The UNESCO heritage list now includes a new Quebec site: Anticosti Island. The World Heritage Committee on Tuesday confirmed the listing of the province’s largest island, due to its geology, which reflects the first mass extinction of animal life on a global scale.
Supported since 2017 by the federal government, the island’s candidacy was essentially based on the “outstanding universal value” and “worldwide recognized” of its geology, mainly through its fossils.
“Anticosti Island is internationally recognized for its exceptional fossils from the period between the Upper Ordovician and the Lower Silurian. [il y a près de 445 millions d’années], which have no equivalent anywhere else on the planet. This period represents an important milestone in the history of the Earth, namely the first mass extinction of animal life on a global scale,” said a note published by Parks Canada.
Natural laboratory
Scientific director of the steering committee for the UNESCO application file, André Desrochers studied the geology and paleontology of Anticosti for several years. And according to what he argued at Dutythe largest island in Quebec is downright “first in class” as a witness to this period.
Mr. Desrochers went to the island this summer to support colleagues from the United States, France and Belgium who came to take samples as part of their research work.
“Anticosti is the best natural laboratory in the world for the study of fossils and sedimentary layers at the border of the Ordovician and Silurian, 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 rocky layer contains the fossils of marine organisms that lived on Earth around 440 million years ago — many of which died out during the mass extinction.
“Historic day”
The Trudeau government welcomed the inclusion of Anticosti on Tuesday. “Anticosti is a true jewel of Quebec, Canada, and the whole world. This extraordinary island reveals secrets about our past and the impact that climate change had 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 on a global scale for the abundance, diversity and state of conservation of the fossils present on its territory. It is also a unique natural environment where many species coexist that we had to protect,” argued the Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks. Quebec, Benoit Charette.
The municipality of Anticosti believes that this recognition by UNESCO could allow it to develop the tourist appeal of the island, located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Its surface area is 16 times larger than that of the island of Montreal.
Forest cuts
In 2019, continued logging raised concerns for Anticosti’s UNESCO candidacy, while the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks rejected a project to protect the perimeter of the island, where are the best fossil sites.
The ministry finally accepted the establishment of this one kilometer protective strip, from the shore towards the interior of the island. The Legault government subsequently announced protection measures for this territory, notably in support of the UNESCO candidacy.
Before that, the island had attracted the interest of the PQ government of Pauline Marois, who launched an oil exploration program on the island in 2014. This project was finally abandoned in 2017 by the liberal government of Philippe Couillard. The project cost the Quebec government $92 million, mainly to pay compensation to companies that were the state’s partners in the shale oil research program.
The historic district of Old Quebec and Miguasha National Park are already listed as UNESCO world heritage sites.
More details will follow.