The third Minister's Round Table on Parks Canada was held on February 20-23, 2005, as required under the Parks Canada Agency Act. The event took place at the Château Laurier in Ottawa. The Minister's Round Table provided an invited group of stakeholders with the opportunity to share their views on Parks Canada's programs and performance and also to comment on the strategic direction that Parks Canada is following in the management of its national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas of Canada.

The Minister's Round Table is prescribed in the Parks Canada Agency Act.

Section 8.1 states:

(1) The Minister shall at least once every two years convene a round table of persons interested in matters for which the Agency is responsible for advising the Minister on the performance by the Agency of its responsibilities under section 6.

(2) The Minister shall respond within 180 days to any written recommendations submitted during a round table convened under subsection (1).

In Section 6 of the Act, the Agency's responsibilities are spelled out:

The Agency is responsible for the implementation of policies of the Government of Canada that relate to national parks, national historic sites and other protected heritage areas and heritage protection programs.

The Agency shall ensure that there are long-term plans in place for establishing systems of national parks, national historic sites and marine conservation areas.

The Agency is responsible for negotiating, and recommending to the Minister, the establishment of new national parks and other protected heritage areas and the acquisition of national historic sites.

The Agency is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Acts listed in Part 1 of the schedule and any regulations made under those Acts and the regulations listed in Part 2 of the schedule.

The second Minister's Round Table on Parks Canada was held in 2003. Some 91 selected Canadians participated in the event. They submitted 21 recommendations to the Minister, expressing a strong desire for Parks Canada to work in partnership with stakeholders and other organizations, relying on collaboration and consultation, to achieve shared heritage and ecological integrity goals.

The first Minister's Round Table was held in 2001. It also welcomed some 90 selected Canadian stakeholders from the environmental, tourism, cultural and Aboriginal communities. Participants from the first MRT presented the Minister with 45 specific recommendations to improve accountability, consultation and celebration of Canada's special places, persons and events. The specific recommendations include 18 to improve ecological integrity, 17 to strengthen commemorative integrity, and ten to enhance our shared sense of Canada.