Wapusk is Canada Strong

The Canada Strong Pass encourages Canadians and travellers alike to explore the treasured places that contribute to our national identity. Exemplified in every national park and national historic site is the strength of Canada, from legacies of resilience, the power in community, forces of nature, the fortitude of architecture and even physical feats. Parks Canada invites you to celebrate the significance of these places through sharing stories of strength, respecting the wild beauty of nature and using the Canada Strong Pass to the fullest.

Adapting to your surroundings is strength, and Parks Canada is proud to say that Wapusk is Canada Strong.

With lows of -45°C, winds that blow up to 100 km per hour and plants that only bloom for a few weeks of the year, the climate in Wapusk may be harsh, but it’s not inhospitable. At least not for the park’s animal inhabitants that have physically adapted to survive in such conditions. Adaptations come in many forms: thick fur, paws and hooves suited for traversing ice and snow, or extra layers of fat.

While life in the North isn’t always a walk in the park for everyone, it is for the caribou that call Wapusk home. By spreading their hooves to act as snowshoes, caribou can cover great distances over snow. These hooves aren’t just made for walking; they are also the perfect tool for swimming, acting as a paddle. Whether it’s winter or summer, the specially adapted hooves of caribou can take them where they need to go. The Cape Churchill herd spends its winters in the southeastern corner of the park and beyond, but migrate to its calving grounds at Cape Churchill in the northwest edge of the park in the spring. These caribou spend the summer along the coast of Wapusk on the tundra and tidal flats browsing for food and avoiding predators.

Caribou must be prepared for both the heat of the summer and the blustery cold of the winter. With two layers, a fuzzy inner and a coarse outer layer, the caribou’s fur pulls double duty to keep them the perfect temperature in every season. In the summer, their dense fur keeps the heat out and coarse, hollow hairs help keep retain warmth during the winter. They’re never too hot or too cold.

Another way to thrive in the North is by following Indigenous Knowledge and using what is around you. Cree, Dene, Inuit and Métis peoples of Northern Manitoba rely on the caribou, which are used for clothing, food, ceremony and more. Respect for caribou is an important tenant for Indigenous peoples, with an emphasis on teaching how to hunt respectfully, making use of every part of a harvest, protecting habitats and sharing Indigenous Knowledge. These lessons start young, through oral traditions, where caribou take on a central part of culture through stories, songs and prayers.

Because caribou fur has been adapted to maintain heat, it makes it a wonderful material for clothes. The hide of the animal can be fashioned into parkas, shirts, pants, boots, mittens and dresses. These pieces have functional value, helping to keep their wearers warm, but they are also works of arts that hold cultural significance.

Caribou also provide an important food source. Internal organs can be cleaned before being boiled or roasted, flesh can be cut into strips and dried, bone marrow makes great broths and soups and hooves can be turned to jelly. When harvesting, the only part of the caribou typically not eaten are the lungs, and even these can be fed to dogs. Nothing is wasted.

The adaptations that allow caribou to thrive in even the harshest of climates, and those who use those adaptations to their advantage, makes Wapusk Canada Strong.