Curious about Canada's national parks, historically speaking? There's a website waiting for you.

The website, ParksCanadaHistory.com, can provide you with access to electronic editions of publications with the aim of showcasing the rich history of the Canadian National Park System.

The National Parks, Historic Sites and Marine Conservation Areas present a Canadian cultural and natural history textbook. The goal of http://parkscanadahistory.com, is to be the largest digital library of hard-to-find, long out-of-print, Parks Canada publications, as published under its various agency names over its 100+ year history.

"With 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites and 4 national marine conservation areas, totaling over 300,000 square kilometers, the vastness of the Canadian Park System is both a national, and international, treasure," said Dr. Harry Butowsky, a retired (U.S.) National Park Service historian, and co-creator of the companion website: NPSHistory.com.

The Parks Canada Agency has been entrusted to preserve and protect these areas for future generations. From its first director, J.B. Harkin, to the present day, Parks Canada has produced a wealth of books, technical reports, and visitor information literature.

"Each park unit has its unique story to tell," said Dr. Butowsky. "By providing an ever-expanding collection of digital editions of these materials we hope to increase the understanding, and appreciation, of these areas."

ParksCanadaHistory.com could not have been created without the help and support of Dr. Alan MacEachern, associate professor of Canadian History at the University of Western Ontario and director of the Network of Canadian History & Environment.