Annual management plan implementation update 2021-2022

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Table of contents

• COVID-19 Response
• Strategy 1: Engaging the communities of Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq in connecting visitors to the land, marine ecosystems and Inuit culture
• Strategy 2: Gathering and sharing knowledge to build connection to place
• Area Management - Area 1: Akshayuk Pass
• Area Management - Area 2: Coronation Fiord to the head of Narpaing Fiord
• Area Management - Area 3: Okoa Bay to Confederation Fiord
• Success story
• Next steps

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COVID-19 Response

During the fiscal year 2021-2022, ANP was closed from April 1, 2021 to July 31, 2021 under a Superintendent’s Order in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The park reopened from August 1, 2021 until December 23, 2021 but was closed again due to the pandemic from December 24, 2021 until March 18, 2022. ANP reopened on March 19, 2022 and remains open to the public as of the date of this report. During superintendent closing orders, all visitors (including researchers and business license holders) are prohibited from entering Parks Canada sites in Nunavut. These prohibitions do not apply to Nunavut Inuit exercising the right of access as provided in the Nunavut Agreement.

PCA had to make significant changes to its 2021-22 annual plan including partial cancellations of the 2021 field season, and most of the planned travel and in-person meetings. This had impacts on park operations, community engagement/outreach activities, ecological integrity monitoring, cultural resource monitoring and cooperative management activities. Some of the aforementioned activities were able to be carried out while respecting public health measures, but the completion of some management plan targets has been delayed.

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Strategy 1: Engaging the communities of Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq in connecting visitors to the land, marine ecosystems and Inuit culture.

Objective 1.1: To diversify and enhance visitor experience in Auyuittuq National Park and the communities of Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq.

Progress/Highlights

• Inuktitut place names were added to the Visitor Information Package shared on the ANP website, and staff regularly use the Inuktitut place names when responding to visitor inquiries.
• In partnership with local outfitters, seasonal day trips for visitors continue to be promoted and provide park staff opportunities to deliver interpretive experiences.
• Inuit outfitters provide local language interpretations and share cultural knowledge while transporting visitors to the park. To reduce administrative barriers identified by local operators, Parks Canada is developing a simplified transportation licence application for 2022-2023.

Objective 1.2: To enhance community relations.

Progress/Highlights

• A staff member based in Qikiqtarjuaq received a seasonal extension for year-round employment.
• Parks Canada continued to staff an office in the Piqalujaujaq Gathering House in Qikiqtarjuaq, as the COVID-19 global pandemic allowed.
• Since January 2018, ANP has maintained 100% Inuit employment, all of whom can communicate in Inuktitut. This is a huge success and makes the park offices a very welcoming environment to community members.
• Wilderness First Aid Training was delivered in 2021-2022 for Park staff and three community members from Pangnirtung participated in the training.

Objective 1.3: To improve marketing of the park and promote adjacent communities of Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq by partnering with tourism organizations.

Progress/Highlights

• Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, promotional activities were limited in 2021-22.
• Parks Canada External Relations team attended a Carrefour Nunavut open house (Journée d’accueil et d’information) on September 22, 2021, where they connected with about 25 people and distributed promotional materials about all of the PCA sites in Nunavut.
• Posters advertising ANP continue to be displayed at the Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq airports. The Ulu Peak Day Trip experience is advertised around town in Iqaluit and in Pangnirtung.

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Strategy 2: Gathering and sharing knowledge to build connection to place.

Objective 2.1: To use Inuit knowledge and science in inventories, monitoring, education and visitor experience programs of the park.

Progress/Highlights

• New Inuit staff participated in ecological integrity field work, including tundra monitoring, alongside long term staff.
• The Nunavut Field Unit initiated a 5-year contribution agreement with Queen’s University to meet joint objectives on glacier monitoring, including in Auyuittuq National Park.
• The Chair of the Pangnirtung Inuit Knowledge Working Group and Nunavut Field Unit Staff shared the successes and challenges of including Inuit Knowledge in the monitoring of park ecosystems for the national evaluation of Parks Canada’s ecological integrity monitoring program.
• In 2021, one team conducted research in Auyuittuq National Park; the research team consulted and obtained letters of support from the Nattivak HTA (Qikiqtarjuaq) and Pangnirtung HTO as a follow up to previous consultations.
• Short updates on the ecological integrity monitoring field work done in Auyuittuq National Park in summer 2021 were posted on the Parks Canada Nunavut Field Unit Facebook page.

Objective 2.2: To strengthen the connection of youth to Inuit culture and history and to the park’s glaciated landscape and fiords.

Progress/Highlights

• When the COVID-19 global pandemic restrictions eased, students were able to learn more about the park through visiting the park office in Pangnirtung, and a park interpreter presenting in the Qikiqtarjuaq school.
• The Inuit Place Names Map is displayed in the Park Offices in Pangnirtung and in Qikiqtarjuaq and is shared with youth and students who visit the park offices.

Objective 2.3: To strengthen the connection of other Canadians to Inuit culture and history and to the park’s glaciated landscape and fiords.

Progress/Highlights

• In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, there were twelve trilingual posts promoting and sharing information about Auyuittuq National Park on the Nunavut Parks Canada Facebook and Twitter pages. The total reach for those five posts was 21,000.
• Inclusion of Inuktitut place names in the Visitor Guide reinforces the connection of Inuit to the park for visitors.
• On July 31, 2021, Nunatsiaq News published an article, ‘Auyuittuq National Park partially reopens Monday’, highlighting the reopening of the Park and the economic impacts of COVID-19 global pandemic on tourism in the adjacent communities.
• In August 2021, CBC aired a media interview about reopening, “021-08-03 ANP Reopening (and Reopening Strategy for NFU)”.
• An outreach backpack kit was developed this year as a tool to talk to students and visitors about preparedness for multi-day hiking and field work. Another outreach kit to feature Inuktitut place names is currently in development and expected to be completed in 2022.

Objective 2.4: To cooperate with the communities of Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq to manage issues of common concern.

Progress/Highlights

• Annual updates on park management are disseminated to the communities of Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq through the JPMC. Because of COVID-19 related public health measures and technology limitations, the ANP JPMC only held two teleconference meetings this fiscal year, in July 2021 and March 2022.
• Parks Canada consulted Hamlet Councils and Hunters and Trappers Organizations in Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq regarding openings and closures of ANP based on public health measures during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
• A new Long Term Asset Sustainability exercise that will provide guidance on asset greening and sustainability commenced in 2021/22.
• The Department of National Defense (DND) conducted Search and Rescue training exercises in ANP in June and September 2021, and in March 2022. An MOU guiding the relationship between Parks Canada and DND is being renewed this fiscal year.

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Area Management - Area 1: Akshayuk Pass

Objective 1.1: To increase the availability of products and programs for visitors.

Progress/Highlights

• Due to COVID-19 the park was closed to the public in April 2021 and guided snowmobile visits did not take place.
• Once the park re-opened in August, summer day trips to Ulu or Overlord were offered again.

Objective 1.2: To maintain and restore ecological integrity, protect cultural resources and respect Inuit culture and harvesting.

Progress/Highlights

• Nunavut Field Unit staff completed the annual tundra monitoring in 2021.
• Information on Inuit culture and the ecosystem continue to be shared in the visitor orientations.

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Area Management - Area 2: Coronation Fiord to the head of Narpaing Fiord

Objective 2.1: To increase the availability of products and programs for visitors.

Progress/Highlights

• Parks Canada has identified potential cruise ship stops in North Pangnirtung, Maktak and Coronation Fiords.
• Zoning and matters impacting Area 2 will be included in the consultations for the ANP draft management plan, which will be facilitated by the Park Planning Team in 2022-2023.
• In addition, the Park Planning Team has been tasked to consult with the communities about visitation at the following cultural sites as part of the management planning process: Coronation Fiord (a site with a 3  km hike to a waterfall and glacier feeding into the ocean) and; 205X9 – the Mouth of North Pangnirtung Fiord.

Objective 2.2: To maintain and restore ecological integrity, protect cultural resources and respect Inuit culture and harvesting.

Progress/Highlights

• Seasonal closures are established through annual Superintendent’s Orders to respect Inuit rights to continue berry-picking and narwhal harvesting. The Superintendent Orders are communicated through visitor information packages, visitor orientations, in the park offices in Qikiqtarjuaq and Pangnirtung, in the park’s emergency shelters, and on the Auyuittuq National Park website.

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Area Management - Area 3: Okoa Bay to Confederation Fiord

Objective 3.1: To increase the availability of products and programs for visitors.

Progress/Highlights

• Zoning and matters impacting Area 3 will be included in the consultations for the ANP draft management plan, which will be facilitated by the Park Planning Team in 2022-2023
• In addition, the Park Planning Team has been tasked to consult with the communities about visitation at a cultural site Nedlukseak Fiord as part of the management planning process.

Objective 3.2: To maintain and restore ecological integrity, protect cultural resources and respect Inuit culture and harvesting.

Progress/Highlights

• A protocol for CRM monitoring was developed in 2021-22, and is expected to be implemented in 2023.

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Next steps

Parks Canada and the Auyuittuq JPMC are looking forward to another successful year ahead. COVID-19 has been a new challenge for ANP and PCA in Nunavut. Staff will continue to be resilient in times of change and will explore new ways of engaging safely with the JPMC, community members, partners and future visitors. Plans for 2022-23 are being adjusted on an on-going basis in response to the evolving global COVID-19 pandemic. Key initiatives for the upcoming year include:

• The Auyuittuq Park Planning Team will continue to advance management planning as per the Baffin IIBA, including finalizing the Scoping Document and initiating the Draft Management Plan. Management Plan consultations start in 2022-2023, and will include discussions on zoning, cruise ships and cultural resources to support progress for numerous projects.
• Continue park operations in a pre-pandemic manner, subject to public health measures.
• Continue to implement the Ecological Integrity Monitoring program for the park, including the Inuit knowledge pilot project, and the review of the park’s glacier monitoring program.