J.B. Harkin: Father of Canada's National Parks Paperback - 2009 - 1st Edition

From the rear cover

"Having set out to reveal a great builder and administrator of Canada's national park system and a champion for its wildlife, I instead discovered a great Canadian." From the Introduction "The battle for the establishment of National Parks is long since over but the battle to keep them inviolate is never won..." J.B. Harkin Many of Canada's superb national parks owe their existence to James Bernard Harkin (1875-1955), the first commissioner of Canada's new Dominion Parks Branch in 1911. Ted Hart follows Harkin's career from his apprenticeship in the Department of the Interior to his retirement in 1936, and presents Harkin as a major force in early Canadian parks and wildlife conservation. He supported Canadian wildlife conservation at its inception, created the world's first park service, and developed major park policies. It seems strange that a man who played a key role in establishing a legacy for future generations on issues of conservation, recreation, historic site preservation, and tourism should be relatively unknown today. But perhaps not, for we are more accustomed to our heroes being actors, sports stars, generals, and scientists, not government bureaucrats. Conservationists, serious history enthusiasts, and those with an interest in Canada's national parks will enjoy this biography of a multifaceted and significant individual. E.J. (Ted) Hart currently resides in Banff, Alberta, where he is Director Emeritus and Head Archivist at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.

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Citations

• Choice, 11/01/2010, Page 0
• Reference and Research Bk News, 08/01/2010, Page 79