Traces the history of the first four parks in Atlantic Canada through the selection, expropriation, development, and management stages: Cape Breton Highlands, Prince Edward Island, Fundy, and Terra Nova. The book details the evolution of the park system, from the conservation movement early in the century to the rise of the ecology movement.

During the Depression the Canadian National Parks Branch was under pressure to make the park system truly national, to bring the advantages of parks to all provinces. In Atlantic Canada, however, it found itself dealing with an environment that was far different from what it was accustomed to in Western Canada. The land areas were smaller, flatter, and, having been settled for generations, could hardly be considered wild. Wildlife was smaller and less numerous.