Québec’s geological heritage
Louis Madore and André Tremblay (MRNF)

The concept of geodiversity is fairly new and not widely known. Yet, just imagine a uniform planet, composed of a single rock type, with no topography, no movement of the crust, no wind… Such a static and uneventful planet could obviously not shelter life. Our existence is intimately intertwined with the Earth’s history. A fascinating history recorded within its rocks and its landscapes, shaped by geological events and which we can all learn from.

Québec’s Strategy for Protected Areas was developed in the wake of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Since then, Québec has committed to the protection of 8% of its territory, with a view toward the sustainable development of its natural resources. Geological heritage is an integral part of this strategy, and geodiversity is an important aspect of environmental protection.

Geodiversity is, along with biodiversity, a common asset that should be preserved and celebrated. Québec is particularly well endowed in this matter, and contains a number of geological riches that stand to be popularized.

These riches take on many different forms. There are historical or cultural sites consisting of a geological element linked to our social heritage and which has historical, archaeological, folkloric, spiritual or economic value. There are landscapes that offer an unusual or particularly beautiful viewpoint and that are shaped by their geology. There are also ecosystems, i.e., areas where wildlife and flora depend on the geological environment. Finally, there are geological curiosities that correspond to unique phenomena, or that are of interest for scientific, learning or aesthetic purposes.

Québec has implemented a mechanism to identify geological sites of interest for the community, to characterize the latter, assess their vulnerability and, if needed, to protect them from potential alienation due to human activity. Québec also has the ability to take specific measures to ensure the preservation or development of a geosite deemed of particular importance for our natural heritage.