Category: Uncategorized

August 10, 2021                                        Jasper National Park, Alberta                                         Parks Canada Agency

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting biodiversity conservation and undertakes important initiatives to assist species at risk recovery and ensure that these species remain an important part of our shared natural and cultural heritage.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced plans to move forward on new and additional measures to support woodland caribou recovery in Jasper National Park. Budget 2021 has made over $24 million available through the Nature Legacy program for caribou conservation initiatives in the park.

Parks Canada wildlife specialists have been working for many years to protect habitat and support the recovery of woodland caribou herds in Jasper National Park. These specialists have collaborated with experts from universities, provincial governments, and conservation groups to explore additional measures that can help to support woodland caribou recovery. One of these is a proposal for a conservation breeding program to help rebuild caribou populations as part of the broader Multi-Species Action Plan for Jasper National Park.

As a result of today’s announced funding, Parks Canada will move forward on a number of fronts, including advancing detailed design work for a conservation breeding facility which will allow Parks Canada to inform the impact assessment process. Ecological integrity is Parks Canada’s first priority. Impact assessments are used to manage the impact of infrastructure projects, and when possible, increase ecological gains for park ecosystems.

Plans are also being finalized for consultation on the initiative with Indigenous partners and the general public beginning as early as fall 2021. If approved following consultation and completion of the impact assessment process, the conservation breeding facility would be built nearby in favourable caribou habitat, south of the Jasper townsite.

Parks Canada is committed to continuing to involve Indigenous peoples early and in the planning stages of the proposed conservation breeding program and to facilitating ceremony throughout the process. Moving forward, Parks Canada will work with Indigenous partner communities to formally review the proposal and will consult Indigenous peoples about how to incorporate traditional knowledge and Indigenous ways of knowing into the proposed conservation breeding program in Jasper National Park.

Efforts to protect caribou and critical caribou habitat in Jasper National Park are part of a broader effort by federal and provincial governments as well as Indigenous partners, peoples and communities to support the recovery of woodland caribou across Canada.

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Accessibility equipment in place at Warren Lake and Freshwater Lake

August 11, 2021                Ingonish, Nova Scotia                        Parks Canada Agency  

Parks Canada administers one of the finest and most extensive systems of natural and cultural heritage places in the world. With access to outdoor spaces more important than ever before, Parks Canada and the Municipality of Victoria County are pleased to announce enhancements to enable more Canadians to experience Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

A donation of accessibility equipment – two mobility mats and two mobility chairs – from the Municipality of Victoria County to Cape Breton Highlands National Park are now in place at Warren Lake and Freshwater Lake. The equipment allows people with decreased mobility to spend time on the beach and in the water with family and friends. Going to the beach is now an option for everyone in the area.    

The mobility chairs can be reserved at no cost by contacting Parks Canada at pc.cbinfo.pc@canada.ca or 902-285-2524.

This generous donation allows Parks Canada to improve access to Warren Lake and Freshwater Lake for everyone. The introduction of the mobility mats and chairs will provide more Canadians with improved access to experience the outdoors.

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The Examination Unit contributed to the Allied war effort and the development of Canada’s foreign intelligence capacity

August 3, 2021                                      Ottawa, Ontario                                      Parks Canada Agency

Among Canada’s many contributions during the Second World War, the Examination Unit (XU) was a civilian cryptographic bureau that contributed to Allied efforts to break the codes and ciphers used in communications signals between 1941 to 1945.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced the designation of the Examination Unit as a national historic event under the National Program of Historical Commemoration, on the recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

When the Second World War began, Canada had no civilian cryptographic bureau dedicated to decrypting communications signals. With no way of reading the messages that Canadian military and censorship officials were intercepting, the government had little choice but to depend on Britain for foreign intelligence. The founding of the XU in 1941 represented a step by the Canadian government to simultaneously gain more independence and become a valued intelligence partner.

The XU reported to the Department of External Affairs (now Global Affairs Canada) but operated under the administration of the National Research Council of Canada, as a way to hide its budget and keep its work a secret. Reports generated by the XU during the war contributed to an understanding by Canadian government officials and ministers of the value of foreign intelligence for Canadian decision-making.

National historic designations reflect the rich and varied heritage of our country and provide an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about our diverse history. The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada’s past and present.

The designation process under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,200 designations have been made nationwide. To nominate a person, place or historical event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/clmhc-hsmbc/ncp-pcn/application.  

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