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Section II: Analysis of Program Activities

Parks Canada has one strategic outcome as follows:

Canadians have a strong sense of connection, through meaningful experiences, to their national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas and these protected places are enjoyed in ways that leave them unimpaired for future generations.

To achieve its strategic outcome and fulfill its mandate, Parks Canada will serve Canadians in ways that meet their evolving needs and expectations. To ensure ongoing success in these activities, the Agency has embarked on a program of renewal wherein its many strengths are identified, recognized and shared, and new, future-oriented initiatives are developed and implemented.

To complement its Charter, and to guide and inspire staff and stakeholders, Parks Canada has developed the following Vision Statement:

Canada’s treasured natural and historic places will be a living legacy, connecting hearts and minds to a stronger, deeper understanding of the very essence of Canada.

Parks Canada will pursue this long term vision and accomplish its strategic outcome by ensuring Agency activities are relevant to Canadians and thus strengthen and deepen Canadians’ understanding and appreciation of their national heritage places. This will, in turn, build a strong sense of connection to these places in the hearts and minds of Canadians.

Initially the Agency renewal program is focusing on three key areas of activity:

• Enhancing relevance by building awareness and appreciation of national heritage places through up-to-date and effective programs;
• Integrating program delivery to optimize efficiency and accomplishment of all aspects of the mandate; and
• Encouraging and implementing innovation internally, and sustaining and enhancing partnering activities externally.

The first wave of renewal initiatives will be advanced over the next three years. To support these initiatives, Parks Canada is developing and will implement a multi-faceted, Agency-wide employee engagement program.

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The section that follows describes Parks Canada’s program activities and identifies the expected result, performance indicators and targets for each of them. This section also explains how Parks Canada plans on meeting the expected results and presents the financial and non-financial resources that will be dedicated to each program activity.

Program Activity 1: Heritage Places Establishment

Expected Result of Program Activity: Represented regions in the systems of national parks and national marine conservation areas; the system of national historic sites represents the breadth and diversity of Canada’s history.
Performance Indicators:	Targets:
Number of represented terrestrial natural regions in the system of national parks Number of unrepresented regions with progress in advancing through steps towards establishing national parks1	Increase the number of represented terrestrial natural regions from 28 in March 2007 to 30 of 39 by March 2010 Make demonstrable progress towards establishing four national parks in three unrepresented regions by March 20111
Percentage of recommended designations for under-represented themes in Canada’s history	33% of yearly recommended designations are for under-represented themes in Canada’s history
Number of represented marine regions in the system of national marine conservation areas Number of unrepresented regions with progress in advancing through steps towards establishing national marine conservation areas2	Increase the number of represented marine regions from three in March 2007 to four of 29 by March 2010 Make demonstrable progress towards establishing national marine conservation areas in two unrepresented regions by March 20112

¹ Performance Indicator and Target for National Park Establishment and Expansion sub activity of Parks Canada’s Program Activity Architecture (Figure 4)

² Performance Indicator and Target for National Marine Conservation Area Establishment sub activity of Parks Canada’s Program Activity Architecture (Figure 4)

Heritage Places Establishment Program Activity Planned Spending ($ Thousands) and Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Planned Spending	24,031	23,817	22,203	21,074	21,074
FTE	92	92	92	89	89

Program Activity Description:

This program includes systems planning, completing feasibility studies, research, consulting with stakeholders and the public, negotiating with other governments and Aboriginal organizations and obtaining Government of Canada approval, resulting in established national parks and national marine conservation areas and designated national historic sites of Canada and other heritage places. Canada’s national parks and national marine conservation areas, as well as the places, persons and events of national historic significance to Canada are symbols to the world and are part of the fabric of the nation. Preservation of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage and making it available to Canadians for discovery and enjoyment is of key importance. Establishing heritage places is essential to enhancing pride, encouraging stewardship and giving expression to our identity as Canadians, and involving Canada in the internationally shared objective of protecting and commemorating the best of the world’s natural and cultural heritage.

Planning Highlights:

To achieve the expected result, Parks Canada plans to undertake the following activities:

• As of March 31, 2008, 28 of Canada’s 39 natural regions are represented by one or more national parks. Work will continue on assessing feasibility or negotiating park agreements for six proposed national parks (identified in figure 1) and expanding Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada and Tuktut Nogait National Park of Canada.
• Including the recently established Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area of Canada, three of Canada’s 29 marine regions are represented. Work will continue on two national marine conservation area proposals (Gwaii Haanas and Southern Strait of Georgia), which are at the feasibility assessment and agreement negotiation stages. Subject to territorial or provincial government readiness, two other projects (Lancaster Sound and Îles de la Madeleine) could proceed to feasibility assessment (see figure 3).
• Parks Canada is committed to streamlining and accelerating the national park and national marine conservation area establishment process wherever possible. This will be done by providing clear timelines to partners and the public for feasibility studies and agreement negotiations.
• Parks Canada will continue to take an integrated approach during the establishment process to ensure a clear understanding of the ecological, economic and cultural context of a proposal. This will include its contribution to the protection of ecological integrity, regional economic development, significant cultural resources and opportunities for visitor experience and learning.
• Parks Canada will seek public support for each new national park and national marine conservation area proposal. This is necessary to build positive, enduring relationships that will achieve successful outcomes to feasibility studies and establishment agreement negotiations.
• Parks Canada will increase efforts to include traditional knowledge in decision-making, particularly to identify potential economic benefits for Aboriginal people at the regional level relative to new national parks, national historic sites or national marine conservation areas.
• Parks Canada will continue to support the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and the Minister in the designation and commemoration of places, persons and events of national historic significance that represent the breadth and diversity of Canadian history. Through the New Commemorations Initiative, Parks Canada will undertake consultations with Aboriginal and ethnocultural communities as well as women’s groups in order to encourage new nominations of places, persons and events of national historic significance in these under-represented themes.
• The Agency will prepare for the implementation of the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act in May 2010 by developing criteria for designation and processes related to the receipt of petitions and their evaluation. This information will be publicly accessible.
• The Agency will continue to evaluate federally owned buildings and make recommendations to the Minister for the designation of those buildings that are determined to be of heritage value.

Program Activity 2: Heritage Resources Conservation

Expected Result of Program Activity: Management actions result in improvements to ecological integrity indicators in national parks, and the state of cultural resources in national historic sites is improved.
Performance Indicators:	Targets:
Percentage of national parks with at least one improved ecological integrity indicator	Outside of national parks in the far north with an already acceptable ecological integrity status, 80% of national parks have at least one improved ecological integrity indicator from March 2008 to March 2013
Percentage of the condition of cultural resources and management practices elements of commemorative integrity rated as poor are improved	70% of the condition of cultural resources and management practices elements of commemorative integrity rated as poor are improved within five years

Heritage Resources Conservation Program Activity Planned Spending ($ Thousands) and Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Planned Spending1	200,604	193,212	192,647	188,839	188,803
FTE	1,272	1,272	1,272	1,272	1,272

¹ Figures do not include new Budget 2009 funding.

Program Activity Description:

This program includes maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity in national parks through protection of natural resources and natural processes; ensuring the commemorative integrity of national historic sites managed by Parks Canada and influencing the commemorative integrity of those managed or owned by third parties; the protection and management of cultural resources under the administration of Parks Canada; and the sustainable use of national marine conservation areas including the protection of unique marine ecosystems. This program also includes fulfilling legal responsibilities assigned to Parks Canada by the Species at Risk Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The protection of Canada’s most special natural and cultural resources ensures that current and future generations will enjoy a system of protected heritage places.

Planning Highlights:

To achieve the expected result, Parks Canada plans to undertake the following activities:

• Parks Canada will work towards maintaining or improving the commemorative integrity of the national historic sites it administers, with particular attention to improving the condition of built cultural resources. Strategies to demonstrate improvements in elements of commemorative integrity rated as poor will be devised and implemented. Projects will be identified in national historic site management plans and the state of commemorative integrity will be reported in state of site reports.
• Projects will be carried out to improve elements of commemorative integrity that have been rated as poor. Examples for 2009-10 include:
  • protecting eighteenth-century remains of British and French military positions and camps located outside the walls of the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada.
  • stabilizing Dredge No. 4 National Historic Site of Canada to eliminate the threat of wood rot.
• The Agency will support the protection of historic places not administered by Parks Canada through the Historic Places Initiative. The Agency will also support other government departments in the protection of their federal heritage buildings and archaeological sites by providing advice about proposed actions that could have a negative impact on their heritage value. Similarly, Parks Canada manages authorizations for owners of Heritage Railway Stations on interventions or plans for sale, in order to ensure the heritage character of these designated buildings is protected.
• Budget 2009 provides $75 million to Parks Canada for upgrades to national historic sites, including a number of sites connected with the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, as well as for national historic places owned by not-for-profit groups that receive support through Parks Canada’s National Historic Sites Cost-Sharing Program.
• Parks Canada will continue working on the development and implementation of a concept related to the creation of a National Trust for Canada as announced in Budget 2007. The intention is that the Trust would be at arm’s-length from government and support heritage in Canada.
• Through active management and restoration initiatives, the Agency will continue to address conservation challenges in Canada’s national parks. Strategic initiatives to demonstrate improvements in key indicators of ecological integrity will be devised and implemented. Priority management strategies and actions will be identified in park management plans and ecological integrity conditions and trends will be reported in state of park reports.
• High-impact active management projects are being initiated to maintain or improve aspects of ecological integrity. Examples of active management projects planned for 2009-10 include:
  • implementing a multi-year, regional ecosystem restoration program in Kootenay National Park of Canada to restore traditional winter habitat for bighorn sheep through the re-establishment of fire-maintained open forest and grasslands.
  • restoring salmon-bearing stream and coastal dune ecosystems with their associated species at risk in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada.
  • restoring the hydrological function and populations of genetically-unique, indigenous brook trout in La Mauricie National Park of Canada.
• Several funding sources are being consolidated to improve the integrated delivery of the Agency’s programs. This will facilitate multi-year investments that address the most pressing ecological integrity issues in each national park and lead to priority actions on the ground.
• Parks Canada will continue leading the development of national recovery strategies for species at risk that are found primarily on lands and waters it administers. Parks Canada will also participate with Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada in the development of recovery strategies for other species at risk that occur regularly, but not primarily, on Parks Canada’s lands and waters.
• Parks Canada will continue to develop, as a priority, the various elements of the national marine conservation areas program. A national zoning framework for national marine conservation areas that reflects a spectrum of management approaches has been developed and will be applied. Parks Canada will develop a framework to report on the state of national marine conservation areas.

Program Activity 3: Public Appreciation and Understanding

Expected Result of Program Activity: Canadians appreciate the significance of heritage places administered by Parks Canada and understand the importance of protecting and presenting them.
Performance Indicators:	Targets:
Percentage of Canadians that appreciate the significance of heritage places administered by Parks Canada	Increase the percentage of Canadians that appreciate the significance of heritage places administered by Parks Canada by March 2014
Percentage of Canadians that understand the importance of why Parks Canada protects and presents its administered places	Increase the percentage of Canadians that understand the importance of why Parks Canada protects and presents its administered places by March 2014

Public Appreciation and Understanding Program Activity Planned Spending ($ Thousands) and Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Planned Spending	26,683	26,450	25,354	24,705	24,548
FTE	293	293	293	293	293

Program Activity Description:

This program aims to reach Canadians at home, at leisure, at school and in their communities through communication and education opportunities designed to increase awareness, understanding, appreciation, support and engagement towards natural and historical heritage of Parks Canada administered places using a diversity of outreach education approaches, and technologies (such as Internet and/or new media). Parks Canada also intends to broaden its base of support by engaging its many stakeholders and partners and encouraging shared leadership through active participation in the development and implementation of the Agency’s future direction.

Planning Highlights:

To achieve the expected result, Parks Canada plans to undertake the following activities:

• Canadians’ awareness of the heritage places managed by Parks Canada will increase through a national awareness campaign, clear brand identity, and a proactive approach to media relations targeting specialized media, magazines, publishers and stakeholder audiences.
• Canadians will have timely access to information that is relevant to them through the renewal of the Parks Canada website and strategic investment in new media and social technologies.
• Canadians in large metropolitan areas like Montreal, around Lachine Canal National Historic Site of Canada, and Vancouver with the 2010 Olympics will be more aware, understand and appreciate Parks Canada heritage places, as these places promote their role and relevance as community resources and places of pride. Urban Canadians will have opportunities to learn and develop a sense of connection to these heritage places through collaborations with heritage and environmental organizations, the arts and culture community, and other stakeholders.
• Ethnocultural communities, Aboriginal and women’s groups and stakeholders will be involved in new designations and commemorations of national historic places, persons or events.
• Canadians will have increased opportunities to be involved with Parks Canada in activities they consider meaningful and relevant such as volunteering, stakeholder consultation and partnering.
• Through realignment and reinvestment in external relations, Parks Canada will increase and enhance its internal capacity.
• Parks Canada will develop a framework that enables Aboriginal traditional knowledge to meaningfully inform all aspects of park and historic site planning and management. The framework would also provide for opportunities for Aboriginal Peoples to reconnect with traditional cultural landscapes.
• As part of this framework, Parks Canada will continue to engage Aboriginal Peoples by establishing, by 2013, Aboriginal advisory relationships for each national park. These advisory relationships will comprise a number of collaborative structures and be guided by the unique legal and cultural contexts of each Aboriginal group.

Program Activity 4: Visitor Experience

Expected Result of Program Activity: Visitors at surveyed locations feel a sense of personal connection to the places visited.
Performance Indicators:	Targets:
Percentage of visitors that consider the place is meaningful to them	Increase the percentage of visitors at all surveyed locations that consider the place is meaningful to them by March 2014
Percentage of visitors that are satisfied, and percentage that are very satisfied, with their visit	85% of visitors at surveyed locations are satisfied, and 50% are very satisfied, with their visit

Visitor Experience Program Activity Planned Spending ($ Thousands) and Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Planned Spending1	227,360	226,477	226,442	226,434	226,362
FTE	1,951	1,951	1,951	1,951	1,951

¹ Figures do not include new Budget 2009 funding.

Program Activity Description:

This program supports the approximately 22 million person visits that are made annually to Canada’s national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas by Canadians and international visitors. The visitor experience is the sum total of visitors’ personal interactions with heritage sites and/or people, interactions that awaken their senses, affect their emotions, stimulate their minds and leave them with a sense of attachment to these special places. Activities include the provision of high quality pre- and on-site trip planning information, reception and orientation, interpretation, campgrounds, infrastructure, hiking trails, opportunities for recreational activities, visitor safety and the ongoing post-visit relationship. The meaningful experiences fostered by these activities lead to a sense of relevance and connection to Canada’s system of special heritage places.

Planning Highlights:

To achieve the expected result, Parks Canada plans to undertake the following activities:

• Canadians and international travelers’ desires, expectations, needs and social values will be reflected in the opportunities for visitor experience facilitated by Parks Canada at its heritage places. This will be achieved through applying a market based approach to: identify and understand target markets; develop products, programs, events, facilities and services; and promote and deliver those meaningful experience opportunities.
• Visitation increases will be realised as Canadians and international travelers are made increasingly aware of the available visitor experience opportunities at Canada’s heritage places through a clear brand identity, collaborative promotional programs with industry partners and focused communications to target markets.
• In collaboration with a broad range of partners, an increased number of visitors will be attracted through the enhancement of existing and the development of new visitor experience opportunities, including improved and diversified accommodation offers, front country trail systems, and an expanded number of interpretive products. Strategies will be identified in management plans and results will be reported in state of park and site reports.
• National parks and historic sites contribute to tourism in 465 communities in every province and territory through direct spending, visitor spending and spin-off economic activity. Budget 2009 provides $75 million over two years for improvements and enhancements to Parks Canada’s visitor facilities, such as campgrounds and visitor centres.
• Visitor experience opportunities will be further enhanced by fostering economic and tourism opportunities related to authentic Aboriginal cultural experiences.
• Through realignment and reinvestment in the visitor experience function, Parks Canada will increase and enhance its internal capacity.

Program Activity 5: Townsite and Throughway Infrastructure

Expected Result of Program Activity: Condition of contemporary infrastructure for townsites and waterways is maintained or improved, and through highways are open to traffic.
Performance Indicators:	Targets:
Percentage of townsite and waterway contemporary assets that are maintained, and percentage of townsite and waterway contemporary assets rated as poor or fair that are improved, and number of days of closure of through highways due to asset condition	The condition of 75% of townsite and waterway contemporary assets is maintained, and the condition of 25% of assets rated as poor or fair is improved by March 2013 and 0 days of closure of through highways due to asset condition

Townsite and Throughway Infrastructure Program Activity Planned Spending ($ Thousands) and Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Planned Spending1	97,086	86,549	81,385	61,385	56,385
FTE	322	322	322	322	322

¹ Figures do not include new Budget 2009 funding.

Program Activity Description:

This program involves managing, operating and providing municipal services to five townsite communities within Canada’s national parks. These are Field in Yoho National Park of Canada, British Columbia; Lake Louise in Banff National Park of Canada, Alberta; Wasagaming in Riding Mountain National Park of Canada, Manitoba; Waskesiu in Prince Albert National Park of Canada, Saskatchewan; and Waterton in Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada, Alberta. Two other townsites, Banff and Jasper, are self-governed since 1990 and 2002, respectively. Parks Canada retains authority for community plans and by-laws in Banff, and for community plans, land-use planning and development in Jasper. This program also involves the operation of provincial and inter-provincial highways and waterways that connect communities and pass through national parks and national historic sites.

Planning Highlights:

To achieve the expected result, Parks Canada plans to undertake the following activities:

• Parks Canada will continue to demonstrate environmental stewardship by minimizing the impact of townsite operations as well as meeting townsite targets for limits to growth, sewage effluent quality and management of contaminated sites.
• Parks Canada will maintain the condition of through highways so that they remain open to through traffic. None will be closed due to poor asset condition.
• Parks Canada is responsible for portions of the Trans-Canada Highway located within national parks. Work is underway on twinning the segment located within Banff National Park of Canada to increase passenger safety and ease traffic flows. Budget 2009 provides $130 million to Parks Canada to complete the last phase of this project, which will consist of twinning a section from Lake Louise Village to the British Columbia border.
• Water levels of canals will be managed to meet legal and/or operational obligations.

Internal Services

Internal Services Planned Spending ($ Thousands) and Full Time Equivalents (FTE)
	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Planned Spending	79,270	79,097	78,889	78,889	78,889
FTE	487	487	487	487	487

Description:

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services (i.e., Investment Planning, Project Management, Risk Management, Planning and Reporting, Internal Audit and Evaluation); Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Planning Highlights:

With regard to its Internal Services, Parks Canada plans to undertake the following activities:

• In accordance with Treasury Board Management Agenda, Parks Canada will comply with the new Chief Financial Officer model over the next three fiscal years with the objective of increasing financial management oversight responsibilities of its executive cadre over five disciplines: financial management governance; internal control; financial resource management; financial information and reporting; and financial systems.
• The Agency will continue to make improvements in the way that it plans, carries out, reports and acts on audit findings. It will continue to conduct scheduled evaluations covering approximately 85 per cent of program spending including all grants and contributions programs between April 2008 and March 2013. Parks Canada will take steps to implement the new Treasury Board Policy on Evaluation when it takes effect.
• In order to comply with the new Treasury Board Policy on Investment Planning, Parks Canada is currently enhancing its governance, systems, internal policies and procedures.
• In response to the results of the 2007-08 Management Accountability Framework assessment, Parks Canada is developing a Business Continuity Planning Program in order to ensure the effective continuity of its mission-critical services, and to demonstrate compliance with the Government Security Policy and associated Treasury Board requirements. In addition, Parks Canada will continue to improve its approach to Integrated Risk Management.
• Parks Canada remains fully committed to building an engaged workforce and a supportive and achievement-oriented workplace where learning, development and advancement opportunities exist both for present and future staff. For example, in light of an ageing workforce, Parks Canada is implementing renewal strategies that favourably position Parks Canada in an increasingly competitive job market. In addition, the accelerated learning program will continue to be offered to ensure that all managers and supervisors receive training in core management competencies, including human resource practices.
• The Agency will continue to focus on strengthening its leadership culture, in order to align people management practices and healthy workplace goals with the goals of being relevant to and representative of all Canadians. The strategic framework for people management, which takes an integrated approach to human resources management and sets out long-term priorities related to leadership, change management, learning and workforce sustainability, will be updated to reflect the Agency Vision and guide future decision-making involving managers and employees.
• Parks Canada will implement an Information Management, Information Systems and Information Technology (IM/IT/IS) Strategy to prioritize its IM/IT/IS investments to maximize business results. This includes the development of a set of Recordkeeping requirements and a Records Disposition Authority to ensure that Parks Canada information is managed in a way that guarantees its usability, accessibility and preservation.

Links to Additional Information

The following information can be found on the Treasury Board Secretariat’s website at www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rpp/st-ts-eng.asp.

• Details on Transfer Payment Programs
• Sustainable Development Strategy
• Planned Internal Audits for 2009-2010
• Planned Evaluations for 2009-2010
• Sources of Respendable Revenue
• Summary of Capital Spending by Program Activity
• Planned User Fee Activities for New or Amended Fees

The following information can be found in the Library section of the Parks Canada website at http://www.pc.gc.ca.

• Update to Parks Canada Long Term Capital Plan
• New Parks and Historic Sites Account – Source and Use of Funds

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