Sun days are fun days… but remember to stay safe

· Visiting Prince Albert National Park on a weekday ensures more space to roam!: Visiting Prince Albert National Park mid-week instead of on weekends (Friday to Sunday) and statutory holidays in the summer season ensures that visitors have space to enjoy all that the park has to offer.

· Stay cool in the heat: Keep cool and hydrated and minimize your time in the sun between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Drink plenty of water, find shade, visit cool buildings, slow down, bathe in cool water and wear light-coloured clothing. Never leave children or pets inside a parked vehicle. More sun safety tips here

· Wear the right helmet: Everyone is encouraged to wear a helmet when cycling, inline skating and skateboarding. Unlike bicycle helmets, skateboard headgear is also designed to protect against multiple falls, whereas bicycle helmets should be replaced after one crash. Visit the Canada Safety Council for more information.

· When thunder roars, go indoors: Stay inside for at least 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder. If you can hear thunder, you can get hit by lightning. Take shelter immediately in a sturdy, fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing. If no solid building is available, you can take shelter in a metal-roofed vehicle. Read more about severe summer weather.

· Stay safe while camping: If strong winds, hail or a tornado is developing while you are camping in a tent or tent-trailer, move to the closest building or a hard-topped vehicle. Make every effort to get to a suitable shelter. If no shelter is available, seek refuge deep in a thick stand of trees in the lowest-lying area. Environment Canada has more summer weather safety tips.

· Make a (safe) splash: Never leave a child unattended in water, not even for a second. Pick the best time of the day to swim and avoid swimming at night and in stormy weather. The Canadian Red Cross offers tips for all kinds of water activities such as lakes, water parks, backyard pools and hot tubs.

Visit Get Prepared for additional tips on this hot topic.

Get off the beaten track!

Take a family walk in the park! In Waskesiu, visit the Botanical Ramble Chalk Walk along the path between the main beach and the Nature Centre and learn the Cree, French, and English names of plants.

For an experience deeper in the park, enjoy a hike on Boundary Bog, Mud Creek and Treebeard Trails! Pick up an interpretive brochure at the trailhead and follow the numbers on the trail to learn more about its unique features.

Keeping the “wild” in wildlife

Prince Albert National Park is a great place to view wildlife in their natural habitat. With a vast range of recreational opportunities and camping experiences set in a wilderness full of elk, deer, fox, waterfowl and black bears, it is important to keep people and wildlife safe. Wildlife find their healthiest food in their natural environment and once they become accustomed to being fed by people, they stop looking for their natural foods and are no longer “wild”.

In national parks across Canada, it is illegal to feed wildlife. It is also important to reduce the chance of these animals getting into pet food, coolers, storage containers, barbecues and other items that have a strong smell. Visitors are encouraged to store items with an odor in vehicles, bear caches when in the backcountry or in bear-proof garbage and recycling containers provided throughout the park.

Get out into Prince Albert National Park for a hike or bike on a trail after using Google Street View to plan your trip!

Getting out into the park and enjoying a hike or a bike on trails can be a fun and rejuvenating way to connect with nature! Many of Prince Albert National Park’s trails can be virtually visited ahead of time on Google Street View, which provides a way of virtually visiting and dreaming about, educating and learning about, and planning trail experiences in the park. More information

Do you fish on Kingsmere Lake? Share your thoughts on the declining trout population

Parks Canada takes its mandate to protect the health of the environment seriously. An agency-wide monitoring and reporting program, consisting of independent scientific measures that help assess the health of the ecosystem, is used to guide parks in making decisions or taking actions that support conservation.

According to present information, population assessment results over the last three years indicate a 45% decline in the lake trout population in Kingsmere Lake. More information is needed to determine the condition of the lake trout population.

With the public’s participation, together we will know more about the state of the fisheries and the health of the species. For more information on this engagement project, and to provide feedback or learn more about the topic, please contact us at: pc.panptrout.pc@canada.ca or visit Nature and Science on the park website.

Join us on Facebook!

We look forward to sharing more with you and getting to know you better! Social media platforms such as Facebook allow for two-way communication and the sharing of detailed information. Prince Albert National Park will use this opportunity to communicate visitor safety messages, trip planning information, visitor experience opportunities, conservation initiatives and highlights, and Waskesiu townsite information, and to invite our followers to share their park experiences with us.

Please visit the Prince Albert National Park Facebook page and like us!

Prince Albert National Park Visitor Centre

Contact the Visitor Centre to learn more about activities in Prince Albert National Park at (306) 663-4522 or pc.princealbertinfo.pc@canada.ca.

Please check Important Bulletins when planning a visit to the park

by Parks Canada

Sun days are fun days… but remember to stay safe

What's Trending