Supplementary Information

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Raison d’être

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change is responsible for the Parks Canada Agency. Parks Canada protects and presents nationally significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage, and fosters public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure the ecological and commemorative integrity of these places for present and future generations. Canada’s national urban park, national parks, national historic sites, heritage canals and national marine conservation areas, of which Parks Canada is the proud steward, offer Canadians opportunities to visit, experience and personally connect with Canada’s rich natural and cultural heritage in ways that are meaningful to them. In carrying out its responsibilities, Parks Canada works in collaboration with the public, other federal departments, provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples and stakeholders.

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Mandate and role

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.

For more information on the Agency’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter.

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Operating context

Parks Canada has operations across Canada. With responsibility for the management and administration of 47 national parks, Rouge National Urban Park, five national marine conservation areas and 171 national historic sites, including nine historic canals, Parks Canada employees and resources are active in hundreds of communities and remote locations from coast to coast to coast.

National parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas represent the very best of Canada, including the history, culture and living legacy of Indigenous peoples. The Government of Canada is committed to achieving reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through a renewed, nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown and government-to-government relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership. Parks Canada demonstrates leadership both nationally and internationally in its relations with Indigenous partners, working with hundreds of Indigenous communities across the country in the management of Parks Canada’s heritage places. There are currently over 30 formal collaborative arrangements between Parks Canada and Indigenous partners. Of those places, 19 have cooperative management structures where Indigenous peoples influence decision-making. The Agency is committed to reconciliation and will continue to engage and consult with Indigenous partners to ensure a greater number of places have arrangements where Indigenous partners have a decision-making role in the management of heritage places.

The support and collaboration of Indigenous governments, organizations and communities, as well as provincial and territorial governments, are essential to Parks Canada’s ability to establish or expand national parks and national marine conservation areas. The requirement to balance protection and ecologically sustainable use of national marine conservation areas involves a much broader stakeholder perspective to consider. Bringing all of these elements together and moving forward in a harmonious and positive way requires time and respectful discourse.

Climate change and other environmental forces challenge the integrity of ecosystems and the condition of Parks Canada’s cultural resources and contemporary infrastructure. Shoreline erosion at national historic sites, the arrival of invasive species at national parks, impacts on biodiversity and the shrinking populations of species unable to adapt to variations in the ecosystems are a few examples of the effects of climate change. The increasing severity and frequency of disturbances such as storms, floods and avalanches also impact Parks Canada infrastructure, such as highways and bridges.

Parks Canada must protect its natural and cultural heritage places while encouraging visitation to ensure that these special places remain relevant in the hearts and minds of Canadians. As a world leader in conservation and in preserving the ecological integrity and cultural resources of its places for future generations, Parks Canada works to better manage visitation at locations that experience higher visitation rates, while continuing to ensure high quality visitor experiences. To lessen impact, Parks Canada encourages visitors to seek out lesser-known parks and historic sites, enjoy little known hidden gems and explore shoulder season experiences in spring and fall.

Tourism is an important economic generator for Canada. Parks Canada is the guardian of some of Canada’s most iconic natural and cultural treasures and contributes to the country’s world-class tourism offer. With Indigenous partners, the Agency offers authentic Indigenous tourism experiences which enable visitors to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the cultural connection Indigenous peoples have to these places.

Since 2012, visitation to Parks Canada places has rebounded following a decade of decline. Leading up to and during this period of growth, the Agency made a significant investment to attract larger and more diverse audiences. With free admission offered during the Canada 150 celebrations, visitation reached a record high in 2017–18 with 27.2 million visitors. As a result visitation continues to increase compared to its baseline level of 24.7 million visitors in 2016–17 having reached 25.1 million visitors in 2018–19. Since 2017, marketing and outreach initiatives have been leveraged through a variety of communication channels, including a hidden gems campaign, to influence visitation patterns, to promote less-frequented destinations and to help better distribute visitation across the Parks Canada network.

There are seven townsite communities in national parks, all located in western Canada. These townsites represent unique opportunities to demonstrate the overriding values of ecological integrity, environmental citizenship and sustainable development. They provide visitors with opportunities to learn and develop personal connections to natural and cultural heritage from the comfort of a community, and provide a launching pad for deeper ventures into national parks. They support ecological integrity by consolidating use and development to relatively small areas. National park townsite communities manage development in accordance with community plans and legislation; respecting their cultural and historical aspects and the ecological integrity of the surrounding park. In Banff and Jasper, commercial development limits are also used to manage growth along with eligible residency and fixed boundaries.

Canada’s population is evolving. It is expected to become more culturally diverse over the next two decades as Canada continues to rely increasingly on immigration to support population growth and to offset natural declines.

With demographic changes and the rise of digital communications, the ways in which we tell stories and absorb information are being transformed. In the coming years, Parks Canada’s service offer will continue to be influenced by an increasingly diverse population with varying needs and interests. As well, new national accessibility legislation, which aims to promote equality and participation for people of varying abilities, will also influence Parks Canada’s programs and services.

As the federal lead for cultural heritage places conservation, Parks Canada administers federal heritage designation and built heritage conservation programs on behalf of the Government of Canada. Federal custodian departments, Crown corporations, provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, and the broader heritage community play a major role in preserving Canada’s heritage places. The protection of cultural heritage places by the federal government is a complex endeavour that requires a coherent and robust system for the identification and conservation of Canada’s nationally significant heritage places.

Both the November 2018 Auditor General’s report and the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development’s December 2017 report highlighted the need to better protect federal heritage properties and to strengthen heritage conservation and protection across Canada. The recommendations include the integration of Indigenous perspectives, better policy and legislative measures, and financial incentives. Parks Canada is working towards addressing the findings from these reports.

Parks Canada manages a complex portfolio of assets valued at approximately $25.8 billion. Highways maintained by Parks Canada serve as critical socio-economic corridors enabling the flow of people and commercial goods. Along with heritage canals, highways additionally serve as vital links connecting Canadian communities. Ensuring the long-term sustainability of Parks Canada’s asset portfolio is essential to the delivery of the Agency’s mandate and to ensure that Parks Canada can meet its custodial responsibilities on behalf of the Government of Canada. Further to this, the November 2018 report by the Auditor General cited the need for Parks Canada to do more to conserve the physical condition and heritage value of federal heritage properties. The lack of sufficient ongoing funding to maintain its built heritage assets puts the Agency at risk of not being able to deliver its mandate and of losing significant and irreplaceable examples of Canada’s cultural and built heritage.

Parks Canada’s commitment to address government priorities for ensuring the accessibility and inclusiveness of its places for visitors, and for supporting the resiliency of its asset portfolio against the effects of climate change, places additional strain on existing resources and the Agency’s capacity to deliver and evolve Parks Canada’s programs and services. Efforts to make a long-term business case for on-going funding remain a central priority for the Agency.

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Supplementary Information Tables

Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

Due to the changes to the Federal Sustainability Act, the Agency's 2020-21 report on its progress toward meeting the commitments in its 2020 to 23 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy is tabled separately from the Departmental Results Report and can be found here.

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Details on transfer payment programs

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General Class Contribution Program

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2018–19 Actual spending	2019–20 Actual spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2020–21 actual minus 2020–21 planned)
Total grants	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total contributions	13,109,395	16,939,187	15,835,443	15,364,410	15,364,410	-471,033
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	13,109,395	16,939,187	15,835,443	15,364,410	15,364,410	-471,033
Explanation of variances	The variance in actual spending is the result of lower spending due to Covid-19 complications with recipients.

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Support to The Great Trail

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2018–19 Actual spending	2019–20 Actual spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2020–21 actual minus 2020–21 planned)
Total grants	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total contributions	7,500,000	7,500,000	7,500,000	7,500,000	7,500,000	0
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	7,500,000	7,500,000	7,500,000	7,500,000	7,500,000	0

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Implementation of Rights and Reconciliation Agreements in Atlantic Canada

 

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2018–19 Actual spending	2019–20 Actual spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2020–21 actual minus 2020–21 planned)
Total grants	0	0	4,094,700	0	0	-4,094,700
Total contributions	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	0	0	4,094,700 0	0	-4,094,700
Explanation of variances	Grants will be provided after Rights and Reconciliation Agreements are signed. These agreements have not been finalized.

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Inuit Research Fund

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2018–19 Actual spending	2019–20 Actual spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2020–21 actual minus 2020–21 planned)
Total grants	0	0	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000	0
Total contributions	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	0	0	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000	0

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International Peace Garden

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2018–19 Actual spending	2019–20 Actual spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2020–21 actual minus 2020–21 planned)
Total grants	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total contributions	27,000	27,000	27,000	27,000	27,000	0
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	27,000	27,000	27,000	27,000	27,000	0

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National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2018–19 Actual spending	2019–20 Actual spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2020–21 actual minus 2020–21 planned)
Total grants	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total contributions	2,456,112	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000	967,759	-32,241
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	2,456,112	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000	967,759	-32,241

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Tallurutiup Imanga Inuit Stewardship Program Seed Fund

Financial information (dollars)

Type of transfer payment	2018–19 Actual spending	2019–20 Actual spending	2020–21 Planned spending	2020–21 Total authorities available for use	2020–21 Actual spending (authorities used)	Variance (2020–21 actual minus 2020–21 planned)
Total grants	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total contributions	0	2,927,088	2,400,000	2,400,000	2,400,000	0
Total other types of transfer payments	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total program	0	2,927,088	2,400,000	2,400,000	2,400,000	0

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Gender-based analysis plus

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Institutional GBA+ capacity

In 2020-21, the Parks Canada Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) team continued the implementation of its GBA+ Action Plan, supported by a senior management representative and a network of employees from six directorates. The GBA+ team was composed of one dedicated FTE and students. They provided guidance and support to various functional teams for required GBA+ analysis in Memoranda to Cabinet, budget proposals and Treasury Board submissions, as well as for other initiatives, such as initial discussions on how to apply GBA+ to the uniform program. To support functional teams in this work as well as build ongoing organizational capacity, the GBA+ team created a Parks Canada GBA+ template containing references to intersectionality and a “how to do a GBA+” reference tool.

Additionally, the GBA+ team provided recommendations to Management Planning, Policy and Operations on how to integrate GBA+ in management planning, a legislative and policy requirement that provide strategic guidance for 10 years to managers of heritage places administered by Parks Canada such as national parks or national historic sites. For example, GBA+ can be incorporated into all stages of planning, but is best suited during “scoping”, “consultation” and “drafting of the management plan” stages.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a planned Learn-to Camp evaluation with a GBA+ lens by the Office of Internal Audit and Evaluation (OIAE) was postponed and is currently scheduled to begin in 2024-25. A GBA+ lens is being applied, where appropriate, to all ongoing evaluations conducted by OIAE, though evaluators have noted challenges in obtaining disaggregated data.

The GBA+ team also focused on increasing GBA+ awareness within Parks Canada with the following:

• Presentations on GBA+ to various organizational units within Parks Canada explaining notions such as the difference between sex and gender, intersectionality and unconscious bias;
• Presentations titled Gender-Friendly Toolkit explaining the difference between sex and gender, and inclusive language with respect to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics;
• Presentation about the policy direction to modernize the Government of Canada’s sex and gender information practices;
• Participation in the government-wide GBA+ Awareness Week Nov 2-6, 2020;
• Participation on the Parks Canada panel during International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021;
• Creation and launch of the second edition of the Parks Canada Guide to Trans-Inclusive Workplaces during Transgender Awareness Week (Nov 8-14, 2020);
• Message on the May 17, 2020 International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia;
• Participation in the Public Service Pride Week (Aug 24-28, 2020); and,
• Membership with Pride at Work Canada as of October 1, 2020.

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Gender and diversity Impacts, by program

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Program links to Gender Results Framework

	Education and Skills Development	Economic Participation and Prosperity	Leadership and Democratic Participation	Gender-based Violence and Access to Justice	Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being	Gender Equality around the World
Core Responsibility: Protecting and Presenting Canada’s Natural and Cultural Heritage
Parks Canada’s five programs have links to the Gender Results Framework (GRF) although it is not possible at the moment to clearly identify which ones. A renewal of the Parks Canada Agency Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory will make it possible to better identify the program links to the GRF.
Heritage Places Establishment	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available
Heritage Places Conservation	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available
Heritage Places Promotion and Public Support	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available
Visitor Experience	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available
Heritage Canals, Highways and Townsites Management	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available

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Program links to Quality of Life Framework

	Prosperity	Health	Environment	Society	Good Governance
Core Responsibility: Protecting and Presenting Canada’s Natural and Cultural Heritage
Parks Canada’s five programs have links to the Quality of Life Framework (QLF) although it is not possible at the moment to clearly identify which ones. A renewal of the Parks Canada Agency Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory will make it possible to better identify the program links to the QLF.
Heritage Places Establishment	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available
Heritage Places Conservation	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available
Heritage Places Promotion and Public Support	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available
Visitor Experience	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available
Heritage Canals, Highways and Townsites Management	not available	not available	not available	not available	not available

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Definitions

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Response to parliamentary committees and external audits

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Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

• 2020 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of Canada – Report 2 – Departmental Progress in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies – Safe and Healthy Communities

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The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of Canada undertook a review focused on whether federal departments and agencies contributed to the goal of safe and healthy communities in the 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. The review examined the 2017–2020 departmental sustainable development strategies of 12 federal departments and agencies, including Parks Canada, that contribute to the goal of safe and healthy communities as well as the progress these organizations reported in the supplementary tables of their 2018–19 departmental results reports on the federal goal of safe and healthy communities.

The review found that no departments or agencies explicitly stated under the goal of safe and healthy communities in their sustainable development strategies how they would address 3 of the 10 contributing actions related to outdoor air quality.

Parks Canada responded that although the Agency is not a contributor to these actions related to outdoor air quality, the Agency would continue to ensure that its departmental sustainable development strategy links to the areas of contributing actions in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy that the Agency’s mandate supports. There were no other recommendations related to Parks Canada.

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