Question Period Note: Parks Canada Infrastructure Investments

Parks Canada Infrastructure Investments

• Parks Canada places belong to all Canadians. They represent the very best that Canada has to offer and tell the stories of who we are, including the history, cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples.
• Parks Canada is the single largest landholder and has the second largest built asset portfolio in the federal government, comprised of almost 18,000 assets located in 223 heritage places across the country, with a replacement value of over $25.5 billion.
• Parks Canada’s investments generate $4 billion each year towards Canada’s gross domestic product and over 40,000 jobs in over 400 communities. In 2017 alone, 27 million visitors spent over $3.8 billion, particularly benefiting small and remote rural communities.
• The Agency is developing a long-term plan to ensure ongoing sustainability of its infrastructure portfolio. Securing permanent, stable funding for Parks Canada’s assets remains a key organizational priority.

• Parks Canada is mandated to protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage. Canada's network of 222 national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas protect some 450,000 square kilometres of Canada's iconic geography, diverse ecology, and rich history and bring it to life for millions of visitors every year.
• Whereas many federal custodians rely on their built assets to support their mandated program delivery, Parks Canada’s assets are inextricably linked to mandate delivery, and therefore directly contribute to Government priority outcomes in a way that is unique in the federal context.
• However, as the Parks Canada asset portfolio was assembled over many decades, the funding required to maintain and reinvest in these assets was not provided. Many large assets were transferred to Parks Canada without any related funding. As a result of this systemic underfunding, decades’ worth of deferred work continued to accumulate, resulting in wide-spread asset deterioration.
• Investing in the Agency’s asset base has been a focus of the Government since 2014, and Parks Canada has been delivering on its asset investment commitments. At the end of the current program of work, almost 1,000 completed projects will have impacted over 3,300 assets and improved the condition of over 2,000 assets. The infusion of time-limited infrastructure funds since 2014 has allowed the Agency to make gains relative to its inventory of deferred work, and has improved the condition of the overall asset base.
• Without sufficient ongoing funding, Parks Canada will not be able to properly maintain and recapitalize its vast network of complex assets. As a result, a range of risks of varying impact and probability will emerge, including: public and occupational health and safety; the irreversible loss of built cultural heritage; and reputational impacts due to negative visitor experiences.
• Through the continued delivery of its infrastructure investment program, Parks Canada is addressing government priorities, including: stimulating domestic economic growth and promoting tourism; ensuring public health and safety; enhancing accessibility and inclusivity of public infrastructure; promoting climate change resilience; greening government operations; and furthering Canada’s reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and nations.

Question Period notes as provided by the Department to the Minister’s Office