Blomidon Park, Nova Scotia

The diverse, cross-country beauty of the nation is depicted on 12 provincial and territorial parks stamps to be issued for Canada Day 1993. This park is situated on the rugged promontory of Nova Scotia's Cape Blomidon, one the province's most recognizable and dramatic landscapes. Established in 1973, the 758-hectare park is renowned for its spectacular views of the Minas Basin and Annapolis Valley. The world's highest tides wash the park's shores, whose area includes 183-metre high cliffs, an old-growth deciduous forest and variety of habitats supporting a diversity of flora and fauna. One of the few locations in Nova Scotia where Arctic-Alpine and Boreal plant species exist, the park is home to several rare and endangered varieties. Another endangered species, the Peregrine Falcon, has been released in the ark to try to re-establish a viable population in the Bay of Fundy region. The area's rich cultural history is closely associated with Cape Blomidon, Micmac Indians revered it as the home of their god, Glooscap. In 1604, Champlain took an interest in the landmark. The province's first European colonists, the Acadians, settled nearby. Following their expulsion came the Planters and later, the Loyalists, whose descendants still reside here. The stamp designs convey the feeling that the artist visited these spectacular locations and was awed by their beauty.