News Release

Canada's New Government Highlights National Wildlife Week 

OTTAWA, April 10, 2007 - The Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment, and Mr. Colin Maxwell, Executive Vice President of the Canadian Wildlife Federation, today marked National Wildlife Week, April 8-14, by calling on Canadians to help protect and conserve Canada's abundance and variety of wildlife and the habitat that sustains them.

The theme of this year's National Wildlife Week -Canada's North. ours to protect. the world's to cherish - coincides with and promotes the efforts of the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008, an internationally coordinated campaign of polar science research.

"Our identity as Canadians is linked to our country's vast and beautiful natural environment, and Canada's New Government has invested more than $384 million in new conservation and protection initiatives," said Minister Baird. "This Government is proud to partner with The Canadian Wildlife Federation to celebrate National Wildlife Week."

Since 1963, the Canadian Wildlife Federation in partnership with federal, provincial, and territorial wildlife and related agencies, has developed and implemented the National Wildlife Week program in Canada. National Wildlife Week raises awareness about the importance of wildlife and wildlife habitat in Canada.

"National Wildlife Week is a perfect opportunity for Canadians to actively demonstrate their appreciation for our natural environment," said Mr. Maxwell. "Schools, community groups and caring Canadians are participating in local festivals, starting habitat improvement projects and discovering Canada's North during the week and continuing throughout the year."

Canada's New Government has made several recent important investments to preserve and conserve nature and protect wildlife.  These include:

• $110 million for more effective implementation of the Species at Risk Act;
• $10 million to conserve ecologically important lands in the Northwest Territories;
• $225 million to help preserve ecologically sensitive land in southern Canada;
• $30 million to help promote the sustainable development of British Columbia's Spirit Bear Rainforest;
• $2 million for restoration efforts in Vancouver's Stanley Park;
• $1 million to help restore the hurricane-damaged Point Pleasant Park in Halifax;
• $700,000 for restoration projects at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve; and
• $5 million over 5 years for initial development and $700,000 annually for ongoing operational costs of protecting and cooperatively managing the Northwest Territories' Sahoyúé - §ehdacho National Historic Site of Canada with the Déline First Nation and the Déline Land Corporation.

These initiatives are part of this new Government's comprehensive environmental agenda, which totals $9 billion and includes the ecoENERGY Initiatives, the ecoTransport Strategy, the ecoAUTO Program to encourage Canadians to buy fuel-efficient vehicles, support for public transit, action on renewable fuels and new investments of $4.5 billion in Budget 2007.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation is dedicated to fostering awareness and appreciation of our natural world. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, sponsoring research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending legislative changes, and cooperating with like-minded partners, The Canadian Wildlife Federation encourages a future in which Canadians may live in harmony with nature.

For more information, please contact:   

Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
(819) 997-1441

Environment Canada Media Relations
(819) 934-8008
1-888-908-8008

Jennifer James
Canadian Wildlife Federation
Communications Officer
Phone: (613) 599-9594 ext.219