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Equipment and workstations

Workspace equipment not included

You must bring:

  • Parks Canada-issued laptop and charger
  • Peripherals such as keyboard, mouse and headset

Please use your headset when taking meetings at your workstation.

When you leave the office at the end of the day, please take all your equipment with you.

Workspace equipment included

Each reservable workstation should be equipped with:

  • An adjustable work surface
  • A universal docking station
  • Two monitors (and connection cables)
  • An Ethernet cable for internet connectivity
  • An adjustable chair

Please do not remove any IT equipment or cables from the workstation.

Docking station

Our universal docking stations allow you to connect your laptop to the two monitors provided and get online with a single connection (plug and play).

Connecting your equipment to a docking station

1. Locate the cable coming from the docking station. There are 2 types of cables: USB-A and USB-C. The type you use will depend on your laptop.

2. If your computer has a USB-C port, use the USB-C cable and plug it into the matching port on your laptop. If your laptop does not have a USB-C port, go to step 3.

3. If your computer does not have a USB-C port, use the USB-A adapter provided on the end of the cable and plug it into a USB-A port on your laptop.

4. Turn on the docking station using the power button on the top of the dock (it may already be powered on).

Note: If you are using USB-A connector, you must plug your laptop into the wall outlet if your battery is low. This type of connection does not supply power to your laptop.

If any IT equipment is missing or broken, please create a ticket in Jira (accessible only on the Parks Canada network).


WiFi and internet access

Wired connection

  • The docking station will provide network (internet) connectivity.
  • Use a wired (Ethernet) connection when working at your designated workstation, unless you are taking a Teams call/meeting in which case unplug your Ethernet cable and connect to Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi connection

Wi-Fi is now available at the Gatineau, Halifax, Quebec City, Cornwall, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver offices.

  • You can browse the internet and use Outlook and Teams when connected to Wi-Fi. We recommend that you disconnect from the VPN when accessing these applications.
  • Use Wi-Fi for Teams videoconferencing while at your designated workspace or if you are in a shared space.
  • If you require access to the Parks Canada network when using Wi-Fi (to access apps such as ParksNet, Maximo, HR Self Serve), you can connect to the VPN as you would normally when working remotely.
  • We have added Wi-Fi hotspots for each floor (2,3,4 and 5) at 30 Victoria. When connecting to Wi-Fi, please select the floor you are working from for optimal wireless coverage and speed.

How to connect to Wi-Fi

Note: You must unplug the wired Ethernet cable from your computer before connecting to Wi-Fi.

1.Click on the Network icon in the bottom corner of the taskbar. If you don't see the network icon, select the Up arrow to see if it appears there.

2. Choose the Wi-Fi network for your office, then select Connect.

  • Choose PCA WiFi Staff Only for national satellite offices.
  • Choose Floor_Parks_Wifi for the Gatineau office (e.g., if your workstation is on floor 2, select: 2nd_Floor_Parks_Wifi).

3. Enter the Parks Canada password Find the password here (accessible only on the Parks Canada network).

4. If required, you can then connect to VPN (using Cisco AnyConnect, like you would at home).

The Wi-Fi password is the same for every Parks Canada national office location.


Videoconferencing

  • Microsoft Teams is our recommended videoconferencing platform.
  • We recommend that you unplug your Ethernet cable from your docking station and connect to Wi-Fi when participating in video meetings. This will improve your videoconferencing experience.
  • If you are having performance issues during a video meeting, you may want to turn off your camera and switch to audio only.
  • You can also use your mobile device to attend a Teams meeting while at the office.

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