"Wilderness" is a substantial area of land or water where the forces of nature are permitted to function freely; where the impact of man is largely unnoticeable; where the only method of travel is by historic, non-mechanical means; where there are opportunities for a wilderness experience of solitude, space, time and a personal integration with nature. Furthermore, it is cared for in such a way as to ensure the evolution of natural processes.   From Quetico Park Master Plan

About the Foundation

The Foundation is closely associated with Quetico Provincial Park, a park which together with the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the United States, forms the largest international wilderness preserve in the world.

In 1909, the Ontario provincial government set aside 1,148,000 acres (430,000 hectares) for wilderness recreational use northwest of Lake Superior, which became Quetico Provincial Park in 1913. (Click here for more information on the Park). In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed the President's Quetico-Superior Committee and in 1939, the U.S. Forest Service marked out the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. In 1949, the Canada Quetico-Superior Committee was formed with the Rt. Hon. Vincent Massey as Chairman.

The Quetico Foundation evolved from the Canadian Committee in 1954 and, in 1958, at the request of the then-minister of Lands and Forests, the Foundation amended its Letters Patent to permit expanding its program to cover other wilderness provincial parks and appropriate areas worthy of preservation in Ontario. In keeping with the original intent, the Foundation is involved in activities which will, through a wise and informed public and private sector, conserve wilderness areas in their natural state for future generations. The Foundation has a particular interest in northern boreal forest areas.

Overview of Activities

Over the years, the Foundation has supported a variety of scientific, research and social projects in Quetico Park and the immediately surrounding areas. The Park is the centre of three ecological zones - the boreal, the Atlantic mixed-wood and the prairie systems. It is therefore unique as a centre for long-term ecological research, including work on climatic change, forest harvesting, resource extraction, watershed changes, winds and other environmentally important issues. Our objective has been to act as a catalyst for initiatives that will, both in the long term and the short term further our mission. Hence, we have made an on-going commitment to working with government officials, park managers, forestry and mining industry officials, local citizens' groups and the Lac La Croix First Nation, to ensure the sustainability of the forests and the integrity of the wilderness. To contact us, click here.

Our current programs and activities include:

• John B. Ridley Research Library
• Research and Publications on Wilderness-related topics
• Summer Student Research Program
• Biology Internship Program
• Ridley Wilderness Youth Program
• Artists in Residence Program
• Publication and Sale of Satellite Canoe Route Maps of Quetico Park
• Educational Bursaries
• Tall Pines Project
• Public Advocacy
• ROM Watercolour Sketches

Leadership

The Foundation has always relied on its voluntary Trustees to contribute their time and leadership to promote the Foundation's aims. (Click here to link to the Trustee profiles.) The following individuals have Chaired the Foundation since its founding in 1954: