Response of the Minister of the Environment to Recommendations Made at the Third Minister’s Round Table on Parks Canada (2005)

Message from the Minister

The 2005 Minister’s Round Table on Parks Canada, the first in which I participated in my capacity as Minister responsible for the Agency, was a definite success. Committed, dedicated and passionate stakeholders from all walks of life – Aboriginals, scientists, students, researchers, tourist operators, etc. – came together to discuss Parks Canada’s management and to recommend new or better ways to fulfill its mandate of protecting and presenting our natural and cultural heritage. I appreciate their efforts very much.

The recommendations that resulted from the first two Round Tables led to very positive changes – we acted promptly to restore the health of our national parks and to create new ones as well as new national marine conservation areas; we adopted new scientific measures to enhance our decisionmaking processes; and we increased our outreach to young people, women, Aboriginal peoples and ethnocultural communities.This year’s Round Table, true to what we can now call tradition, continues in that vein.

The third Minister’s Round Table on Parks Canada, which focused on the themes of the conservation culture in Canada and providing memorable experiences to visitors, featured fruitful exchanges leading to relevant and substantial recommendations in the areas of education and outreach, communication, research, best practices, financing and governance, the use of traditional know how and Aboriginal languages, leadership and the visitor’s experience.

Thanks to this very valuable work by the participants, we will be in a better position to preserve the majestic beauty of our splendid natural areas and the specific character of each of the magnificent jewels comprising our historic fabric, as well as presenting them.

I can already assure you that, like the recommendations coming out of the first two Round Tables, those developed this year will not be shelved. Within the Agency, we have already begun the process of following up on them, and my response, presented in the pages that follow, will tell you how Parks Canada intends to articulate and implement this wise advice.

The 2005 Budget recently passed by the Parliament of Canada will enable us to meet some major challenges. The Agency has been provided with new funding for ecological integrity, maintaining and restoring its assets and infrastructure, and enhancing the quality of the memorable experiences it offers to visitors.

Once again, Canada’s Aboriginal peoples demonstrated their will to be full partners. Their participation already constitutes a fundamental element of our planning process, and more and more, we are seeking to integrate their traditional knowledge into our management plans for parks and historic sites.

All of this requires a great deal of work and determination on the part of Parks Canada employees. I am convinced, however, that they will rise to the challenge. I consider myself to be very lucky to work with members of the Parks Canada team, which from coast to coast, demonstrates uncommon dedication and professionalism. I have had many opportunities to meet with these men and women, and I am confident that the two years leading up to the next Round Table will be marked by as much progress as the two years that have just passed.

It is an honour for me to be responsible for ensuring that we meet Canadians’ high expectations with regard to their national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas. It is an even greater pleasure to work toward this goal in the company of all those enthusiastic Canadians who made this year’s Round Table a complete success.

The Honourable Stéphane Dion
Minister of the Environment