Parks report puts focus on ‘ecological integrity’

OTTAWA — Protecting and conserving the natural environment is Parks Canada’s main job, the federal environment minister concluded in her response to a massive public consultation on the future of Canada’s national parks.

“I unequivocally reaffirm that the maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity, through the protection of natural resources and natural processes, will be the first priority when considering all aspects of the management of national parks,” said Catherine McKenna in her response to the Let’s Talk Parks Canada! consultation.

That response, released Monday in Ottawa, acknowledges commercial developments — especially in the heavily pressured Rocky Mountain parks of Banff and Jasper — may have to be reviewed.

“Maintaining and restoring ecological integrity requires limits on development in national parks, particularly those where development can impact ecosystem health,” McKenna said in the report.

She said an independent working group will be struck to examine Parks Canada’s practices, policies and approval policies on development. That group is to report back by the end of August.

The report also acknowledges how important the parks are for tourism, noting they support the equivalent of 40,000 full-time jobs.

Let’s Talk Parks Canada! was the largest public consultation the agency has held. More than 13,000 people and organizations participated either in person at public meetings, through online surveys or via email submissions or social media.

It says the Liberals will rebuild Parks Canada’s science capacity, severely curtailed after budget cuts in 2012. It promises greater transparency with assessments of individual parks conducted every five years and released publicly.

The document also promises to “finalize the creation of currently proposed national parks and national marine conservation areas,” although it doesn’t provide a timeline.

It also commits to greater involvement of Indigenous Peoples as well as a complete revision of the national parks system plan by 2020.

Eric Hebert-Daly, director of parks advocacy group Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, said his group was pleased with McKenna’s response.

“It really appears to be the first step on the journey toward making the right decisions,” he said.