A National Wildlife Area is a conservation designation for a geographical region in Canada that restricts most human activities on that region. However, land use permits may be issued "for activities that are compatible with conservation". Such areas are established and managed by the Canadian Wildlife Service, a division of Environment and Climate Change Canada. They may consist of land and water features, including any part of Canada's internal waters, territorial sea or exclusive economic zone.Canada Wildlife Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. W-9, subs. 4(2) and s. 4.1.
The largest national wildlife area is the Scott Islands Marine National Wildlife Area in British Columbia, which covers an area of .
Protections Each National Wildlife Area involves a management plan which specifies activities which are generally allowed within the protected area, as well as activities requiring permits. Under the Wildlife Area Regulations, traditional, personal and recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, or canoeing are allowed, whereas resource extraction or livestock grazing would be permitted only under the authority of a yearly permit with strict limits. Some National Wildlife Area in the territories, such as Polar Bear Pass, require co-management between federal government agencies and the Inuit, per the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
List of national wildlife areas , there are 64 National Wildlife Areas in Canada, listed below by province or territory.
Alberta
Blue Quills National Wildlife Area, Meanook National Wildlife Area, Spiers Lake National Wildlife Area, Suffield National Wildlife Area,
British Columbia
Alaksen National Wildlife Area, Columbia National Wildlife Area, Qualicum National Wildlife Area, Scott Islands Marine National Wildlife Area, Vaseux-Bighorn National Wildlife Area, Widgeon Valley National Wildlife Area,
Manitoba
Pope National Wildlife Area, Rockwood National Wildlife Area,
New Brunswick
Cape Jourimain National Wildlife Area, , , , Tintamarre National Wildlife Area,
Northwest Territories Edéhzhíe National Wildlife Area,
Nova Scotia
Big Glace Bay Lake National Wildlife Area, Boot Island National Wildlife Area, Chignecto National Wildlife Area, Country Island National Wildlife Area, Isle Haute National Wildlife Area, John Lusby Marsh National Wildlife Area, Sand Pond National Wildlife Area, , St. Paul Island National Wildlife Area, Wallace Bay National Wildlife Area,
Nunavut
, Nanuit Itillinga National Wildlife Area, , Nirjutiqavvik National Wildlife Area, ,
Ontario
Big Creek National Wildlife Area, Eleanor Island National Wildlife Area, Long Point National Wildlife Area, Mississippi Lake National Wildlife Area, Mohawk Island National Wildlife Area, Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, Scotch Bonnet Island National Wildlife Area, St. Clair National Wildlife Area, Wellers Bay National Wildlife Area, Wye Marsh National Wildlife Area,
Quebec
Baie de l'Isle-Verte National Wildlife Area, Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, , , , Lake Saint-François National Wildlife Area, Pointe-au-Père National Wildlife Area, ,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan's former Prairie National Wildlife Area was delisted in 2025 because only seven of the 26 separate parcels of land it covered throughout the province were deemed to have high conservation value. Those seven parcels of land were reorganised into five new National Wildlife Areas: Great Sandhills, Harris Sandhills, Longspur, Moose Mountain Creek, and Thickwood Hills. Bradwell National Wildlife Area, Great Sandhills National Wildlife Area, Harris Sandhills National Wildlife Area, Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area, Longspur National Wildlife Area, Moose Mountain Creek National Wildlife Area, Raven Island National Wildlife Area, St. Denis National Wildlife Area, Stalwart National Wildlife Area, Thickwood Hills National Wildlife Area, Tway National Wildlife Area, Webb National Wildlife Area,
Yukon
Nisutlin River Delta National Wildlife Area,
See also List of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries of Canada
References