The committee studied Canada’s strategy to protect nature and Parks Canada’s 2026-27 priorities. Appearing were Secretary of State for Nature Nathalie Provost; Kaili Levesque, Associate Deputy Minister at Industry; Tara Shannon, Assistant Deputy Minister at the Canadian Wildlife Service; and Parks Canada officials Andrew Campbell, David Millar, Patrick Boucher, Andrew Francis and Nadine Spence.
Secretary of State Provost described the “A Force of Nature” strategy as a $3.8-billion, five-year plan built on three pillars: protecting ecosystems, integrating nature into infrastructure and resource planning, and mobilizing private capital through an expert panel on natural capital accounting. She said the 30% by 2030 target would be met through collaborative projects with provinces, Indigenous communities and private landowners, not expropriation, and that hunting and fishing would be permitted in many protected areas depending on the type of designation. She confirmed that the nature accountability act (Bill C-73) is not being revived and that the $460 million previously promised to Quebec is no longer available under the new government’s budget framework. She committed to returning annually to update the committee on progress.
Kaili Levesque explained that the second pillar, “building Canada well”, uses existing regulatory tools and the mitigation hierarchy to allow major resource projects to proceed alongside conservation, with offsets that can improve natural settings.
Tara Shannon noted that no enhanced tax breaks for land trusts are under consideration, but that the government is exploring ways to work with land trusts to unlock greater recognition across working landscapes.
Andrew Campbell reported that Parks Canada welcomed 26 million visitors in 2025, contributed an estimated $4 billion to GDP, and is advancing negotiations for new protected areas and six national urban parks. He said Parks Canada suffered a $75-million budget cut in the last fiscal year and that the $3.8-billion nature strategy does not include new asset funding for Parks Canada, which faces a known annual deficit for repair and maintenance. He confirmed that Parks Canada is in transition discussions with the Canadian Armed Forces regarding avalanche control services.
David Millar said Parks Canada coordinates with provinces and conservation authorities on invasive species like water soldier, and that the agency has about 300 wildfire staff, conducts prescribed burns and mechanical fuel reduction, and shares resources with provinces through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
Patrick Boucher noted that $545.1 million from Budget 2024 is being used for priority capital repairs across Parks Canada’s $32.8-billion asset portfolio, with a risk-based approach.
Andrew Francis stated that the Canada Strong pass cost $72.5 million in lost revenue for summer 2025 and $10.9 million for the holiday period, with the government compensating Parks Canada through supplementary estimates.
Nadine Spence highlighted the new Indigenous stewardship policy, which guides co-governance with over 300 Indigenous relationships, and noted that Parks Canada supports 1,000-plus national historic sites through a $2-million annual cost-share program for presentation and fabric restoration.
A brief procedural exchange occurred when Ellis Ross read a notice of motion for a future study on tire recycling and retreading.
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