Annual management plan implementation update 2018

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Table of contents

• Strategy 1: Infrastructure – Ensuring that appropriate facilities are available for protecting, promoting, and presenting Ukkusiksalik National Park
• Strategy 2: Living Landscape – Strengthening people’s connections to Ukkusiksalik National Park
• Strategy 3: Gathering Knowledge – Collecting information and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit Knowledge) to help protect, present, and promote Ukkusiksalik National Park’s natural and cultural resources
• Success story
• Conclusion — Next steps

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Strategy 1: Infrastructure – Ensuring that appropriate facilities are available for protecting, promoting, and presenting Ukkusiksalik National Park.

Objective 1.1: A base of operations and hard-sided shelters are available in the Park.

Progress/Highlights

• While a plan for infrastructure is in development, a temporary camp within a seasonal bear fence has been established with hard sided structures for staff. A dome and shed have been erected.
• Douglas Harbour was selected as the top priority for an emergency shelter; cleanup efforts for the old cabin at this site are underway.

Objective 1.2: Access routes and points, safe harbours, sensitive sites, and other features are identified and communicated to park users.

Progress/Highlights

• Visitor orientation and the Visitor Information Package have been finalized and are available for the public. These products include current information on access and important features.
• An investigation of priority sites for operational use and visitation was postponed due to inclement weather: rescheduled for 2019.
• The ten-year management plan was approved in December 2018 and shared with the general public via Facebook and Parks Canada website. It includes the most current information on rare, sensitive, and unique cultural resources, important calving, denning, and nesting areas; safe boat harbours; areas important to Inuit; and snowmobile and boat access routes.

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Strategy 2: Living Landscape – Strengthening people’s connections to Ukkusiksalik National Park.

Objective 2.1: Inuit connections to Ukkusiksalik National Park are strengthened and shared.

Progress/Highlights

• A School outreach program was delivered to approximately 15 Naujaat high school students, introducing park and the people who once called it home.
• Parks Canada hosted weekly archival photo shows of the Hudson Bay Company Post and Inuit living in Ukkusiksalik for elders and other community members at the park office in Naujaat.
• Parks Canada issued contracts to Inuit from two associated communities (Naujaat and Baker Lake) for transportation and Bear Guard services.
• UPMC members attended an all-JPMC meeting and workshop in Ottawa in March 2018 for training and networking with other park management committee members.
• Park Staff promoted Ukkusiksalik National Park at the Kivalliq tradeshow in Rankin Inlet in September 2018.

Objective 2.2: Opportunities for park visitors to experience the landscape and hear the stories of Ukkusiksalik.

Progress/Highlights

• Ukkusiksalik had no park visitors in 2018.
• The Ukkusiksalik website was updated to include information regarding etiquette around cultural sites, wildlife and essential safety information to support future visitation.
• Though now delayed until 2019 due to inclement weather, an Ukkusiksalik Park Management Committee member will join PCA in the field to support the development of visitor guidelines for accessing cultural sites.
• Contact was made with New Media team in National Office to initiate virtual visitation products.

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Strategy 3: Gathering Knowledge – Collecting information and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit Knowledge) to help protect, present, and promote Ukkusiksalik National Park’s natural and cultural resources.

Objective 3.1: Scientific information and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit are collected to determine the current health of Ukkusiksalik National Park’s ecosystems and to detect changes in the future.

Progress/Highlights

• Three of five components of the marine ecosystem monitoring program were established and data collection initiated.
• Three of five components of the tundra monitoring program were established. Unfortunately, in 2018, data collection was postponed due to inclement weather.
• Satellite imagery of ice coverage, plant phenology and primary productivity on Wager Bay was collected for use in ecological monitoring.
• Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit components of the Marine Baseline Project was finalized; the complete Marine Baseline Project report is expected to be finalized in fall 2019.
• The Inuit Knowledge Working Group discussed appropriate Pilot Projects for Inuit Knowledge Ecological Integrity Monitoring which should be initiated in 2019.

Objective 3.2: Scientific information and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit are being used to inform and support long term management decisions.

Progress/Highlights

• Inuit knowledge of site locations, current access methods and hunting activity were used to determine the priority sites for emergency shelters in the park.
• Research priorities were established with the UPMC initially, but have not yet been reviewed.

Objective 3.3: Progress has been made towards identifying and protecting the cultural resources that tell Ukkusiksalik National Park’s story.

Progress/Highlights

• A short term plan for emergency repairs on the Hudson Bay Company Post was initiated, based on the 2017 assessment.

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Conclusion — Next steps

Inclement weather created a number of delays preventing planned field projects from proceeding during the 2018 season. However, successful meetings with the Ukkusiksalik Park Management Committee and Inuit Knowledge Working Group advanced future work plans for reaching objectives and targets outlined in the management plan, especially infrastructure planning, visitor experiences and outreach.

Field work for 2019 includes restoration work at the Hudson Bay Company Post and assessments of priority cultural sites for operational and visitor experience potential, with consideration of future asset requirements. During these visits, 360 photos will be taken to further develop a virtual tour of the park. PCA will continue to collect baseline data on plant communities and permafrost depth at the tundra monitoring sites. A number of outreach events are planned at schools in adjacent communities and two students will be hired to assist the Ukkusiksalik team in the field and gain valuable work experience. We intend to initiate the infrastructure development plan over the winter.