Centre of Canada

The park is guided by a dedicated board of volunteers who share a vision of creating a space that inspires national pride, reflection and truth and reconciliation.

Visitors can:

• Walk the open prairie and experience the scale of Canada’s heartland.
• Learn about the rich history of the Indigenous Peoples and the Red River Métis Nation, whose journeys shaped this land for generations.
• Honour loved ones through our memorial tree program, which allows families to plant trees in remembrance, leaving a legacy while adding to the natural beauty of the park.

The vision for a national landmark began in 2003, when the National Monument Society, a not-for-profit organization, was founded to mark Canada’s longitudinal centre. Their mission was to create a space that celebrates Canada, honors its people, and inspires national pride. This vision came to life on August 17, 2017, with the unveiling of Centre of Canada Park, made possible through the support of the newly formed Centre of Canada Committee and the RM of Tache Municipality. Timed to coincide with Canada’s 150th anniversary, the park was initially planned as a 20-acre centerpiece within the expansive 60-acre prairie, offering visitors a space to reflect, connect, and experience the heart of the nation.

The land itself has long been a place of movement and connection. It lies within Treaty 1 territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and is the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation. Indigenous Peoples traveled these lands for trade, community, and ceremony for generations. In the 1730s, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, a French-Canadian explorer, journeyed through this region while mapping routes to the western sea and establishing trade networks across the prairies. The park celebrates these histories, connecting the past to the present, and creating a place for learning, reflection, and reconciliation.