Parks across the Maritime provinces, including Cape Breton Highlands National Park, are preparing for Hurricane Lee/Julie Anne François, Parks Canada
With Hurricane Lee expected to make landfall in Canada on Saturday, national parks in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick have announced closures.
In Nova Scotia, Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site and Kejimkujik National Park Seaside will close at noon on Sept. 15.
Visitors and campers inside the park will be asked to leave and new visitors won’t be allowed to enter. Guests with camping reservations from Sept. 15 to 19 will be contacted and their reservations cancelled and fees fully refunded within the next few days.
The next public update is planned to be Sept. 18 at noon. Parks Canada will update its website and social media channels, but given the possibility of power outages, visitors should contact sites directly before visiting in the coming days.
On Cape Breton Island, Cape Breton Highlands National Park will close all campgrounds and programming at noon on Sept. 15 and hopes to reopen on Sept. 18. Guests with pre-existing reservations will be contacted and will be refunded their accommodation fees within the next few days.
Parks Canada is also carefully monitoring any possible impacts on national historic sites on Cape Breton Island and asks visitors to contact sites before visiting this weekend.
In Prince Edward Island, Parks Canada has reminded visitors that they are responsible for their own safety and warns that visiting Prince Edward Island National Park during the hurricane is strongly discouraged.
“During adverse weather events, there are limited emergency services provided by Parks Canada,” it said in a news release. “During the storm, there will be a number of hazards, including: potential danger from rip currents, downed trees and localized flooding as well as potential coastal and cliff erosion.”
To avoid hurricane damage, beach stairs are being temporarily removed throughout the park and accessibility ramps have been removed from Cavendish and Brackley beaches.
In New Brunswick visitors are discouraged from visiting Fundy National Park during the storm due to the potential of danger from downed trees, localized flooding, coastal and cliff erosion, as well as to give space for workers to remove debris from impacted locations if needed.
All camping area will close at noon on Sept. 15, and so will the golf course and river crossings. Point Wolfe, Hastings and Laverty Roads will be closing at 6 p.m. Interpretation programs are cancelled for the weekend.
For now, Kouchibouguac National Park remains open but visitors are urged to exercise extreme caution and remember that storm conditions can change rapidly.
The use of watercrafts of any kind is ill-advised. Storm conditions associated with Hurricane Lee may significantly impede the park’s ability to conduct rescue operations and response times may be delayed due to safety concerns.
“Please remain vigilant, heed all safety warnings, and consider postponing your visit until after the hurricane has passed for your own well-being, this includes visits to all coastal areas in the park and wooded trails,” Kouchibouguac said in a Facebook post.
“Anticipate extended power outages during the storm and be aware that broken trees and fallen debris may pose hazards in the park. Ensure you are adequately prepared and prioritize safety above all else.”
