Forty-two years ago, the St. John’s Evening Telegram ran a story about a proposed Mi’kmaq park on the west coast of the island. The Sept. 26, 1979 article by Terry LeDrew about Sacred Bear Park is below.

Native park aim of Indian group
By Terry LeDrew, Telegram Correspondent
The Corner Brook Indian Association is investigating the feasibility of establishing a native park close to the west coast city.
In an interview with The Evening Telegram, band council chief Sean Gabriel said the proposal has received “excellent” support from both the provincial government and the private sector, and meetings are being held with various government-sponsored programs in an effort to receive funds for the feasibility study.
The park, which would be named Sacred Bear Park, would comprise a large, forested area close to Corner Brook and would contain an exact replica of a Mic Mac village as it existed before contact with European settlers, as well as depicting Mic Mac life on a day-to-day basis.
Gabriel says the proposed park would have a twofold significance; helping to increase awareness among local native people for their culture, while increasing employment among Mic Mac descendants in such a way as to promote pride in their community, as well as being an important contribution to tourism in the province.
No Vehicles
The park, he said, would be a walk-in affair, with no motor vehicles of any kind allowed. All other means of transportation to the park, which, if all goes ahead, will boast about 40 miles of wilderness trails at the village. These, he added, would include snowshoe and sled trails for the winter months, and horseback-riding trails and canoe routes for the summer and fall operation.
Although no site has been definitely decided upon for the native park, Gabriel says it would have to be a forested area, with mountains, a minimum of two lakes, and be close enough for the west coast city to benefit economically.
Gabriel, who notes the park is only in the planning stage at present, says he would eventually like to see an extensive area, offering cabins for overnight trailriders or hikers, ponds stocked with native, brown and rainbow trout and a crafts centre, offering authentic, high-quality crafts for sale throughout the province and the rest of Canada.
The west coast city, which has an Indian population of about 400, has close to its boundaries several known Indian burial and encampment sites, says the band leader, although these have not been excavated.
Long-term goals are to establish an archives building, in the proposed park, in which objects from these and other burial and campsites may be displayed.
As well as being a recreation area, the park would also provide support and assistance to schools and colleges as a base of operations from which to study and enjoy nature and would help ensure the preservation of a wilderness area.
More than 56 people would be employed year-round at the proposed park, said the band leader, helping to alleviate the rampantly high unemployment level in the city, and the park would promote the spending of local money as well as attracting tourist dollars into the west coast area, which would stimulate local business.