Legislating the protection of Gatineau Park
The National Capital Commission (NCC) stated in the latest Gatineau Park Master Plan the advantages and the need for modernizing the park’s legal framework. As the plan points out, legislation would firm up the park’s conservation mission and its protection, modernize pricing of activities, establish regulations and assign powers of protection.
To be sure, the idea of governing legislation for Gatineau Park is not new: Over the past several decades, individuals and conservation organizations have petitioned Parliament, and met with ministers, senators and members of Parliament. Social media campaigns to “make it a real park” are ongoing.
This may surprise readers who think Gatineau Park is a “real park” under a federal act. Sadly, Gatineau Park’s boundaries are currently not legislated, and as such lands can be sold, or traded without parliamentary approval.
To date, Senators and MPs and even ministers have sponsored thirteen pieces of legislation. However, each died on the Order Paper for a variety of reasons. This underlines the absence of real parliamentary commitment and the lack of a clear assignment of responsibility in a ministerial mandate letter.
We now have a fourteenth effort to have legislation passed led by Senator Galvez and MP Chatel. This Bill is noteworthy for the effort to get input from interested parties and individuals. The Ottawa Valley Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society has been directly involved in helping to draft the legislation, drawing from decades of research and consultation.
This Bill aimed at modifying the National Capital Act is important in that it clearly prioritizes the importance of maintaining ecological integrity, much like the National Parks Act. Further, boundaries would be legislated and authority would be provided to the NCC to draw up and enforce regulations. A new and important proposed amendment is the need to work closer with the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation and neighbouring municipalities, including offering economic opportunities for the former.
Gatineau Park, on the doorstep of the National Capital, is significant in that it belongs to all Canadians and not just people in its vicinity. With climate change impacts on our horizon, expanding urban developments and growing recreation demands, it is critical that Gatineau Park’s biodiversity be given the high level of protection it deserves. The 118 rare or endangered species in the Park and 50 pristine lakes count on the passages of this Bill.
Nikita Lopoukhine
(retired Director General National Parks and former chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas)
