Forillon National Park - The Creation of The Park

The Creation of The Park

The creation of the Park in 1970 was preceded by the removal through expropriation of approximately 100 families that had settled within the boundaries of the proposed area. Several of the foundations of the demolished houses remain today hidden in the underbrush of several sections of the park. Several families in the Gaspé Peninsula region were forced to re-settle in the surrounding areas and hold a vivid memory of the events that unfolded during those times. Forillon National Park does not mention these events anywhere within their exhibits and fails to acknowledge the existence of a community within the park. When preparing to create the new park, the Government of Canada requested that the Quebec government expropriate the homes of these families. The Quebec government sub-contracted the appropriation and negotiations to a private firm. This firm allegedly used various bullying tactics to scare the residents into agreeing to settlements of reduced value. This stratagem ensured a larger profit margin for the contractor. On February 14, 2011 the House of Commons adopted a motion which issued an official apology to the people whose properties were expropriated to create Forillon Park. The motion read:

That this House issue an official apology to the people whose properties were expropriated to create Forillon Park for the unconscionable manner in which they were treated, and that the Speaker of the House send the representatives of the people whose properties were expropriated and of their descendants an official copy of the Journals of the House of Commons indicating the adoption of this motion.