Parks Canada Agency Overview, October 2021

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Introduction

When people think of Canada, they think of its extraordinary geography, its diverse culture and its many historical achievements. Parks Canada administers some of the greatest national examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage and is responsible for maintaining their ecological and commemorative integrity for future generations. This network of 171 national historic site, 47 national parks, 5 national marine conservation areas and one National Urban Park is the envy of the world, and Parks Canada has the privilege of presenting these national treasures to Canadians and to international visitors in ways that foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment. Parks-Canada-administered places are a source of shared pride for all Canadians.

Canada established the first national parks service in the world in May 1911. Parks Canada has been a world leader in the protection and presentation of natural and cultural heritage. The Agency is responsible for operations under multiple pieces of federal legislation and protects over 470,000 km² of Canada’s terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems. It administers over 200 natural and cultural heritage places, with more than 30 collaborative management arrangements with Indigenous peoples.

Parks Canada is committed to protecting and maintaining national historic sites and national parks in Canada by ensuring that they remain healthy and whole, through focused investments, by working with Indigenous peoples, provinces and territories, and by ensuring that ecological integrity is the first priority in decision making in national parks. Similarly, national marine conservation areas that are administered by Parks Canada are established and managed to ensure ecological sustainability, while promoting awareness and understanding among Canadians and providing benefits for Indigenous peoples and coastal communities. The Agency enables people to further discover Canada’s natural and cultural heritage places through innovative ideas that help share these places and sustains the incredible value — ecological, cultural and economic—that national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas provide for communities. This includes their value in protecting species at risk, shaping the Canadian identity, creating jobs and economic opportunities for local communities and responding to climate change.

The following Overview is intended to introduce you to the mandate and structure of Parks Canada and provide you with an overview of the various functional areas that enable the Agency to meet its mandate.

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Parks Canada mandate and legislative framework

Parks Canada’s mandate is to protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present and future generations.

As Minister, you are responsible for exercising the powers, duties and functions under the Parks Canada Agency Act. You oversee the legislative framework for managing Canada’s protected areas, which is composed of several acts and regulations.

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Parks Canada Agency Act, 1998

The Act establishes Parks Canada as a separate agency reporting to the Minister responsible for Parks Canada and provides a broad mandate to the Agency to ensure Canada’s national parks, national historic sites, national marine conservation areas and other heritage areas are protected and presented for present and future generations. The Act imposes oversight and reporting requirements on the Minister and grants authorities to the Agency on HR and financial matters and broad powers for contracting and the acquisition and disposition of property.

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Canada National Parks Act, 2000

The Act provides that the Minister is responsible for the administration, management and control of national parks and makes the maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity the first priority when considering park management. Park management plans must be tabled in Parliament within five years of establishment and be reviewed every 10 years. Regulation-making authority is provided for a range of park management issues. There are currently 29 regulations under the Act.

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Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, 2002

This act establishes national marine conservation areas for the purpose of protecting and conserving representative marine areas that are to be managed and used in a sustainable manner that meets the needs of present and future generations without compromising the function and structure of marine ecosystems. Under the Act, the Minister is responsible for the administration, management and control of national marine conservation areas on matters not assigned to any other Minister of the Crown and is also responsible for the administration of public lands in national marine conservation areas. Management plans for national marine conservation areas must be tabled in Parliament within five years of establishment and reviewed every 10 years. The Minister is required to establish a management advisory committee to advise on these plans, and certain aspects are subject to the agreement of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister of Transport. Regulation-making authority is provided for a range of national marine conservation area management issues. Regulations are currently being developed to address a range of issues, including land use authorization, marine tourism and zoning.

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Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park Act, 1997

This act establishes the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park in accordance with an agreement with the Government of Quebec and provides for the park’s protection while encouraging its use for educational, recreational and scientific purposes. The federal and provincial ministers are responsible for the administration, management and control of the marine park and are required to table a management plan in their respective Parliaments to be reviewed every seven years. A coordinating committee makes recommendations to the Minister and the Quebec minister on the implementation of the management plan. A separate committee ensures harmonization of federal and provincial activities and programs. Regulation-making authority is provided on a range of uses, including the protection of ecosystems, the protection of submerged cultural resources, zoning characteristics and the control of the nature and type of activities within the marine park. There is one regulation on activities within the marine park, which was last updated in 2017 to increase protection measures for marine animals.

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Rouge National Urban Park Act, 2015

This act establishes the Rouge National Urban Park, Canada’s only legislated national urban park, as the newest category of protected areas under Parks Canada’s responsibility. The Act provides for the park’s protection and promotes ecological integrity, culture and agriculture, while respecting the urban infrastructure required of Canada’s largest metropolitan area. The Minister is responsible for the administration, management and control of the national urban park and the administration of public lands in the park. Regulation-making authority is provided on all aspects of management and administration of the urban park. A park management plan was tabled in Parliament in 2018 and must be reviewed every 10 years. The Act was last updated in 2017 to protect the Rouge’s important ecosystems and heritage and to ensure ecological integrity is the first priority when managing the park. The amendments also added lands to the park and clarified that ecological integrity will not prevent the carrying out of agricultural activities.

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Historic Sites and Monuments Act, 1985

This act formally establishes the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) and provides for the commemoration of national historic sites, persons and events. The mandate of the HSMBC is to advise the Government of Canada, through the Minister responsible for Parks Canada, on the commemoration of nationally significant aspects of Canada's history. Following an evaluation and recommendation by

the Board, the Minister may declare a site, event or person to be of national historic significance and may recommend commemoration in the form of a plaque or another suitable manner. Members of the HSMBC are appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister. Parks Canada is committed to adding Indigenous representation to the HSMBC in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 79.

Other legislation of importance can be found at Annex D.

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Parks Canada overview: Who we are

Parks Canada is led by a President & Chief Executive Officer (PCEO), who, under the direction of the Minister, has the control and management of the Agency and all matters related to it. He is supported by a senior management team.

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President and Chief Executive Officer biography

Ron Hallman was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer of the Parks Canada Agency on August 28, 2019. Prior to his current role, he served as President of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency from July 8, 2013 to August 27, 2019

He served as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Regional Operations at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada from August 2011 to July 2013.

He previously held several positions at the Parks Canada Agency, including Vice President, Protected Area Establishment and Conservation from June 2009 to August 2011, Executive Director, Mountain Parks from March 2006 to June 2009, and Chief of Staff & Corporate Secretary from December 2003 to March 2006. He also served as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage from October 2002 to December 2003.

Prior to joining the professional Public Service of Canada, Ron served as Senior Policy Advisor and then Chief of Staff to the Minister of Environment, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and as Executive Assistant to the Honourable Dan Hays, Senator (Calgary). He had previously worked as a Phlebotomist in the health care sector as a Phlebotomist and Phlebotomy Instructor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Alberta.

He believes passionately in community service and volunteerism and is proud to serve as a Governor of the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, as a Member of the National Board of Directors for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (Canada), and as an Executive Fellow of the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. He is also a former member of the Royal Canadian Navy (Cadet Instructors Cadre) and a retired Commanding Officer of #22 Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps UNDAUNTED in Calgary, Alberta and is an amateur actor and active member of the executive committee with the North Grenville Community Theatre Company.

He holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Political Science with a specialization in Canadian Environmental Policy, both from the University of Calgary.

He was born in New Westminster, British Columbia and grew up in British Columbia and Alberta. He is married and has two daughters.

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Parks Canada overview: What we do

Parks Canada’s mandate requires year-round operations across Canada. Parks Canada employees and resources are active in hundreds of communities and remote locations from coast to coast to coast. The workforce is dedicated to conserving places administered by Parks Canada and sharing these places with visitors. In addition, the Agency is responsible for a diverse range of built assets and activities, from the Trans-Canada Highway that runs through the Mountain Parks in Alberta and British Columbia, to avalanche response along mountain highways and fire response areas across the country. The Agency has search-and-rescue capacity, dedicated wildlife personnel, an armed enforcement branch and an underwater archaeology group. Parks Canada cares for 31 million artifacts used actively in its sites to engage visitors and held in collections facilities to preserve them.

The following provides an overview of the Agency’s operational activities.

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Ecological integrity

Parks Canada studies, monitors, reports on and aims to maintain or restore the state of park ecosystems. Under the Canada National Parks Act, ecological integrity is the first priority in the management of national parks. The Agency pays particular attention to the effects of climate change, landscape connectivity and cumulative effects on ecological integrity. Parks Canada undertakes ecological restoration, mitigates and adapts to environmental impacts, manages wildland fire and manages and remediates contaminated sites. Parks Canada manages hyper-abundant and invasive species, protects species at risk and reintroduces species into native habitats. The Agency manages human-wildlife interactions to minimize conflict, ensures connectivity of habitat and improves human-wildlife coexistence across the landscape. Many of these activities are undertaken in collaboration with Indigenous partners.

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National urban parks

Building on over 110 years of history in the creation of national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas, Parks Canada has launched a new program for the creation of a network of national urban parks. In collaboration with various partners, Parks Canada will create or expand urban parks that are readily accessible to people in Canada’s urban centres and provide opportunities to connect to, and learn about, local nature and culture. National urban parks will contribute to protecting biodiversity, supporting climate resilience, connecting people to nature, improving mental health and wellness, and increasing social inclusion. Parks Canada will work closely with Indigenous partners to ensure national urban parks also provide space for Indigenous stewardship, promote Indigenous voices and stories, and offer opportunities for connections to lands and waters based on Indigenous knowledge and values.

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Marine conservation

Parks Canada and its partners manage national marine conservation areas with an overarching goal: to protect and conserve representative marine ecosystems and key features within those ecosystems, while ensuring national marine conservation areas are used in an ecologically sustainable manner. Ecological sustainability is achieved in a national marine conservation area when marine biodiversity and ecosystem processes are protected, resilient and capable of supporting a range of ecologically sustainable uses.

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Commemoration and cultural heritage conservation

Parks Canada plays an important role in the commemoration of nationally significant places, persons and events and administers a number of heritage programs that contribute to the conservation and presentation of historic places. Parks Canada provides historical research and analysis in support of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, a Governor-in-Council-appointed body established under the Historic Sites and Monuments Act to be the minister’s advisor on matters related to the commemoration of Canada’s history and, in particular, to make recommendations on subjects that merit designation by the Minister as national historic sites, persons or events. The Agency is also responsible for ensuring the commemorative integrity of the 171 national historic sites under its administration and the management of cultural resources in all of Parks Canada’s heritage places in accordance with sound conservation principles and practices. Parks Canada manages and curates a vast collection of archaeological and historical artifacts. Some artifacts are displayed and interpreted through Parks Canada places for Canadians to enjoy, allowing them to connect with the country's history.

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Indigenous stewardship

Parks Canada is embarking on a process of renewal, centered around a vision of protected areas management and governance that is respectfully aligned with Indigenous ways of stewarding lands, water, and ice. At its core, the intent of this work is to advance reconciliation and support implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Parks Canada’s current understanding of the work to be done is represented in a proposed Indigenous Stewardship Framework (see Illustration 1). The elements of the Framework may evolve over time as Parks Canada continues to engage and work together with Indigenous peoples on the overall approach.

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Visitation

Parks Canada welcomes some 25 million visitors each year and offers meaningful experiences, visitor activities and events. Visitors consistently report high satisfaction with the quality of visitor services, facilities and safety programs. Visitor services and programs include camping, trails, natural and cultural interpretation, the enjoyment of historic buildings and activities, and a variety of Indigenous cultural experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of protected places and outdoor natural spaces for the wellbeing and health of individuals, families, and communities across Canada. Outdoor settings in national parks and national historic sites offered a refuge for millions of people and settings where friends and families could safely connect and find comfort throughout the global pandemic.

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Safety

Parks Canada issues avalanche bulletins, undertakes search-and-rescue operations, protects Parks Canada townsites, infrastructure and other values from wildland fires and operates emergency dispatch. The Agency mitigates safety risks for all visitors and provides critical trip planning and safety information to visitors, including information about travelling in backcountry environments and encounters with wildlife. Visitors to the northern national parks are given information on what to do when encountering a polar bear or how to prevent hypothermia, for example.

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Fire management

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Infrastructure and municipal-type services

Parks Canada is responsible for the safety and maintenance of the Trans-Canada and provincial highways within national parks, including avalanche mitigation, snow removal, inspections, repairs and replacement of highway surfaces, retaining walls, bridges and culverts. The Agency has invested heavily in reducing wildlife mortality from motor vehicle collisions by fencing critical sections of highways and building over- and underpasses to maintain habitat connectivity. Parks Canada provides municipal services in five townsites ^{Footnote 1} including drinking water, sewage treatment, road maintenance, snow removal and garbage collection and disposal.

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Real property management

Parks Canada is one of the largest federal administrator of Crown lands and maintains records for all leases, acquisitions and disposals of these Crown lands. Parks Canada’s realty operations are responsible for the policies and administration of real property transactions on behalf of the Agency, the issuance of both residential and commercial leases, licences, special permits, the acquisition and disposal of park lands, and the management of potential development opportunities. Parks Canada has more than 9,000 real property agreements with lessees, mostly in the Mountain Parks, townsites, Rouge National Urban Park, and along the Ontario waterways, as well as more than 450 staff housing units across the country, primarily in remote areas.

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International engagement

As the world’s first national park agency, Parks Canada is known around the world for its contributions to the conservation and presentation of natural and cultural heritage. The Agency undertakes a wide variety of international activities that support the delivery of its mandate and Government of Canada priorities. Parks Canada plays a leadership role in targeted international conventions and agreements, including through the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and membership in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property. Parks Canada is the Government of Canada lead on the World Heritage Convention and leads the delegation to meetings of States Parties and of the World Heritage Committee. The Agency supports the Government of Canada’s broader foreign policy objectives through its engagement in bilateral and multilateral initiatives, as well as partnerships to advance international collaboration on cultural and natural heritage.

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Financial overview

The Agency’s permanent budget is approximately $600 million, of which approximately 75% comes from appropriated funds voted by Parliament and 25% from revenues generated by the Agency. In addition, Parks Canada receives time-limited funding for initiatives such as investments in infrastructure and conservation. Parks Canada’s total budget for 2021 to 2022 is estimated to be $1.4 billion, which is over two times the amount of its annual A-Base appropriations.

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Nature Legacy

In Budget 2018, the Government of Canada made a historic investment of $1.3 billion in nature conservation, known as a Nature Legacy for Canada. Of this funding, $221 million was allocated to Parks Canada over five years.

In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada invested an additional $2.3 billion over five years. This funding will support work with other governments, Indigenous groups, non-profit organizations, and others. Taken together with funding provided for the Nature Legacy Initiative announced in 2018, this represents the largest investment in nature conservation in Canada’s history. Of this funding, $557.5 million will be allocated to Parks Canada over five years to expand the system of national parks and national marine conservation areas, increase access to nature through a new national urban parks program, increase connectivity through a new ecological corridors program, protect species, and advance Indigenous reconciliation.

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Infrastructure funding

Over the past several years, the Agency received significant funding from successive federal budgets for its infrastructure, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to places administered by Parks Canada. A total of $4.2 billion was provided to the Agency over the period of 2015-2022 to support the delivery of 985 high priority projects to protect and restore capital assets in national parks and national historic sites.

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Grants and contributions

The Agency has two main transfer payment programs. The first is the National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places, which supports the conservation and presentation of national historic sites, heritage lighthouses and heritage railway stations not administered by the federal government. In 2020-2021, $968,000 in contribution funds were disbursed under this program. Recipients tend to be not-for-profit organizations or other levels of government who must be owners or long-term lessees and who must match funds, at a minimum, for any project on a 50/50 ratio with Parks Canada.

The other program is the General Class Grants and Contributions Program, which is a broad program that funds a wide range of third party projects which have an objective of protecting, preserving, and/or presenting nature, advancing Indigenous reconciliation, and other projects that contribute to our mandate. Almost all agreements are with not-for-profit organizations. Examples of recently funded project include:

• A contribution to Yukon University that supports the development and delivery of a discussion series, for Heritage professionals in Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Territory, aimed at enhancing our understanding of the local and national Indigenous story in order to build a strong future, to acknowledge and understand our shared history and the impacts it has had on our community and on our country.
• A contribution to the Misty Isles Economic Development Society that supports initial efforts to clean up coast lines of Haida Gwaii and manage marine debris in a responsible manner. The project will remove up to 200 tonnes of marine debris and up to 7 derelict vessels, including one barge. This will create jobs while improving the environment.

The General Class Grants and Contributions Program is a relatively small program with expenditures of $14 million in 2020-2021. Historically the program has only issued contributions to a maximum of $3 million per project but new Terms and Conditions for the program were implemented in June 2021 which greatly expand on the programs authorities, making it more flexible. Notably, the changes include:

• Higher authority to issue contributions of up to $10 million ($20 million with land acquisition)
• Grants authority of up to $300,000
• Up-front multi-year agreements in select situations
• Greater flexibility with Indigenous recipients

The program funding is expected to grow significantly, based on funds announced in Budget 2021 and with the advent of these new authorities. Parks Canada is in the process of creating and implementing a new management framework before fully leveraging these new authorities in order to ensure efficient and effective use of funding agreements while also ensuring that proper financial controls are in place.

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Revenues

The Parks Canada Agency Act authorizes the Agency to retain and re-spend revenues. These revenues are reinvested in service delivery and help Parks Canada provide greater opportunities for visitors across the country. This is a significant source of funding representing 25% of the Agency’s permanent budget. The following three main sources account for approximately 85% of Parks Canada’s revenues:

• Entry fees (approximately 45%)
• Camping fees (approximately 20%)
• Real property rent, business licenses and concessions (approximately 20%)

Visitor revenues, such as entry and camping fees, were negatively impacted by the pandemic due to reduced capacity given that only locations that could be operated safely were open to visitation combined with a preference among visitors for safer, low cost and autonomous outdoor activities (e.g. hiking and enjoying day-use areas).

Before the negative impact of COVID-19, the Agency generated between $170 million to $175 million in revenue annually. In fiscal year 2019-2020, Parks Canada earned $171.1 million in revenues. This amount dropped to $110.5 million in fiscal year 2020-2021. Parks Canada was provided with $57 million in additional funding to address revenue shortfalls in 2020-2021 due to COVID-19. Budget 2021 provided another opportunity to replace potential shortfalls of up to $72 million for the first 6 months of 2021-2022.

Looking forward, there continues to be uncertainty with respect to revenue impacts for the last half of this fiscal year and into future years. The Agency is monitoring the pandemic’s impact on revenues closely and developing mitigating strategies.

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New Parks and Historic Sites Account

The New Parks and Historic Sites Account is a specified purpose account that provides the Agency with the ability to set aside funds for new or expanded national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas and other protected areas. Funds are deposited into the New Parks and Historic Sites Account in order to protect the funding required for use at a future date and honor the Agency’s commitment for the establishment, enlargement or designation of national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas or other protected heritage areas.

Total available funds in the Account, at the beginning of 2021-2022, is $90 million. In addition to this, the Agency will deposit an additional $7.4 million as well as any other funding received during 2021-22.

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Human resources overview

The Parks Canada Agency Act establishes Parks Canada as a separate employer, with the President and Chief Executive Officer responsible for human resources matters. While the HR regime is guided by values and operating principles, the Agency, as an employer, also has the flexibility to manage its workforce appropriate to a highly operational organization.

The diversity of the work carried out at Parks Canada is covered by more than 30 occupational groups reflected by a variety of positions ranging from interpretive officers, scientists, engineers, historians, archaeologists, conservation architects and collection specialists, to general workers, corporate administrators and law enforcement officers. Parks Canada has one collective agreement with the Public Service Alliance of Canada and three quarters of all staff are unionized.

By the numbers, Parks Canada employs approximately:

• 3600 active indeterminate staff in low season (November to April)
• 4700 active indeterminate staff in high season (May to October)
• 1200 students per year, one of the largest federal employers of students
• 1800 term staff employed for a specified period

Parks Canada encourages and promotes diversity in the workforce by creating programs targeted for equity and diversity groups, launching inclusive initiatives and developing barrier-free hiring processes. For the past few years, Parks Canada has been a model in increasing the representation and recruitment rates of women, who now represent 50% of the workforce, surpassing the labour market availability rates on both accounts. The Agency has also remained consistent in its representation and hiring of Indigenous peoples (7.5% for 2020) following closely the labour market availability data (7.6%). Parks Canada continues to focus its recruitment efforts to close the remaining gaps for visible minorities and persons with disability equity groups.

As stated in the Parks Canada Agency Act, the Agency must assess, every five years, whether its HR regime is aligned and consistent with the values and operating principles that govern the management of human resources, and determine whether adjustments are required. Parks Canada is currently conducting its fourth review, covering the period 2015-20, and it is expected to be completed by the fall 2021.

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Annex A: Protected areas

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Annex B: Stakeholders and partners

Parks Canada works with a wide range of stakeholders and partners to deliver the Agency’s mandate. Partnerships and collaborative arrangements have been used to facilitate the Agency’s work in virtually every area. In recent years, Parks Canada has made great strides in growing and diversifying these collaborations.

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Annex C: Parks Canada’s Directorates

Operations

The Operations Directorate provides leadership in the day-to-day management and delivery of services and programs at more than 200 places under Parks Canada administration. As the largest component of the Parks Canada team, encompassing more than 80% of the Agency, the Operations Directorate is split into six regions, each led by an Executive Director: Atlantic; Quebec and Nunavut; Ontario and Waterways; Prairies and Northwest Territories; Alberta; and British Columbia and Yukon. Within those regions, 33 field units are responsible for operating and maintaining national parks, national marine conservation areas, national historic sites, waterways, townsites and over 3,300 km of roadways.

Operations staff contribute directly to natural and cultural resource conservation, they work with stakeholders and partners to protect and manage these places from a landscape-scale conservation perspective and they build and uphold the Crown-Indigenous relationship on a daily basis.

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Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation

The Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate provides functional leadership, policy direction, programming, and operational support related to the establishment and management of natural heritage places. It advances the establishment of new national parks, national urban parks and national marine conservation areas through negotiation with provinces, territories, and with Indigenous governments and communities. In addition, the directorate houses the park wardens, who are responsible for enforcing all legislation related to Parks Canada’s mandate on all lands and waters it administers.

In establishing and managing natural heritage places, the Agency works with Indigenous governments and organizations in maintaining the integrity of the environment and the health of natural and cultural resources.

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Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage

The Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage directorate provides functional leadership to Parks Canada in the areas of Indigenous issues and relations, and the identification and management of cultural heritage resources.

It provides national functional leadership and operational support to all levels within Parks Canada in the areas of Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage. It delivers programs and contributes to ensuring that the Agency delivers on its mandate to protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada’s cultural and natural heritage in a way that respects Indigenous rights, roles and responsibilities.

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External Relations and Visitor Experience

The External Relations and Visitor Experience Directorate works to introduce countless Canadians to the conservation and enjoyment of natural and cultural heritage through the marketing and promotion of Parks Canada administered places and experiences and of the Agency’s work in science and conservation.

The directorate works with field units, national office business units and a broad array of partners, including the tourism industry, to deliver the Agency’s mandate. It is also responsible for conducting social science research, including market analytics, economics and visitation and revenue projections; pricing and visitor fees; public affairs, media relations and corporate and public communications, including events and announcements; and access to Information and Privacy for the Agency.

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Internal Services

Three directorates make up Internal Services: the Strategic Policy and Planning Directorate; the Chief Financial Officer Directorate; and the Human Resources Directorate.

Strategic Policy and Planning Directorate

The Strategic Policy and Planning Directorate provides strategic and corporate leadership and support in the areas of security, asset and environmental management, investment management, realty services, facilities management, information management and technology as well as management of the integrated business planning, performance measurement and reporting cycle. The directorate also plays a key liaison role with central agencies on strategic issues and initiatives.

Chief Financial Officer Directorate

The Chief Financial Officer Directorate is a trusted partner that provides strategic advice on financial management of the Agency in order to ensure sound stewardship of financial resources through a financial framework that considers legislative, policy, procedural, standards and directive requirements, and guidance and tools for the financial and contracting activities of Parks Canada. The directorate plays an important role in providing the Agency with objective advice and guidance on funding initiatives, resource allocation, financial reporting and disclosure requirements and deals with central agencies, such as the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, on all financial matters. It also has a monitoring and reporting role, internally and to Parliament and to Canadians, and it provides a challenge function for business decisions.

Human Resources Directorate

As Parks Canada is a separate employer, the Human Resources Directorate not only provides national policy direction, guidance and tools for people management in the Agency, but also plays the role of central agencies in many ways. It considers legislative, policy, procedural, standards and directive requirements. The directorate performs an important function for the Agency by providing objective advice and ensuring our team members are successfully placed and prepared to deliver Parks Canada services and mandate.

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Annex D: Other Acts of importance

Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act, 1985

This act provides for the designation of heritage railway stations and requires Governor-in-Council approval of any alteration, demolition or transfer of ownership of a designated heritage railway station. The Act requires that eligible stations be evaluated by the HSMBC, which advises the Minister responsible for Parks Canada whether a building merits designation. The Act provides a process through which proposed changes to heritage railway stations must be reviewed and approved. Regulations govern how notice and application are to be made by an owner for the disposal, demolition, alteration, sale, assignment or transfer of a heritage railway station.

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Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act, 2008

This act provides for the designation of heritage lighthouses owned by the federal government, protects the heritage value of designated lighthouses by preventing their unauthorized alteration or disposition and requires that lighthouses are maintained or altered in accordance with established conservation standards. The Minister may designate a nominated lighthouse as a heritage lighthouse under the Act, taking into account the advice of the HSMBC.

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National Cemetery of Canada Act, 2009

This act gives honorary recognition to Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, Ontario, as the national cemetery of Canada.

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Laurier House Act, 1952

This act provides Parks Canada with responsibility for the administration of the property and contents of Laurier House National Historic Site of Canada and the funds in the Mackenzie King Trust Account, in accordance with the will of the late Right Honourable William Lyon Mackenzie King.

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Species at Risk Act, 2002

The Minister of the Environment has the lead responsibility for administration of the Act, in cooperation with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Parks Canada is responsible for the protection of species at risk, their residences and their critical habitat on Parks Canada lands and waters. This includes the development and implementation of recovery strategies and action plans and the implementation of legal protection of critical habitat.

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Department of Transport Act, 1985

With respect to the heritage canals, the Minister responsible for Parks Canada has the power, duties and functions of the Minister of Transport under the Department of Transport Act. This act provides the regulatory authorities for the Historic Canals Regulations and the Canal Regulations. These regulations govern the management, maintenance, use and protection of the nine heritage canals administered by Parks Canada and provide the authorities to control various land- and water-based activities and navigation. The nine heritage canals are St. Peters Canal in Nova Scotia; Saint-Ours, Chambly, Carillon, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Lachine canals in Quebec; and Rideau and Sault Ste. Marie canals and the Trent–Severn Waterway in Ontario. The Parks Canada Agency Act confirms that Parks Canada is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Historic Canals Regulations.

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Service Fees Act, 2017

The Service Fees Act, under the President of the Treasury Board, establishes requirements for all new fees fixed by a regulatory authority and for making changes to existing fees. It also establishes reporting requirements and service standards. Most of the fees established by Parks Canada are subject to the requirements of this statute.

The Service Fees Act, which replaces the 2004 User Fees Act, is intended to improve consistency in setting fees and strengthen cost recovery for fees, where appropriate. A key provision of the new act is the establishment of mandatory increases to service fees, using the Consumer Price Index as the default price adjustment mechanism. Implementation is being led by the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Office of the Comptroller General. Parks Canada is impacted by the legislation, and the Agency is developing and implementing plans for compliance with the new law.

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Impact Assessment Act, 2019

Impact assessment is a key project planning tool that helps Parks Canada achieve its mandate. This act requires that Parks Canada conduct impact assessments on projects on land managed by the Agency and provides the opportunity for Parks Canada to participate in assessments of projects located outside protected heritage places that may impact those places. The Act primarily applies in the provinces. Other legislation outlines the requirements for impact assessment in the territories. The Impact Assessment Act, which replaces the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, provides more detailed direction for Parks Canada on carrying out impact assessments, including a new requirement to post notices of projects on the Internet.

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Contraventions Act, 1992

This act is used to prosecute violations of minor federal laws through a ticketing system rather than a criminal charge. Regulatory offences created by Parks Canada statutes are designated as contraventions under this act.