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Year after year, Canadian Heritage portfolio organizations pursue Government of Canada objectives to allow Canadians to discover the richness of their culture and their heritage. As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, I am pleased to present the 2012-13 Report on Plans and Priorities prepared by the National Battlefields Commission.

This year, the National Battlefields Commission will move forward with its efforts regarding conservation, development and public services at Battlefields Park. In addition to its everyday operations, it will focus on repairs to infrastructure and on actions that will allow long-term savings. The Commission will also concentrate its efforts on projects related to the transmission of knowledge about the park’s history.

As indicated in this report, in 2012-13, the National Battlefields Commission will continue to take concrete measures to promote our arts, culture, and heritage. In so doing, it will help improve the quality of life of Canadians, while contributing to Canada’s social, cultural, and economic vitality.

 

The Honourable James Moore, P.C., M.P.

 

 

SECTION I - Organizational Overview

Raison d'être

The National Battlefields Commission (NBC), as manager of Battlefields Park, enables Canadians to enjoy the first national historic park in Canada and one of the most prestigious urban parks in the world.

Responsibilities

The NBC is responsible for the administration, management, conservation and promotion of National Battlefields Park (located in the city of Québec) and manages funds allocated for this purpose.

The NBC takes its mandate from the Act respecting the National Battlefields at Québec, 7-8 Edward VII, c. 57, passed on March 17, 1908, and its amendments. It reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. It is administered by a nine-member Board of Directors. Seven members are appointed by the Governor in Council and the NBC’s enabling legislation authorizes the provinces of Quebec and Ontario to each appoint a member in recognition of their contribution at the time of the creation of the Commission.

The Board of Directors decides on general orientations aiming at the achievement of the strategic outcomes to make the Battlefields Park in Québec a prestigious, natural, accessible, safe and educational historic and urban site and is responsible for general oversight of the Park’s operations.

The Secretary, who acts as Director General, is appointed by the Governor in Council and is responsible for implementation of policy and for day-to-day management of all NBC operations. He therefore strives for attainment of both strategic outcomes and program targets.

The grounds of the NBC constitute one of the most important historic sites in Canada. Commonly called the Plains of Abraham, the site is the largest urban park in Québec and ranks among the prestigious parks in the world. The NBC must thus reconcile the Plains of Abraham’s historic significance with its mission as an urban park. The NBC must preserve this historic Canadian legacy for future generations and develop it so that the public fully benefits from these treasures and Canadians learn more about the major events in Canadian history associated with this important site.

Strategic Outcome

The NBC works to achieve the following strategic outcome:

The Battlefields Park of Québec is a prestigious, natural, accessible, safe and educational historic and urban site.

The Strategic Outcome was modified by adding the word « natural », since this is a very important aspect for Battlefields Park and more accurately reflects the Park’s preservation mission. The Strategic Outcome as amended was approved by the Secretary of Treasury Board, effective as of the 2012-13 fiscal year.

Its role is to make Battlefields Park a prestigious national site, maintain its historic integrity and ensure that its urban mission receives equal consideration, allow for its safe use, and provide activities and relevant services in line with historic, cultural, recreational and natural aspects.

Program Activity Architecture (PAA)

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Organizational Priorities

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and/or Program Activity
Ensure first-rate general maintenance and carry out certain infrastructure repairs	Permanent	This priority is in line with the “Conservation and Development” program activity.
Description
Why is this a priority? To meet certain objectives of the Strategic Outcome, namely for a prestigious, natural, accessible and safe historic and urban park, the NBC must provide for Park users’ safety and ensure site conservation. Plans for meeting the priority The NBC will continue to do general maintenance of its grounds and will make repairs to infrastructure. In addition to ongoing operations, the NBC plans to carry out maintenance on infrastructure that requires work on a regular or as-needed basis (e.g. the major events site, pavement repairs and cleaning operations on the cliff).

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and/or Program Activity
Provide a healthy environment by adopting sustainable development principles	Permanent	This priority is in line with the “Conservation and Development” program activity.
Description
Why is this a priority? To ensure that this unique, natural site is preserved for future generations, the NBC must carry out green development work to protect the natural environment and the health of Canadians. Plans for meeting the priority The NBC will continue to implement its sustainable development action plan by involving managers, staff and Park users, as well as by addressing the associated environmental and management issues. The work will include, in particular, replacing the Park’s lamppost light bulbs with more energy-efficient ones and significantly increasing the number of recycling bins in the Park in order to collect waste more selectively.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and/or Program Activity
Offer quality services related to the park’s educational, sociocultural and natural aspects	Permanent	This priority is in line with the “Public Education and Services” program activity.
Description
Why is this a priority? Since Battlefields Park is a large, urban, historic site in the heart of a city, the NBC must offer various services to the public, in particular exhibitions, interpretive activities, facilities and services that encourage relaxation and sports, and it must ensure the quality of these services while taking into account users’ and visitors’ needs and expectations. The above will allow the NBC to achieve the Strategic Outcome and fulfil its mandate. Plans for meeting the priority The NBC will continue to provide services, such as exhibits and permanent interpretive activities such as the Odyssey, and educational activity program; it will renovate the Martello Tower 1 exhibition to make it technologically innovative. The NBC will continue to present shows at the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand, in particular by presenting world music and opportunities for new artists. The public activities organized will contribute to demonstrating the organization’s dynamism. Examples include the Great Celebration of Nature and the Halloween activities, both associated with the history of the Plains and the Snowshoer’s Walk.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and/or Program Activity
Provide information about the park’s history and the historical events connected with it	Previously committed	This priority is in line with “Public Education and Services” program activity
Description
Why is this a priority? Since Battlefields Park is a Canadian historic park and a site of primary importance to the country, raising awareness of the Park’s history and the historic events associated with it are vital parts of the NBC’s mandate. Plans for meeting the priority The NBC will plan a historical public activity associated with the end of construction of the Martello Towers in 1812 and the beginning of their occupation. It will complete the Blockhouse development, begin to develop the Dumont Mill site in Des Braves Park and publish an information leaflet about the Martello Towers and the Blockhouse.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome and/or Program Activity
Sustain a balance between the historical mission and the urban mission, between accessibility, preservation and development.	New	This priority is in line with “Conservation and Development” program activity
Description
Why is this a priority? To achieve its Strategic Outcome, the NBC must balance maintaining the park’s historical integrity with carrying out its urban mission. The NBC must manage the increased pressure from the appropriation of certain spaces managed by the NBC, and the increasing requests to use the area to hold activities. Plans for meeting the priority The NBC will review its policies to update them and provide itself with better-defined guidelines to ensure the essential balance between its historical mission and its urban mission, as well as between accessibility, preservation and development of the park.

Risk Analysis

Every year, the NBC is faced with certain risks that can affect its plans and priorities, as well as achievement of the Strategic Outcome of “The Battlefields Park of Québec as a prestigious, natural, accessible, safe and educational historic and urban site.”

Over the coming year, the NBC will carry out internal organizational changes because of departures while pursuing its mandate and ensuring sound management of this very busy park in the heart of Québec city.

The balance between the Park’s historical mission and its urban mission is an important issue for the NBC, and is associated with accessibility, preservation and development of the Park. In the context of external pressures regarding the use of the site, the NBC will have to review its site use policy over the coming year and establish clear conditions adapted to the current situation. Any future position on activities may upset a portion of the public.

The NBC will focus on meeting revenue objectives that are essential to maintaining ongoing conservation, development and public services operations.

However, poor weather or economic conditions may lead to reduced visits to the Park and reduced participation in interpretive activities offered by the NBC, which could prevent the Commission from meeting its revenue objectives and from carrying out certain conservation and development projects.

The NBC annually plans for rebuilding and improvement work in the Park to ensure it is safe for users, all the buildings are preserved and development activities are carried out.

Since over 4 million people visit the Park per year, accidents and lawsuits are possible despite the prevention activities of the security service (patrolling the park in its entirety, awareness and signage). To avoid these risks, conservation of Battlefields Park will be carried out via general maintenance and certain infrastructure rebuilding activities, as set out in the long-term investment plan. The NBC will ensure that its budget is carefully monitored to stay within estimated project costs; however, if costs are higher, the Commission will review its priorities to meet its budget and will postpone certain less urgent work.

The most significant risks include the NBC’s decision on whether to open Gilmour Hill during winter. While the NBC takes all precautions required and analyzes all of the impacts, this controversial issue could upset a portion of the public. The NBC plans to properly explain its decision and the effects of this decision. In the event that the NBC decides to open the Hill in the winter, it will take all necessary precautions to prevent the associated costs from unbalancing its maintenance budget.

Moreover, further to the horizontal audit by the Auditor General’s Office of the basic financial controls, the NBC must make a few adjustments in how it operates, and prepare a manual of procedures to comply with guidelines and facilitate consultation.

Planning Summary

Financial Resources ($ thousands)

2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
9,244	9,244	9,244

The Financial Resources table presents the NBC’s total financial resources (total planned spending) over the next three fiscal years.

Human Resources (FTEs = full-time equivalents)

2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
60	60	60

* The Human Resources table presents the NBC’s total planned human resources over the next three fiscal years.

Strategic Outcome: The Battlefields Park of Québec is a prestigious, natural, accessible, safe and educational historic and urban site.
Performance Indicators General state and integrity of the park and its facilities The quality level of public and educational services	Targets Maintain the general state of the park, make improvements to infrastructure each year and continue to implement the sustainable development action plan. Maintain and improve the level of quality of services and of the dissemination of the park’s history (in-house surveys).

Planning Summary table

Program Activities ($ thousands)	Forecast Spending	Planned Spending ($ thousands)			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Conservation and Development	2,424	2,377	2,377	2,377	A vibrant Canadian culture and heritage
Public Education and Services	922	986	986	986	A vibrant Canadian culture and heritage
Total Planned Spending		3,363	3,363	3,363

Planning Summary table

Program Activities ($ thousands)	Forecast Spending	Planned Spending
	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
Internal Services	6,282	5,881	5,881	5,881
Total Planned Spending		5,881	5,881	5,881

Expenditure Profile

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The fluctuation can be explained as follows:

• In 2008-09, supplementary funding was obtained to organize activities as part of the NBC’s 100th anniversary.
• In 2009-10 and in 2010-11, a funding carry-over was approved for the relocation and renovation of the Commission’s administrative offices and an operating budget carry-over was transferred.
• In 2011-12, no supplementary funding or funding carry-overs for the relocation were granted; however, a funding carry-over from the previous year was included.
• In 2012-13 and subsequent years, no supplementary funding is anticipated or funding carry-overs are anticipated.

Estimates by Vote

For information on our organizational votes and/or statutory expenditures, please see the 2012–13 Main Estimates publication. An electronic version of the Main Estimates is available at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20122013/me-bpd/toc-tdm-eng.asp.

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