Algonquin Provincial Park in autumn is one of Canada's most beautiful visual treats. In the land that inspired world-renowned Canadian landscape painters Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, nature shows itself to those who are observant. Like Thomson, many nature enthusiasts take to Algonquin's waterways and trails to experience the back country in many forms, such as camping, canoeing, and fishing, and thus reconnecting one with nature. The Algonquin Highlands are the origins of six major rivers; the Nipissing, Amable du Fond, Petawawa, Bonnechere, Opeongo and lastly, the Madawaska. The mighty Madawaska River typifies the region's unique geography, as southern forests of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands meet the northern Boreal Forest at the southern edge Canadian Shield. Ontario's first provincial park was established in 1893 to preserve the region's waterways and protect the land from human settlement. The area was already in use by loggers, who harvested its massive white and red pines for global export. Logging continued after the creation of the park; however officials sought to conserve stands of timber, so it may be harvested in perpetuity. Though it was originally about half of its current size, surrounding tracts of land were slowly added to the park in the century following its establishment. In 1992, Algonquin Park became a Canadian National Historic Site for its contribution to park management practice in Canada, its groundbreaking visitor interpretation approaches, its historic structures and buildings, and its role in inspiring the Canadian identity. Today it is one of Canada's most popular year-round destinations for outdoor recreation and camping, still maintains an active logging industry, and is an important centre for research in biology and environmental sciences. Design: Designed by Canadian artist Robert Ross your coin features an original painting of a set of rapids on the Madawaska River in the southern portion of Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. Captured in stunning colour atop an engraved surface, the image depicts a view of the Madawaska from the Track and Tower trail near Cache Lake. The composition centres on churning rapids that splash and froth as they overtake the massive red-mauve granite outcroppings of the Park's bedrock. On the left and right sides of the image, and in the distant background at the top of the image, vast pines rise high into the bright blue sky, mixing with the crimson-tinged autumn foliage of deciduous trees and brush. The fiery orange of the fall trees is captured in reflection on the surface of the river in the lower portion of the image.