© Garth Lenz

In an increasingly industrialized world, Canada's Boreal Forest is a breath of fresh air - literally. This forest ecosystem filled with lakes and wetlands moderates our climate, produces oxygen and purifies the water we drink. It is the source of life for many First Nations communities and home to thousands of species of animals, birds, plants and insects. It is an ecosystem of astonishing power.

Boreal focus: Pimachiowin Aki - beautiful new video

Pimachiowin Aki - a unique partnership of four First Nations and the governments of Manitoba and Ontario, working together to create a UNESCO World Heritage Site in our area of the boreal forest.

The Poplar River, Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi and Pikangikum First Nations, with the support of the Manitoba and Ontario governments, formed the Pimachiowin Aki Corporation in 2006 to achieve international recognition for the cultural and ecological values of the Boreal forest east of Lake Winnipeg as a World Heritage Site. The UNESCO World Heritage List was established as an international effort to identify and protect sites of universally outstanding value so that they would survive for the benefit of all humanity.

Once designated, Pimachiowin Aki will be one of only a handful of sites on the World Heritage List that are recognized for both outstanding cultural and natural heritage values. The area is an important Anishinabe cultural landscape, and designation will support the maintenance of traditional ways of life as well as creating new opportunities for sustaining First Nation economies.

We can now visit the region, thanks to this video!

Tell us about your part of the Boreal region: info@borealcanada.ca.