This page has been archived.
Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.
As the Minister responsible for the Parks Canada Agency, I am pleased to present this Performance Report to update Canadians on our progress over the past year. The 2007-2008 year was one of achievement for Parks Canada under the leadership of my predecessor, the Honourable John Baird, and this performance report confirms, once again, the Agency’s ability to protect and present some of our most enduring and cherished national symbols: our national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas, so that all Canadians can experience and appreciate them and that they are available for future generations.
In November 2007, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada recognized Parks Canada’s efforts to provide top of the line services to its visitors and awarded the Agency the Business of the Year Award in recognition of its significant contribution to the tourism industry. This prestigious prize highlights the outstanding work of the team of committed employees at Parks Canada, and of the invaluable Aboriginal, government, community and other partners working hand in hand with Parks Canada to protect and present Canada’s heritage places.
In the summer of 2007, one of our most famous national historic sites reached new heights of success: while celebrating its 175th anniversary, the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada became Canada’s 14th World Heritage Site. The Rideau Canal, including Fort Henry and the Kingston Fortifications, officially joined this prestigious list during the 31st session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in June 2007 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
In addition to delivering its own mandate, Parks Canada contributes to four of the thirteen Government of Canada priority outcomes through meaningful approaches aimed at fostering a vibrant Canadian culture and heritage, a cleaner and healthier environment, safe and secure communities as well as creating learning and tourism opportunities that support economic growth.
As Minister responsible for Parks Canada, I am personally committed to protecting and presenting the natural and historic heritage of our country. I share this commitment with our Government, which has demonstrated its diligence through a number of initiatives undertaken with land withdrawals totalling approximately 70,000 square kilometres in northern Canada including the massive expansion of Nahanni National Park Reserve. The greater Nahanni ecosystem has remained, fortunately, a large, relatively intact wilderness area and our Government is committed to preserving it that way.
The work of Parks Canada is vital. Not only does it offer a window on Canada’s history, a starting point for discovery, exploration and appreciation of the Canadian natural and cultural heritage, but it also serves as an inspiration for the next generation of stewards of our land, culture and historic heritage.
Original signed by
The Honourable Jim Prentice, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
Minister of the Environment and Minister Responsible for Parks Canada Agency
I am proud to submit this Performance Report, highlighting the achievements of the Parks Canada Agency from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008. The results presented in the 2007-2008 Performance Report build on the successes described in previous annual reports.
The Parks Canada Agency, with its 4,315 employees, 42 national parks covering 275,000 square kilometres, three national marine conservation areas, and its program of 935 national historic sites, 158 of which are directly administered by Parks Canada, celebrates the 10th anniversary of its establishment as a federal agency.
Again this year, we have made progress towards achieving our corporate goals. The creation of a national marine conservation area in Lake Superior, the designation of 45 new places, persons and events of national historic significance, a pilot project resulting in increased visitation to three of our national historic sites, the withdrawal of more than 70,000 square kilometres of land for park purposes, including some 30,000 square kilometres in the Nahanni National Park Reserve, and the implementation of innovative projects to improve the ecological integrity of national parks are only some examples of achievements outlined in this report.
To achieve such positive results in the context of tremendous and complex challenges brought about by various internal and external factors such as climate change and a changing social environment, we have focussed our efforts on increasing our knowledge and understanding of ecosystems, community engagement and of Canadian and international travellers, and showing respect to Canada’s Aboriginal peoples by creating new governance models built on trust and respect.
We have also developed effective partnerships with the tourism industry, environmental groups and other partners. These improved collaborations help us enhance the experiential opportunities available to visitors, so that Canadians can continue to enjoy Canada’s protected special places and form personal connections with their country’s natural and historic treasures. I am greatly encouraged by all that Parks Canada has been able to accomplish in the recent months and very proud that the Agency was named 2007 Business of the Year by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.
Each of Canada’s protected heritage places is part of Canada’s collective soul, and a part of our nation’s promise to its future. Visitors come to Parks Canada’s places for various reasons, a passion for history, a desire to test their physical stamina, or to be alone with the stillness and the awe of Canada’s wide-open spaces. Parks Canada clearly demonstrates its ability to ensure that each visitor and each new generation of Canadians will be nourished by unique personal experiences that help them learn what it means to truly be one with this place we call our “home and native land”.Original signed by
Alan Latourelle
Chief Executive Officer
Parks Canada Agency
On behalf of the people of Canada, we protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure the ecological and commemorative integrity of these places for present and future generations. |
2007-2008 | ||
Planned Spending | Total Authorities | Actual Spending |
607,636 | 689,181 | 634,043 |
For fiscal year 2007-2008, the Agency's total authorities reflect an increase of $81.5M over the planned spending. This increase is due to the fact that the Agency received confirmation of additional funding after preparation of the planned spending figures included in the 2007-2008 Corporate Plan. This increase includes funding for such items as the implementation of the Species at Risk Act, assessment, management and remediation of federal contaminated sites, forest fire suppression and the Agency's carry forward of funds from the previous fiscal year.
2007-2008 | ||
Planned | Total | Difference |
4,161 | 4,315 | 154 |
*Full-time equivalents
Parks Canada’s Strategic Planning Framework, based on this strategic outcome and program activity architecture and published in the 2007-2008 Corporate Plan, is the basis for this reporting period.
During 2007-2008, Parks Canada reviewed its strategic outcome and program activity architecture and developed expected results and performance expectations for all levels. This new structure and related performance measurement framework will be implemented through the 2008-2009 Corporate Plan and will place the Agency in a better position to assess its performance at all levels.
Program Activity | Descriptive Summary | |
1 | Establish Heritage Places | The establishment of heritage places includes systems planning, consulting with stakeholders and the public, negotiating with other governments and Aboriginal organizations, obtaining ministerial approval, and establishing national parks and national marine conservation areas, and designating national historic sites of Canada, as well as other heritage places, for inclusion in the national systems. |
2 | Conserve Heritage Resources | Conserving heritage resources includes the maintenance or improvement of ecological integrity in national parks; the sustainable use of national marine conservation areas and the protection of unique marine ecosystems; ensuring the commemorative integrity of national historic sites managed or influenced by Parks Canada; and the protection and management of cultural resources under the administration of Parks Canada that are not associated with national historic sites. |
3 | Promote Public Appreciation and Understanding |
Promoting public appreciation and understanding involves programs and activities that are aimed at reaching Canadians at home, at leisure, at school and in their communities with relevant information and innovative learning opportunities that respond to their needs and interests. |
4 | Enhance Visitor Experience |
The visitor experience is the cumulative outcome of all aspects of each visit, including interactions with Parks Canada and its partners. It includes client focused services, programs and infrastructure that support the provision of pre- and on-site trip planning information, reception and orientation, interpretation, campgrounds, hiking trails and other recreational activities, visitor safety and the ongoing post-visit relationship. |
5 | Townsite Management |
Townsite management activities include the operation of five townsite communities within Canada’s national parks, and the provision of municipal services such as drinking water, snow removal, garbage pick-up and disposal, sewage treatment, road and street maintenance, and fire services to support visitors and residents. |
6 | Throughway Management |
Throughway management involves the operation, maintenance and repair of roads, bridges, provincial and inter-provincial highways and waterways that connect communities and pass through national parks and national historic sites. Parks Canada is also responsible for nine national historic canals and waterways, including the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Rideau, Lachine and Chambly canals. |
During the 2007-2008 reporting period, Parks Canada made progress… To protect and present…
…nationally significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage…
…and to foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways…
…to ensure the ecological and commemorative integrity of these places…
…for the present and future generations. |
In the 2007-2008 Corporate Plan, Parks Canada identified 14 planned results/priorities in its Strategic Planning Framework. Performance for 12 of the planned results/priorities is provided below. The remaining two, as they relate to internal services, will not be covered in this report.
Each planned result/priority has one or more performance expectation(s), which can be found throughout Figure 1 in Section 2. Performance related to these planned results/priorities has been assessed based on an overall qualitative analysis of the performance of the individual performance expectations.
Establish Heritage Places | 2007-2008 Spending ($ Thousands) | ||
Planned | Actual | ||
24,985 | 19,808 | ||
Planned Results / Priorities | Type* | Performance Status | |
Create national parks and national marine conservation areas in unrepresented regions. | 2 | 60% of the five-year target has been met for national parks and 50% for national marine conservation areas. | |
Complete or expand some existing parks. | 2 | 50% of the expansion target has been met and 1,944 hectares of new land have been added to two unfinished parks. | |
Designate and commemorate places, persons and events of national historic significance. | 2 | Parks Canada has met the target for designation of places, persons and events of national historic significance but requires a proper monitoring and reporting system for commemorative plaques installed. | |
Designate other heritage places. | 2 | Federal heritage buildings were designated and the 2009 target will likely be met if the projections for listing of historic places on the Canadian Register of Historic Places by federal, provincial and territorial governments are achieved. | |
Conserve Heritage Resources | 2007-2008 Spending ($ Thousands) | ||
Planned | Actual | ||
206,895 | 201,388 | ||
Planned Results / Priorities | Type* | Performance Status | |
Maintain or improve the ecological integrity of national parks, and the sustainability of national marine conservation areas. | 2 | The long-term target of improving aspects of ecological integrity through active management and restoration projects will likely be met though Parks Canada must improve its capacity for developing and implementing monitoring systems for national parks and national marine conservation areas in order to meet its medium-term targets to be in a better position to assess the state of these places. | |
Maintain or improve the commemorative integrity of national historic sites, and the state of other cultural resources administered by Parks Canada. | 2 | Parks Canada did not meet the target for improving 75% of the elements rated as poor. Of the six national historic sites reassessed during this reporting period, only 57% (4 out of 7) of the elements rated as poor were improved. Parks Canada is examining options to reallocate funding if it is to meet the target of 75% improvement. | |
Support maintaining and improving the commemorative integrity of national historic sites, and the state of heritage resources not administered by Parks Canada. | 2 | A survey of national historic sites not administered by Parks Canada showed that a high degree of importance is placed on preserving the historic condition and commemorating the historic value of these sites; the certification process continued to be active in certification of projects under the Commercial Heritage Properties Incentive Fund. | |
Promote Public Appreciation and Understanding | 2007-2008 Spending ($ Thousands) | ||
Planned | Actual | ||
34,230 | 33,287 | ||
Planned Results / Priorities | Type* | Performance Status | |
Encourage the support and involvement of Canadians and stakeholders and their knowledge and appreciation of Canada’s heritage places. | 2 | Parks Canada, through the exercise of refining its program activity architecture, analysed and fine-tuned the concepts of public appreciation and understanding and will be in a position to measure them by the end of the 2008-2009 fiscal year. | |
Enhance Visitor Experience | 2007-2008 Spending ($ Thousands) | ||
Planned | Actual | ||
267,327 | 286,621 | ||
Planned Results / Priorities | Type* | Performance Status | |
Facilitate experiences that provide learning opportunities, visitor satisfaction and personal connections. | 2 | Parks Canada has exceeded its targets relative to participation in learning experiences and to visitor satisfaction at all 19 locations surveyed in 2007-2008. Personal connection concept has evolved and is also identified as a key element of the new strategic outcome published in the 2008-2009 Corporate Plan. | |
Townsite Management | 2007-2008 Spending ($ Thousands) | ||
Planned | Actual | ||
12,664 | 16,363 | ||
Planned Results / Priorities | Type* | Performance Status | |
Provide responsible environmental stewardship and heritage conservation. | 2 | National park communities continue to demonstrate responsible environmental stewardship in the management of commercial growth, wastewater and contaminated sites and have sought to broaden the scope of their efforts by introducing targets for solid waste diversion and water conservation in five communities. In terms of heritage conservation, action plans to protect heritage assets have been developed and are currently being implemented in five communities. | |
Throughway Management | 2007-2008 Spending ($ Thousands) | ||
Planned | Actual | ||
61,535 | 76,576 | ||
Planned Results / Priorities | Type* | Performance Status | |
Provide safe highways, open to through traffic, and minimize their environmental impacts. | 2 | Parks Canada completed six of the nine kilometres of the Trans Canada Highway Twinning project. In addition, no closure of through highways was observed due to asset condition. An interim bridges and dams inspection directive was developed during the reporting period that will allow Parks Canada to implement a consistent methodology for completing inspections and condition ratings as well as better address high-risk areas. Specific measures to assess the impact of through highways on the environment have been developed and are currently being implemented through the ecological integrity monitoring system. | |
Maintain conditions of waterways, carry out water control functions, and meet water level obligations. | 2 | Although Parks Canada lacks a formal national inventory and condition ratings for through waterways, a preliminary inventory of dams has been compiled. In addition, an interim bridges and dams inspection directive was developed during the reporting period that will allow Parks Canada to implement a consistent methodology for completing inspections and condition ratings as well as better address high-risk areas. Water control obligations, targets and protocols for measuring compliance are in place. |
* Type: 1: new; 2: ongoing; 3: previously committed to.
Parks Canada is operating in a dynamic social environment. The social fabric of Canadian society is constantly evolving and for Parks Canada to continue to be relevant, Canadians need to be able to connect with Parks Canada in their homes, in their communities and in their leisure.
Canadians are aging and becoming more ethnically diverse and urbanized. The proportion of the population aged 65 and older is expected to double in the next 25 years and the elderly are projected to outnumber children in this country as early as 2015.1 Almost one quarter of Canadians today are foreign-born, the highest proportion in almost a century, and the main source of immigrants to Canada has shifted from Western European countries to Asian countries.2 In addition, Canadians, especially new immigrants, tend to concentrate in urban areas and continued growth is expected. Currently, almost half of Canada’s population lives in a few urban areas with the majority of Canada’s new immigrants living in the three largest urban areas (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver).3,4
Establishing new national parks and national marine conservation areas generally follows a five-step process (www.pc.gc.ca) that can be complex and lengthy. The length of time required reflects the need to build positive relationships based on trust and respect, complete studies to gain a better understanding of the area under consideration and negotiate establishment agreements. This work is done within the public domain and focuses on building the support of Canadians. As competition for land becomes ever greater, unforeseen circumstances can affect progress on a proposed park or national marine conservation area, making it difficult if not impossible to accurately predict the outcome and precise timeline for reaching agreement. As part of this process, federal-provincial cooperation is critical, Aboriginal rights and court decisions play an important role and stakeholder and community interests must be considered. Building long-term relationships is essential to a successful outcome and to build the foundation for planning, establishing and managing these new protected areas.
The National Historic Sites of Canada System Plan – comprised of places, people and events of national historic significance – is a key component of the national commemoration program. While the system plan is neither finite nor complete, the program objective is to make it more representative of Canada’s history. Some of the themes and sub-themes in the plan require additional work to be more representative, and emphasis has been placed on the themes related to Aboriginal history, ethnocultural communities’ history and women’s history. The lack of well-substantiated sources of information represents one of the challenges in meeting this objective. Parks Canada maintains contacts with academia and monitors progress in various fields of history to stay current with historiography.
Traditionally, built heritage in Canada has been assessed with criteria that tend to exclude the buildings often associated with under-represented groups. In 1998, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) developed evaluation guidelines that more closely align with the experiences of Aboriginal peoples, ethnocultural communities, and women in Canada. For example, over the reporting period, vernacular buildings such as the Chee Kung Tong building in British Columbia, the Griffin House in Ontario and Maison Saint-Gabriel in Quebec were designated as national historic sites in part because they reflect important chapters in the experience of Chinese, African Canadian and women in Canada.
There are also challenges with respect to addressing the backlog in the installation of commemorative plaques. In this reporting period, Parks Canada set aside $250K to assist the four field units (Ontario Southwest, Ontario East, Quebec West and Quebec) that have the largest plaque-installation backlog. This is a three-year project that includes a thorough inventory of plaques, investigation into the reasons for the backlog, clarification of questions related to commemoration and exploring more cost-effective means of unveiling, installing and maintaining the plaques. At the conclusion of this project, Parks Canada will put in place a comprehensive sustainable strategy for the commemorative plaques.
Parks Canada’s conservation efforts revolve around the principles of ecological integrity of national parks, commemorative integrity of national historic sites and the sustainable use of national marine conservation areas. Demand for heritage resource conservation is exceeding available resource levels, and external factors, over which the Agency has no control or limited ability to influence, represent major challenges.
National parks seldom contain complete or intact ecosystems. In fact, national parks, generally, form part of larger ecosystems and must be managed within that context. This, combined with increasing and cumulative stress from sources such as adjacent land use, urban development, downstream effects of air and water pollution, invasion by exotic species and climate change can result in irreversible degradation of park ecosystems, and the loss of biodiversity. For more information, please consult ecosystem management in the National Parks of Canada on Parks Canada’s website (www.pc.gc.ca).
To ensure success in improving the state of ecological integrity in Canada's national parks, Parks Canada is targeting investments towards priority ecological issues such as recovery actions for species at risk, active management and restoration of degraded ecosystems, restoring fire to the landscape and through the remediation of contaminated sites. The Agency is working with partners, other government agencies and Aboriginal communities to achieve these goals.
Parks Canada is responsible for a tiny fraction of Canada’s built heritage assets. The vast majority are owned by other federal departments, other levels of government, the not-for-profit sector, the private sector and individuals. Research has shown that Canada has lost 20%5 of its built heritage to demolition in the last 30 years as development approaches and fiscal regimes have favoured new construction over conservation despite the negative environmental impact. Within governments, limited resources have posed a challenge to the maintenance of government-owned built heritage.
Conservation of Canada’s built heritage is not something Parks Canada can do alone. The task requires a collaborative effort from all parties in order to build a stronger culture of heritage conservation in Canada. To this end, Parks Canada is working closely with provinces and territories through the Historic Places Initiative, and provides support to the Family of National Historic Sites (those national historic sites not administered by Parks Canada).
Methods of communication among Canadians are changing. Content is delivered today via a range of rapidly changing and adaptable technology (e.g., iPod, MP3 players, Internet) that gives Canadians access to information and social networking sites (e.g., personal blogs, Facebook), and create opportunities for Canadians to develop and share content and views in ways unimagined just a decade ago. The pace and diversity of change in technology and related communication methods creates challenges for engaging Canadians in their home and communities. Parks Canada is seeking creative ways to use technology and be in a position to adapt quickly to innovation in media use.
Canadians today are seeking a more direct say in influencing public policy and more opportunity to shape government decisions.6 Stakeholders are looking to the Agency to share the leadership and improve public engagement as a mean to achieving its mandate. There is a desire for more leadership in the tourism industry, in educating Canadians about heritage and nature, and in advocating sustainability. Stakeholders view partnerships as a means of achieving and sharing this leadership.7 Over the last few years, Parks Canada has been collaborating more and more with stakeholders and partners and finds the impact to have been positive. This finding is consistent with the views of 98% of federal, provincial and municipal government agencies, as well as private sector executives, who agreed during a recent survey that partnering is beneficial to their organization and that there is a need for partnering “agility” in government.8
Canada’s changing social environment has implications for Parks Canada. The Agency is seeking opportunities to connect with youth and ethnocultural groups in their homes and communities, particularly as the perceived geographic disconnect between nature and city widens in some places, and make those connections by using messaging, venues and values relevant to these segments of the population. Building awareness of Parks Canada, including the Agency’s programs, is key to broadening the base of support and engagement in the Canadian population for the protection and presentation of Canada’s heritage.
With respect to visitor experience, the changing social environment has implications for leisure/recreation patterns, the types of experiences people are seeking and their motivations for visiting places, demand for information and services, and how information about locations and experiences are shared.
The social environment is also dynamic due to Canada’s evolving social values, defined as the motivations behind people’s behaviour. These values influence demand for certain products, services, and even the standards associated with them. Canadians are, in general, seeking fulfillment and more control in their lives, which has spawned a focus on visitor experience and the need to tailor products and services to visitor’s needs/wants and desires in order to remain relevant and meaningful for the visitor. The client-focused approach means that Parks Canada must understand the attitudes, values and needs of Canadians to maintain support from its current client base and to connect with others so as to remain relevant to Canadians.
Tourism destinations and choices for leisure are varied in Canada, and while Parks Canada protects and presents the best in cultural and natural tourism resources, market information suggests that travellers continue to seek out other destinations. As well, the Canadian dollar surpassed and then levelled out at parity with the US dollar in 2007-2008, contributing to a further decline, since 2002, in same-day and overnight US travellers to Canada and an increase in Canadian residents travelling to the United States.9 Canadians also continue to travel internationally and Canadian trips overseas are at their highest levels since 2002.10 Travel by foreign-born Canadians to their home countries is one factor contributing to the high rates of international travel by Canadians.11
These travel trends are a contributing factor to the decline in attendance at many of Parks Canada’s administered places, especially national historic sites. Over the last five years, national historic sites have experienced a 22% decline in attendance; some sites that depend on American travellers (e.g., in Atlantic and Northern Canada) have experienced attendance declines of between 30% and 40% over the same time period. National parks have fared better overall, but some parks (e.g., in Ontario and Atlantic Canada) that draw local repeat visitors and/or foreign tourists have experienced declines of a similar magnitude to national historic sites over the last five years. Building awareness of Parks Canada’s visitor offer and facilitating opportunities for meaningful visitor experience are key steps in connecting Canadians with Canada’s national heritage places and will help to reverse declining attendance.
The Auditor General has assessed Parks Canada Agency’s performance information presented in Section 2 of this report. This assessment is only a review level of assurance, and does not constitute an audit. The Auditor General’s Assessment Report is included in the front of the performance information in Section 2.
The Auditor General has audited Parks Canada Agency’s financial statements. These financial statements and the Auditor General’s Audit Report are presented in Section 4 of this Performance Report.
The Auditor General has not reported on other sections of this report.
I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2007-2008 Departmental Performance Report for the Parks Canada Agency.
This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2007-2008 Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports:
In addition, the Parks Canada Agency Act requires the Auditor General of Canada to provide an assessment of the fairness and reliability of the performance information.
Management has established systems and practices designed to provide reasonable assurance on fairness and reliability of the Agency’s performance information. Parks Canada is continually improving its financial and performance information, introducing new measures and enhancing data collection in others. Some information is based on management’s best estimates and judgements. Limitations on the quality of the information and plans for improvements are indicated in the report.
The Agency’s Senior Management oversees preparation of this document and approves the final report. In my view, the information is the best available and represents a comprehensive, balanced, and transparent picture of the performance of Parks Canada for fiscal year 2007-2008.
Original signed by
Alan Latourelle
Chief Executive Officer
Parks Canada Agency
Ottawa
August 1st, 2008