Questions and responses 45th Parliament, 1st session May 26, 2025, to present

With regard to national parks and the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture: (a) which national parks has the minister visited in the past two years; (b) for each national park in (a), on what dates did the minister visit it; (c) for each visit, (i) what was the purpose, (ii) who accompanied the minister, (iii) what scheduled events were attended, if any; (d) is the government planning or considering the expansion of any national parks, and, if so, which park; (e) what are the timelines for each expansion the government is planning or considering; and (f) is the government planning or considering the creation of any new national parks, and, if so, what are the geographic coordinates of these locations and the related timelines?

With regard to Parks Canada offering free admission between June 20 and September 2, 2025: (a) how many visitors entered national parks during the free period, in total and broken down by each national park; (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by Canadian visitors versus international visitors; (c) what is the estimated amount of revenue forgone by Parks Canada from admission fees as a result of the free admission; (d) which national parks were required to increase staffing levels during the free period as a result of increased traffic and visitor numbers, and, for each location, how many additional staff had to be employed; and (e) has Parks Canada conducted any studies or assessments on the impact of the free program on the parks, such as the impact on trails, trash levels, policing requirements, etc., and, if so, what are the details, including the findings, of each?

With regard to the proposed national park reserve and Indigenous protected and conserved area in the Seal River Watershed: (a) what specific proposal is Parks Canada advancing for this national park, including (i) the boundaries of the proposed national park within this watershed, including geographic coordinates and any proposed adjustments based on feasibility assessments or negotiations, (ii) the proposed management regime, including who will decide what activities and people will be permitted to access the proposed national park, specifying the governance structure (co-management boards, Indigenous-led decision making), any applicable laws or regulations and how decisions will be made and enforced; (b) when will this proposal be published to allow consultation with affected stakeholders, including the exact date or timeline for publication, the platforms or methods for dissemination and the duration and format of the consultation period; (c) what is the rationale behind the proposed national park; (d) how was the fact that (i) this watershed is provincial Crown land, part of which is protected by provincial park and ecological reserve designations, (ii) the remainder of the land is subject to a provincial regulatory regime requiring permits for any change in land use, taken into account by Parks Canada when determining the boundaries and scope of this proposal; (e) what biological and other relevant assessments have been conducted to justify the proposed disruption to the existing regulatory regime for licensed angling, hunting and eco-tourism activities, including a list of all assessments (with titles, dates, authors, and key findings), any environmental impact studies and how they address potential economic or operational impacts on existing licensed activities; (f) what are the details of all consultations conducted on the specifics of the proposed national park with relevant stakeholders who would be directly impacted, including licensed angling, hunting and eco-tourism operations, including, for each consultation, the (i) date, (ii) participants, (iii) location, (iv) summary of the discussions or outcomes, (v) details of how any feedback received was incorporated into the proposal; (g) what amount of funding has the federal government provided or committed to the Seal River Watershed Indigenous Protected Area Initiative, broken down by year, amount and type of funding provided in each of the last 10 years, as well as any planned expenditures in the future; (h) what are the specific details, including the terms of any guarantees made by the federal government to ensure that existing licensed angling, hunting and eco-tourism activities will not face expropriation, restrictions, altered regulations or increased monitoring as a result of the proposed national park; (i) if no guarantees exist related to (h), why not; (j) what coordination exists between the federal government and the Government of Manitoba on this proposal, including any shared responsibilities, funding contributions or dispute resolution mechanisms; and (k) are the reported meetings between representatives of the Seal River Watershed Indigenous Protected Area Initiative and existing licensed eco-tourism operators in the watershed, where demands are made that operators sign legal agreements or other documents signalling support for this proposal, sanctioned, approved, encouraged, funded or otherwise supported by the federal government, including Parks Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, or any other department or agency, and, if not, what measures is the government taking to stop such demands from being made?

With regard to Parks Canada and any proposed new visitor centre in Banff National Park: (a) since January 1, 2000, what formal plans, proposals or projects have been developed, considered or approved for the construction of a new visitor centre in Banff, including, for each, the (i) date of initiation, (ii) current status, (iii) summary of the proposal; (b) what studies, consultations, feasibility assessments or business cases have been undertaken in relation to a new visitor centre, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) purpose, (iii) contractor or entity conducting the work, (iv) cost, (v) findings or recommendations; (c) what are the details of any architectural, engineering or design work completed or commissioned for the project, including, for each, the (i) work conducted, including whether drawings or renderings have been made, (ii) name of the firm or contractor, (iii) contract value, (iv) date on which it was commissioned, (v) current status; (d) what is the total amount of federal funding spent to date on the project, broken down by fiscal year and by type of expenditure, including planning, design, consultation and other related costs; (e) what are the projected costs of the proposed visitor centre, including (i) any preliminary or draft budget estimates, (ii) cost ranges considered by the government, (iii) internal or external cost assessments; (f) what are the anticipated timelines for the project, including the (i) expected start date of construction, (ii) expected completion date, (iii) key project milestones; (g) what approvals, if any, have been granted for the project, including any environmental and Treasury Board approvals, and what approvals are required but remain outstanding; (h) what are the details of all consultations which have been conducted with local stakeholders, including residents of Banff, municipal officials, Indigenous communities and businesses, and what were the results or feedback from each of those consultations; (i) what alternative uses or projects for the allocated or anticipated funding have been considered by Parks Canada in lieu of constructing a new visitor centre, including any internal analysis comparing costs and benefits; and (j) what is the current stage of the project, including whether it is in the (i) conceptual, (ii) planning, (iii) design, (iv) procurement, phase?

With regard to the government’s "Canada Strong Pass" for national parks and monuments: (a) did the government consult with communities surrounding the national parks and monuments ahead of announcing this initiative; (b) if yes to (a), when did these consultations take place, who was consulted and what are the details, including (i) the date, (ii) who was consulted, (iii) the name of the park or monument; (c) what is the projected loss of government revenue from implementing this pass; (d) how much does each park or monument collect in admission fees, broken down by (i) province, (ii) the name of the park or monument, (iii) the average yearly visitors from 2015 to present, (iv) the annual park or monument revenue; (e) has the government forecasted the estimated influx of visitors and ensured adequate staffing for the parks; and (f) how has the government prepared each park for the potential influx of visitors through the implementation of this pass?

With regard to Parks Canada’s planned South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve: (a) what are the timelines regarding the negotiation progress and establishment agreement for the proposed national park reserve; (b) what is the present departmental timeline for the proposed national park reserve; (c) what are the annual expenditures specifically dedicated to the planning, consultation and negotiation of the proposed national park reserve; (d) what are the staffing allocations (full-time equivalents) specifically dedicated to the planning, consultation and negotiation of the proposed national park reserve; (e) what were the dates, locations and topics discussed during the meetings of the tripartite negotiation committees involving Parks Canada, the Government of British Columbia, and the Syilx/Okanagan Nation regarding the proposed national park reserve; (f) what is the budget for the park’s projected infrastructure costs, if approved; (g) what is the projected analysis of the park’s expected tourism activity, broken down by visitor numbers and annual revenues; (h) what is the land valuation of private property that overlaps with the proposed park's boundaries; (i) what is the number of private properties that overlap with the proposed park's boundaries, broken down by title owner and ranked by land size; (j) what are the details, including the dates, participants, and types of consultations, for all in-person and online consultations which have taken place related to the proposal; (k) what are the categories of feedback from consultations that have been completed, ranked by frequency; and (l) does the government have funds allocated for this national park reserve, that will become available upon approval, and, if so, how much, and what is the breakdown of how those funds will be used?

With regard to wildfire management and prevention, and pest management, in Canadian national parks by Parks Canada, specifically concerning recent wildfire events in Jasper National Park and potential risks to Gros Morne National Park: (a) what assessments have been conducted by Parks Canada regarding the (i) causes, (ii) impacts, (iii) lessons learned, from wildfires in Jasper National Park, since January 1, 2022; (b) how are the lessons learned from wildfire incidents in Jasper National Park being incorporated into wildfire (i) prevention, (ii) detection, (iii) response, strategies in other Canadian national parks, including Gros Morne National Park; (c) has Parks Canada completed or commissioned any (i) risk assessments, (ii) vulnerability studies, related to wildfire hazards or risks in Gros Morne National Park; (d) what specific (i) measures, (ii) resources, (iii) programs, have been implemented or planned by Parks Canada to mitigate wildfire risks in Gros Morne National Park; (e) what collaborations or partnerships exist between (i) Parks Canada, (ii) provincial governments, (iii) Indigenous communities, (iv) local stakeholders, to support wildfire management and mitigation in Gros Morne National Park; (f) does Parks Canada publicly report on (i) wildfire risk monitoring, (ii) incidents in Gros Morne National Park, and, if so, where can this information be accessed; (g) what funding has been or was allocated for wildfire prevention and management activities in Gros Morne National Park for the (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24, (iii) 2024-25, fiscal year, and what is planned to be allocated for the 2025-26 fiscal year; (h) how does Parks Canada incorporate climate change projections into its wildfire management planning for national parks, particularly in areas like Gros Morne National Park that face heightened wildfire risks; (i) how many Parks Canada staff at Gros Morne National Park are trained in wildfire prevention and response; (j) how many Parks Canada staff in Gros Morne National Park have received wildfire prevention training since January 1, 2022; (k) what wildfire-specific training programs have been provided to Parks Canada staff at Gros Morne National Park since January 1, 2022; (l) what emergency notification systems or public alert mechanisms are in place to warn (i) residents, (ii) visitors, (iii) local stakeholders, in the event of a wildfire at Gros Morne National Park; (m) what technologies are currently used by Parks Canada to detect or monitor wildfires in Gros Morne National Park; (n) are there any planned implementations of new technologies to detect or monitor wildfires in Gros Morne National Park; (o) is artificial intelligence currently being used in any capacity in relation to wildfire detection or monitoring in Gros Morne National Park, and, if so, how; (p) are any technologies such as satellite monitoring, drones, thermal imaging or artificial intelligence monitoring currently being used for wildfire detection or monitoring in Gros Morne National Park, and, if so, how; (q) are there any planned implementations of new technologies, such as satellite monitoring, drones, thermal imaging or artificial intelligence monitoring for wildfire detection or monitoring in Gros Morne National Park, and, if so, what are the plans; (r) has Parks Canada conducted any prescribed burns or fuel reduction activities in Gros Morne National Park since January 1, 2022, and, if so, what are the (i) locations, (ii) dates, (iii) objectives, (iv) outcomes, of these activities; (s) what community engagement or public education initiatives has Parks Canada conducted in Gros Morne National Park or the region to raise awareness about wildfire prevention and preparedness; (t) what policies or protocols are currently in place regarding (i) temporary park closures, (ii) trail restrictions, (iii) evacuation procedures, due to wildfire risk at Gros Morne National Park; (u) has Parks Canada conducted any internal audits or evaluations of its wildfire preparedness or response capacity at Gros Morne National Park since January 1, 2022, and, if so, what were the details of each, including the (i) date, (ii) findings, (iii) recommendations; (v) what forest management practices are currently in place at Gros Morne National Park to maintain ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk, including those related to selective thinning, habitat restoration or reforestation; (w) what assessments has Parks Canada conducted to evaluate the accumulation of natural fuels, such as dry brush, undergrowth and dead vegetation in Gros Morne National Park, and what actions have been taken to manage these natural fuels; (x) has Parks Canada implemented any specific strategies to manage deadwood or fallen debris in Gros Morne National Park that may pose an elevated wildfire risk, and, if so, what are the details of those strategies; (y) how does Parks Canada balance ecological goals, including maintaining habitat for wildlife, with wildfire risk reduction when managing dead trees and woody debris in Gros Morne National Park; (z) broken down by fiscal year since 2022-23, what was the overall budget allocation for Gros Morne National Park and what is the breakdown of categorical spending for the (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24, (iii) 2024-25, fiscal year, within the operating budget for Gros Morne National Park; (aa) what were the revenues of Parks Canada in the (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24, (iii) 2024-25, fiscal year; (bb) what were the revenues of Gros Morne National Park in the (i) 2022-23, (ii) 2023-24, (iii) 2024-25, fiscal year; and (cc) has Parks Canada sprayed for spruce budworms in Gros Morne National Park since January 1, 2022 and, if so, what are the (i) dates, (ii) areas within the park that were sprayed (name of the area and square kilometer radius)?