4.6 Cumulative Impacts

The environmental impact assessment only examined cumulative impacts on presented elements at the site. Based on our current knowledge of the surroundings and how the presentation proposed would interact with the environment, the following key components were noted:

• The site's vegetation is part of a much larger forest region, most of which is not under Parks Canada jurisdiction. Development of the site and the hotel complex nearby have already had a detrimental effect on the forest cover. The natural environment will be subjected to additional stress, particularly as a result of landscaping work and increased visitation of the site.
• As for impacts on the site's cultural heritage, the combined effects of time, successive restoration and landscaping work and considerable visitor traffic are all significant factors that put stress on the site's relatively fragile and non-renewable resources. Without an approach that respects the heritage fabric of the site and a tight control of the development of facilities for visitor reception and self-guided tours, conservation of the essential characteristics of this national historic site could be threatened.