésie – The Magdalen Islands.
“Today is a historic day. Anticosti is an emblematic island that stands out worldwide for the abundance, diversity and state of preservation of the fossils found on its territory. It is also a unique natural environment in which many species coexist that we had to protect,” argued the Minister of Environment, Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks. Quebec, Benoit Charette.
The municipality of Anticosti believes that this UNESCO recognition could allow it to increase the tourist attractiveness of the island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Its area is 16 times larger than that of the island of Montreal. “Today this project is taking shape and takes us into a new era on which we will now build our future,” said Anticosti Mayor Hélène Boulanger.
“We need to prepare to receive many more visitors and our reception infrastructure needs to be improved. We need better transport services and new accommodation, but also other basic infrastructure and services,” she added.
“Present and future generations will be able to thank the mobilization of citizens that made it possible to protect this collective jewel and ensure a sustainable future for the island community. Now we must ensure that the provincial and federal governments support the community in promoting Anticosti,” responded Alice-Anne Simard, director general of Nature Québec.
Forest cuttings
In 2019, continued logging raised concerns about Anticosti’s UNESCO candidacy, while the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks rejected a project to protect the edge of the island, where the best fossil sites are located.
The ministry finally agreed to the creation of this one kilometer long protective strip from the shore to the interior of the island. The Legault government, warned by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, then announced greater protection measures for the area, particularly in support of the UNESCO candidacy.
The island had previously attracted interest from the PQ government of Pauline Marois, which launched an oil exploration program on the island in 2014. This project was finally abandoned in 2017 by the Liberal government Philippe Couillard. The project cost the Quebec government $92 million, mostly to pay compensation to companies that were partners of the state in the shale oil research program.
The historic Old Quebec district and Miguasha National Park are already UNESCO World Heritage Sites.