Parks Canada's 2024-25 Departmental results report

• Description
• Quality of life impacts
• Progress on results
• Details on results
• Key risks
• Resources required to achieve results
• Related government priorities
• Program inventory

Results achieved

Expanding protection of natural environments

Relevant departmental result indicators

• Percentage of terrestrial regions represented in the national park system
  • Target of at least 82% by March 2025
  • Actual result was 79%
• Percentage of marine regions represented in the national marine conservation area system
  • Target of at least 31% by March 2025
  • Actual result was 21%

Canada’s network of national parks and national marine conservation areas plays an important role in halting and reversing biodiversity loss and fighting climate change by protecting healthy ecosystems and contributing to the recovery of species at risk.

National park and national marine conservation area establishment also supports Parks Canada’s commitment to honouring Indigenous people’s stewardship of lands, waters, and ice. This work is grounded in the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership. The creation of new protected areas provides an opportunity to strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities based on principles of shared stewardship, cooperative management, and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

The creation or designation of new natural protected areas, including national parks, national marine conservation areas, national urban parks and ecological corridors, is a process that involves many steps, including collaboration and cooperation between municipalities, provinces, local governing authorities, Indigenous governments, organizations and communities, key stakeholders, and other interested organizations and individuals. Parks Canada’s establishment processes are essential to supporting Canada’s commitment to protecting 30% of terrestrial areas and inland waters and marine and coastal areas by 2030. Each of these systems help to ensure that protected and conserved areas in Canada are well-connected, ecologically representative, and cover areas of importance for biodiversity.

Establishing new national parks

National parks and national park reserves of Canada are established and managed to protect representative examples of terrestrial regions in Canada. The National Parks System Plan divides Canada into 39 distinct terrestrial regions, each one a natural environment representative of Canada’s natural heritage. The establishment and management of national parks, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, also contributes to connecting broader landscapes to support ecosystem health.

As of March 2025, 79% or 31 of 39 natural regions are represented by 48 national parks and national park reserves along with two freshwater national marine conservation areas. These currently contribute 3.5% to Canada’s commitment to protect at least 30% of terrestrial areas and inland water by 2030. While Parks Canada did not meet its target for 82% of natural regions to be represented in the national parks system by March 2025, significant milestones have been reached to lay the groundwork for future establishments. To reflect this, this indicator’s target date was moved to March 2026 in Parks Canada’s 2025 to 2026 Departmental Plan.

During this fiscal year, in collaboration with Indigenous partners and other levels of government, Parks Canada made significant progress on 10 new national parks representing 3 terrestrial natural regions. In July 2024, Pituamkek National Park Reserve (Prince Edward Island) was established as Canada’s 48th national park.

In March 2025, a negotiator’s agreement was reached with Lower Similkameen Indian Band and Osoyoos Indian Band, an important step in the process to establish a new national park in the South Okanagan – Similkameen region of British Columbia, which is currently unrepresented. Negotiations continue with the two bands of the syilx/Okanagan Nation and the Province of British Columbia to reach a land transfer agreement and final establishment agreement. Establishment of this proposed park will bring the total representation of terrestrial regions to exceed 82%.

Work also continued in several other regions. A feasibility assessment was launched this year for a proposed national park in the Yukon’s Ross River Area, and feasibility assessment work resumed for a national park in the Manitoba Lowlands. Negotiations for establishment are also under way for a national park reserve and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area in the Seal River Watershed of Northern Manitoba, as well as a national park in the Teetl’it Gwinjik (Peel River) Watershed of northern Yukon. Discussions continue between Parks Canada, Indigenous partners, and provincial/territorial governments about further potential national park designations across Canada.

Establishing new national marine conservation areas

As of March 31, 2025, the national marine conservation area (NMCA) system remains at 21% complete, with six of 29 marine regions represented. In this fiscal year, progress advanced significantly on 10 new NMCAs representing nine marine regions. While Parks Canada did not meet its target for 31% of marine regions to be represented in the national parks system by March 2025, significant milestones have been reached to lay the groundwork for future establishments. To reflect this, this indicator’s target date was moved to March 2026 in Parks Canada’s 2025 to 2026 Departmental Plan.

Parks Canada and partners completed a feasibility assessment for an NMCA in eastern James Bay (Quebec) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin negotiations on an establishment agreement. A feasibility assessment and an agreement-in-principle was also signed towards the establishment of a national marine conservation area reserve (NMCAR) in the Central Coast region of British Columbia. Negotiations continued towards the establishment of the Torngats Inuit Protected Area/NMCA (Newfoundland and Labrador), and the Western James Bay and Southwestern Hudson Bay NMCA (Ontario).

Work continued on feasibility assessments for three proposed NMCAs which cover three unrepresented marine regions:

1. the southern Strait of Georgia (British Columbia)
2. the South Coast Fjords (Newfoundland and Labrador)
3. Mingan-Anticosti (Quebec)

In addition, MOUs were signed with 12 First Nation partners in January 2025 towards a feasibility assessment for a proposed NMCAR in their traditional territories within the Vancouver Island shelf marine region of British Columbia.

Negotiations and discussions with partners to formally begin a feasibility assessment continue for the Hudson Bay marine region (Manitoba).

To support meaningful Indigenous leadership and community involvement in projects in this fiscal year, Parks Canada increased the number of active contribution agreements with Indigenous and community partners from 19 to 29. These agreements support Indigenous participation in feasibility assessments and community engagement.

Establishing new urban parks

During this fiscal year, three candidate sites (Saskatoon, Windsor, and Halifax) moved into the planning phase and three more sites (Victoria, Winnipeg, and St. John’s) continue to advance.

Parks Canada reached an important step in the national urban park designation process this year with the publication of its Interim National Urban Parks Policy in September 2024. This interim policy guides the designation and management of new national urban parks across Canada and enables Parks Canada to designate national urban parks and set parameters for their management. Parks Canada drew on feedback from approximately 2500 individuals and organizations from across Canada in the creation of this interim policy.

Parks Canada is currently exploring options for a legislative framework to establish, designate, manage, and protect federally administered land within national urban parks.

Strengthening ecological corridors

In May 2024, Parks Canada released a national definition, criteria, and guidelines for ecological corridors, developed in collaboration with experts, Indigenous partners, governments, and stakeholders. These tools, which incorporate Indigenous stewardship values, promote a shared understanding of ecological corridors and support their development across Canada. Parks Canada also published a national map of priority areas, highlighting areas where corridors are most urgently needed to restore or maintain ecological connectivity. These connections are key to conserving biodiversity and adapting to climate change. They contribute the qualitative elements of Canada’s commitment to protect 30% of Canada’s land and inland waters by 2030 by helping to ensure ecological connectivity between the administrative “boundaries” of protected areas.

Throughout the fiscal year, the Ecological Corridors program supported 16 new corridor initiatives, including seven led by Indigenous partners. This brings the total number of supported initiatives since the program’s launch to 26, spanning seven provinces. Parks Canada contributed $26.9 million to these efforts, which was partially matched by partners who contributed an additional $19.9 million – resulting in a combined investment of $46.8 million towards ecological corridors across Canada. As a result, at least 80 protected areas, including 11 national parks, are expected to benefit from improved ecological connectivity through projects funded by the program.

Effectively managing natural environments

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Percentage of national park ecosystems where ecological integrity is maintained or improved
  • Target of at least 92% by December 2025
  • Actual result was 80%

National parks and national marine conservation areas are beautiful and inspiring places that protect nationally significant examples of Canada’s ecosystems. Working with Indigenous partners, Parks Canada manages one of the few national park systems in the world that has a system-wide ecological integrity monitoring and reporting program, using scientific measures to inform park-specific priorities and guide restoration action. Environmental sustainability also is a key contributor to the well-being of present and future Canadians and Parks Canada takes its mandate to protect ecological integrity very seriously.

Ecosystems have ecological integrity when their components, such as native species, biological communities, natural landscapes, and ecological functions, are intact and are likely to endure. As of March 2025, the ecological integrity of 80% of park ecosystems has been maintained or improved. This is consistent with the result in fiscal year 2023 to 2024 and represents a slight improvement over the previous three years. Nine ecosystems stabilized or improved this year, while eight began to decline.

Across the country, national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas are facing significant environmental challenges. Unprecedented rates of change related to climate impacts and species distribution, including invasive species and loss of biodiversity, are reshaping ecosystems, affecting cultural traditions, threatening infrastructure and resources, and changing how people experience these places. As these changes accelerate, preserving places as they are is unlikely to be possible, practical or appropriate. To adjust to these challenges and build resiliency, Parks Canada is adopting a proactive and flexible approach. This includes regularly assessing new conditions and trends, identifying where action is needed and working with Indigenous Peoples and partners to make and communicate difficult decisions. Through it all, Parks Canada remains deeply committed to ecosystem conservation, cultural heritage, and providing meaningful experiences for current and future generations and will do so in a sustainable manner that recognizes operational, financial, and ecological limitations.

During this fiscal year, several ecological integrity measures were added or enhanced, increasing the total number of measures used by Parks Canada to 525. For example, freshwater and tundra measures were assessed in Glacier National Park (British Columbia), and a new forest measure was added in Mount Revelstoke National Park (British Columbia). These new measures allow Parks Canada to have a more complete picture of the state of ecosystem health within protected areas.

Information from ecological monitoring supports the identification of key conservation activities, helping to guide Parks Canada’s areas of focus. Guided by recommendations from a recent internal program evaluation on the Ecological Integrity Monitoring Program, ongoing work continues to focus on integrating climate change considerations, advancing monitoring of connectivity between ecosystems, strengthening partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and external collaborators, and developing a formal internal coordination mechanism. During this fiscal, Parks Canada enhanced monitoring approaches and added five new monitoring measures. The ecological monitoring program is now 87% complete. In addition, Parks Canada invested $16.2 million in 27 conservation initiatives aimed at improving ecological integrity in 20 places. In Elk Island National Park (Alberta), the grassland ecosystem improved from poor and declining last fiscal year to fair and stable during this fiscal year, in part due to the active removal of invasive plants and a successful prescribed fire program, which were supported by conservation restoration investments.

For more than a decade, Parks Canada’s conservation and restoration investments have played a crucial role in maintaining and restoring the ecological integrity of national parks, ensuring the ecological sustainability of national marine conservation areas, and aiding the recovery of species at risk. This year, $21.2 million was directed to 48 initiatives across 29 Parks Canada-administered places. For example, Point Pelee National Park (Ontario) has achieved remarkable success by removing invasive cattails from wetland habitats, enabling over 19 species at risk to thrive. By creating over 1,413 square metres of open water habitat and more than 300 metres of edge habitat, the project has revitalized the ecosystem and offers new hope for these vulnerable species. Through collaboration with academic partners, local First Nations, and a regional Community of Practice, this project has fostered a spirit of innovation and shared learning, advancing the restoration of native species with inspiring results.

Protecting, managing, and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems

Working with the Department of Justice, Parks Canada is developing general regulations that would apply to all national marine conservation areas (NMCAs) established under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act. Pre-publication of the draft regulations in Part 1 of the Canada Gazette is scheduled for 2026, with final publication and coming-into-force of the regulations planned for 2027. The regulations will help to protect and manage an expanding network of NMCAs, strengthen protection of natural and cultural resources, and support the sustainable use and enjoyment of NMCAs.

Parks Canada works in collaboration with Indigenous partners, federal departments, provincial/territorial governments, and organizations to manage activities in NMCAs, including commercial activities such as fisheries and marine transportation. This year, collaborative research and monitoring efforts supported effective management of NMCAs. These included sharing knowledge through peer-reviewed publications, leading ecosystem-based management assessment workshops to inform the management of fisheries in Gwaii Haanas (for example, sea urchin and crab fisheries), and finalizing the ecological sustainability monitoring framework to report on the status of habitat and species, environmental stressors, and marine use in NMCAs.

During this fiscal year, Parks Canada continued to support natural heritage protection through marine ecosystem and scientific mapping. Underwater archaeologists used Parks Canada’s research vessel (RV) David Thompson to support a hydrophone marine acoustic baseline survey related to whale habitat at Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park.

Protecting and recovering species at risk

This year, Parks Canada published one multi-species action plan and advanced the development of 18 more. These plans consider opportunities for Indigenous-led conservation, landscape-scale conservation, ecological connectivity and climate-smart actions. Parks Canada is on track to complete 85% of recovery measures identified in current multi-species action plans. Parks Canada also published one five-year implementation report on the recovery strategy for Bolander’s Quillwort, a rare aquatic plant that signals changes in its environment found in western lakes and ponds, outlining contributions to species recovery.

Parks Canada is a lead agency in the Bison Integrated Genomics (BIG) project, working to protect the Plains and Wood Bison populations, which are each species at risk. Project partners are working to develop a combined vaccine for Brucella and bovine tuberculosis and develop a better test for bovine tuberculosis. They also strive to sequence DNA and develop a test to distinguish the Wood and Plains bison species to be able to establish conservation herds for each subspecies. This distinction between the species will help to develop and refine techniques for collecting genetic material and to create a bison genome biobank to help ensure the continuation of the species. To date, more than 180 ancient bison DNA samples have been sequenced at a whole genome level, six candidate vaccines have been experimentally tested in bison and demonstrate moderate efficacy to protect vaccinated bison from both diseases, and techniques have been developed and validated to allow collection of germplasm (i.e. genetic material such as sperm, eggs, embryos) from conservation herds of bison. Multiple Indigenous communities have been engaged in the development of governance structures for access and benefit sharing for a bison genome biobank. Two peer-reviewed research papers demonstrating vaccine efficacy and validation of tests for bovine tuberculosis have also been recently published.

During this fiscal year, Parks Canada continued to collaborate on a research project to investigate Bison genomic adaptation and resilience to climate change. The project will analyze samples collected from 12 herds of bison in Canada to look at environmental contaminants in bison, the performance of bison forage in drought conditions, and the development of methods to detect priority pathogens.

Managing fire in the places Parks Canada administers

Science tells us climate change is leading to longer, hotter, and dryer fire seasons. Wildfires are bigger, hotter, and faster-moving than ever. Parks Canada is the only federal organization that manages and responds to wildfire on the ground, with a national cadre of 300 trained wildland fire management personnel, including wildland firefighters, support firefighters, and incident management personnel.

This year, 93 wildfires burned more than 108,000 hectares in 18 Parks Canada administered places. Parks Canada led the early response and assumed a Unified Command structure between Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper. Working together with many partners more than 20,000 people were safely evacuated and more than 70% of the municipality’s structures were protected. During the 2024 to 2025 fire season, 264 Parks Canada team members from across the country were deployed to assist with the wildfire response in seven Parks Canada administered places, as well as externally to six provinces and territories.

During this fiscal year, Parks Canada conducted 13 prescribed fires in seven Parks Canada administered places. A total of 1,022 hectares were burned for restoration and risk reduction purposes. In addition, Parks Canada conducted 37 initiatives to manage vegetation to reduce the risk of wildfire at 20 sites. A total of 412 hectares were treated, in part by creating fire guards around communities. This work included 89 hectares treated in Jasper, 70 hectares in Banff and a 70-hectare fire guard providing protection to the community of Lake Louise.

Fostering conservation cooperation and engagement

Parks Canada continued to support the Pan-Canadian Parks and Protected Areas Research Network this year. This network builds on the Canadian Parks, Protected and Conserved Areas Leadership Collective and connects researchers, independent professionals, and practitioners in their pursuit of knowledge sharing and innovation. The fifth annual Research Summit, held virtually in 2025, included 500 registrants and 50 presentations with bilingual interpretation.

Parks Canada also completed and released its Report on Conservation from 2018 to 2023, summarizing the impact of the organization’s conservation work from coast to coast to coast. In addition, multiple stories and products were shared with Canadians through the #ParksCanadaConservation communications campaign, demonstrating Parks Canada’s leadership in ecosystem science, conservation, restoration and climate change adaptation. Products included five web articles, 17 videos, and four articles in the Parks Canada Newsletter, and #ParksCanadaConservation reached 4.7 million people through social media.

Parks Canada law enforcement developed and implemented information sharing agreements with three provincial and one territorial Conservation Officer Service this year. These agreements support the continued development of an intelligence capability to enhance enforcement response and coordination across Parks Canada-administered places.

Building climate change knowledge and capacity

Parks Canada is increasingly including climate change considerations in management planning, establishment, and conservation actions, including as part of programs like ecological monitoring, species at risk action planning, and conservation and restoration. This year, Parks Canada conducted three adaptation planning exercises and produced six new climate summaries, which concisely present how the climate is changing in Parks Canada sites along with anticipated risks, impacts and potential adaptation actions. Significant strides were also made to develop tools to assess ecosystem vulnerability to climate change and extreme climate events and further integrate climate considerations into the establishment and management of national parks. This included producing climate data, profiles on climate change trends, and projections for 225 Parks Canada sites.

Parks Canada also expanded its Carbon Atlas Series to include forest peatland, coastal and grassland carbon. An interactive, map-based carbon atlas will be released publicly in 2026. In the Hudson Bay-James Bay Lowlands, Parks Canada collaborated with external partners to jointly assess biodiversity and ecosystem carbon using scientific and Indigenous knowledge. Further, Parks Canada measured and mapped carbon in one northern permafrost peatland national park, five southern peatland national parks, and the Hudson Bay-James Bay Lowlands. Results show that peatlands in and around national parks store vast amounts of carbon in deep soils, which helps to regulate climate.

Indigenous Peoples’ stewardship is honoured and supported

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Number of natural heritage places managed cooperatively with Indigenous Peoples
  • Target of at least 27 by March 2026
  • Actual result was 23

Parks Canada recognizes the historic and ongoing responsibilities of Indigenous Peoples in the stewardship of the natural heritage of their ancestral territories and homelands. It works to advance cooperative management arrangements with Indigenous Peoples at the heritage places it has a role in administering.

As of March 31, 2025, Indigenous Peoples participated in decision-making as part of 23 active cooperative management structures in natural heritage places administered by Parks Canada. While there is no change from the result reported the previous year, during 2024 to 2025, together with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Parks Canada concluded Rights Reconciliation Agreements and Rights Implementation Agreements with Mi'gmaq of New Brunswick, Mi'kmaq of Prince Edward Island, and Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia. These agreements established new cooperative management boards at national parks and national historic sites in these provinces are expected to become active in fiscal year 2025 to 2026, making them eligible to be counted towards the indicator target.

In December 2024, the Haida Nation and Canada signed the Chiixuujin/Chaaw Kaawgaa Big Tide (Low Water) Haida Title Lands Agreement. The agreement includes Canada’s recognition of Haida Aboriginal title to lands on Haida Gwaii and marks a significant milestone in the journey to reconciliation. The Haida-Canada Archipelago Management Board will continue to co-operatively manage Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site through a transition period, during which both governments will work to reconcile jurisdictions and laws. In addition, Parks Canada is working in consultation and cooperation with the Haida Nation to support the application of Haida laws in Gwaii Haanas, in keeping with the Chiix̲uujin/Chaaw K̲aawgaa “Big Tide (Low Water)” Haida Title Lands Agreement.

Parks Canada continued to develop governance models and seek out opportunities to enable conversation and reconciliation across Parks Canada for co-managed national parks, national marine conservation areas, and national urban parks. During the reporting year initial engagement was developed to work with key Indigenous partners to validate proposed governance models.

Parks Canada contributes to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) at Parks Canada administered heritage places. It is currently seeking legislative authorities and reviewing, updating, and developing policy and operational practices that support Indigenous Peoples’ exercise of rights and responsibilities. Parks Canada provides annual updates on the Government of Canada’s UNDA Action Plan progress.

This year, the Indigenous Stewardship Circle and the Minister responsible for Parks Canada formally endorsed the Indigenous Stewardship Policy, which is now in effect. The policy recognizes and supports Indigenous stewardship in all places Parks Canada plays a role in administering and guides implementation of the UN Declaration. The Indigenous Stewardship Policy was co-developed with the Indigenous Stewardship Circle, a diverse group of Indigenous leaders who will continue to guide its implementation. Significant work to support Indigenous stewardship is ongoing in both the natural and cultural heritage domains of Parks Canada’s work.

Potential models for Indigenous Protected Conservation Areas (IPCA) supported by Parks Canada were developed this year. An engagement session was held with L'Nuey, representing the rights of the Epekwitnewaq Mi’kmaq (Mi’kmaq of Price Edward Island), and the members of the Indigenous Stewardship Circle. A Parks Canada IPCA think tank analyzed the proposed models to identify next steps. A revised engagement approach that considers shared governance options is now underway.

Wood Buffalo National Park (Northwest Territories and Alberta) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its Outstanding Universal Value. During this fiscal year, Parks Canada continued to implement key conservation actions from the Wood Buffalo National Park World Heritage Site Action Plan in collaboration with Indigenous partners, other federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, and key stakeholders to ensure that the park’s Outstanding Universal Value is maintained for future generations. As the World Heritage lead for Canada, Parks Canada submitted a State of Conservation Report for Wood Buffalo National Park to the World Heritage Committee this year for consideration at its July 2025 meeting.

Parks Canada also continued to implement the Wood Buffalo National Park World Heritage Site Action Plan. This year the work included completion of initial assessments of the health of the Peace-Athabasca Delta ecosystems, based on two-eyed seeing (incorporating both western and Indigenous scientific practices and perspectives) and focused on 23 ecological and cultural indicators. The assessment was the result of a co-developed Integrated Research and Monitoring Program involving Government of Canada and Indigenous government partners. The Integrated Research and Monitoring Program provides a new way of assessing the ecological health and Indigenous cultural values of the area.

In Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (GINPR) Parks Canada is working collaboratively with W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations to re-establish and strengthen Indigenous land stewardship and cultural practices in the Salish Sea through the co-development and implementation of harvesting and native plant restoration programs. This work enabled the recovery of almost 2000 pounds of deer meat for local communities this year, as well as the planting of nearly 2000 native trees and shrubs to support the harvesting of traditional foods, medicines, and materials, and inter-generational and cross-cultural knowledge sharing. Staff from the park reserve benefitted from its first Elder-in-Residence program and the project team is working with W̱SÁNEĆ representatives to determine how best to support Indigenous stewardship, cultural practices, and the preservation and application of Indigenous knowledge in park reserve management over the longer term.

Results achieved

Advancing the review of designations

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Number of places, people and events of importance to Canadians that are formally recognized
  • Target of at least 3,955 by March 2025
  • Actual result was 3,965

Parks Canada supports the designation and commemoration of cultural heritage through formal recognition programs at the national level. Commemoration of cultural heritage can include designations of persons, places, and events of national historic significance, heritage railway stations, heritage lighthouses, prime ministers’ grave sites, Canadian World Heritage Sites, federal heritage buildings, and Canadian heritage rivers. Each designation under the National Program of Historical Commemoration makes a unique contribution to the tapestry of stories that make up our past and collectively contribute to our identity.

During this fiscal year, Parks Canada exceeded its target for total designations for places, people, and events of importance to Canadians with a total of 3,965, an increase of 15 designations from the previous year. This includes 1329 Federal Heritage Buildings, 1013 National Historic Sites, 520 National Historic Events, 748 National Historic Persons, 114 Heritage Lighthouses, 22 Canadian World Heritage Sites, 42 Canadian Heritage Rivers, 17 Grave Sites of Canadian Prime Ministers, and 160 Heritage Railway Stations.

Supporting cultural heritage designation

As part of the many designation programs within its responsibility, Parks Canada organized 18 Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque-unveiling ceremonies this year. These included the commemoration of the Celebrations of Emancipation Day National Historical Event, the designation of Olympian Ethel Catherwood as a person of national historic significance, and Amos Indian Residential School, as part of the Residential School System National Historic Event (see highlight box).

Parks Canada continues to research and share the history and stories associated with cultural and natural heritage in Canada, and to expand Canadians’ access to and understanding of cultural heritage using digital tools. This year, Parks Canada used its social media channels to promote public understanding of the history of Canada and its cultural heritage with an average of 21,000 people viewing each post.

Parks Canada continues to strengthen ties, partnerships, and collaborations with the international communities of heritage registries, data sciences, and analytics for cultural heritage conservation, while embracing innovation in digital technology. To support its heritage designation work, and to make up-to-date heritage designation data and cultural heritage information accessible and available to Canadians, Parks Canada has partnered with the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) to implement the platform Arches as a modernized cultural heritage registry.

Commemorating the diversity of Canada and the contribution of Indigenous Peoples to the history of Canada

This year, Parks Canada continued work to ensure designations reflect the diversity of Canadian society and foster public understanding of the complex history of Canada through the implementation of the Framework for History and Commemoration: National Historic Site System Plan. Implementing this framework also contributes to Parks Canada’s priorities to enhance cultural heritage protection by holding space for Indigenous Peoples and equity-deserving communities to tell their stories.

To support this, Parks Canada is collaborating with local Indigenous communities to tell their stories in a way that reflects Canada’s diversity and ensures that Indigenous history is reflected in the national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas, and national urban parks that Parks Canada administers. This work supports Parks Canada’s implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) Action Plan Measure 110: Acknowledgements and Apologies.

During this fiscal year, Parks Canada continued to develop training and programs to guide internal processes focusing on telling the stories of Canada from a more diverse perspective. This year, an approach for training Parks Canada team members on how to address controversial history at heritage places was completed. In addition, oral history training was delivered to some team members at Parks Canada-administered places, as well as to Indigenous partners, and advice was provided on how to manage these projects.

Parks Canada also continued to seek new nominations of persons, places, and events that align with the strategic priorities outlined in the Framework for History and Commemoration and gave presentations upon request to support the public in making these nominations. During this year, as part of the framework’s strategic priority to increase the diversity of designations, new nominations were received from diverse communities, building on work done in targeted workshops in previous years. Eligible nominations now are moving forward for designation.

During this year, several existing designations were reviewed by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) to ensure that the designations reflect what is known or important to say about the country’s history today. These reviews remain in progress. Other reviews of existing designations that have been requested by the public are being processed as time and resources permit. Results of reviews of designations are posted at the HSMBC website following the completion of the review process. In this fiscal year, results for 36 reviews were posted on the website.

As part of its work to highlight diverse histories within its designation program, Parks Canada completed 28 Stories of Canada projects this year. The Stories of Canada Program supported place-based approaches to building relationships and formalizing working partnerships that respect the unique cultures, rights, and responsibilities of Indigenous partners. Completed projects include the installation of traditional place name signs and outdoor historical interpretive panels, as well as supporting Indigenous research, art installations, videos, and interpretive exhibits. Projects were completed at:

• Yukon: Klondike National Historic Site
• British Columbia: Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site and Fort Langley National Historic Site
• Alberta: Cave and Basin National Historic Site
• Saskatchewan: Motherwell Homestead National Historic Site
• Ontario: Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site, HMCS Haida National Historic Site, and Laurier House National Historic Site
• Quebec: Forillon National Park
• Nova Scotia: Kejimkujik National Park/National Historic Site
• Prince Edward Island: Province House National Historic Site
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Ryan Premises National Historic Site

Advancing reconciliation through commemoration

Parks Canada’s commemoration programs contribute to the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada. These programs play a key role in carrying out the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action related to commemoration (79 and 80). Parks Canada’s cultural heritage programs are working to ensure that Indigenous Knowledge is respected, reflected, and honored in the management of cultural and natural resources.

This year, Parks Canada met with Indigenous Advisory groups for its work on renewing criteria and guidelines that support the HSMBC and the National Program of Historical Commemoration. This work is targeted to be completed by 2026 and will improve public understanding of and better reflect Indigenous histories and values within the National Program of Historical Commemoration.

Work also continued, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, to support new designations through community engagement. During the year, Parks Canada had 15 meetings with communities, elders, and survivor groups who have nominated or have shown interest in making nominations under the National Program of Historical Commemoration. During the reporting year, the program received 10 new nominations pertaining to Indigenous history and the history of residential schools. The current percentage of national historic designations related to Indigenous history is 13% of all designations. Parks Canada continues to work towards increasing this percentage.

During the year, Parks Canada provided support to community-led efforts to commemorate the legacy of residential schools, including engagement with:

• Long Plains First Nation (FN), Muskowekwan FN, and Tk̓ emlúps te Secwépemc for the Kamloops Indian Residential School [IRS]
• Conseil de la Première Nation Abitibiwinni for the Amos IRS
• Yukon IRS Missing Children Project for the Carcross/Choutla IRS
• Ⱡkamnin̓tik Children’s Truth and Reconciliation Society for St. Eugene’s IRS
• Métis Nation of Saskatchewan for Ile-a-la-Crosse school)

To promote collaboration on the history of residential schools and their legacy, Parks Canada also held five engagement workshop sessions with Indigenous scholars and scholars working in Indigenous history.

With the funding from the Federal Framework to Address the Legacy of Residential Schools ended on March 31, 2025, Parks Canada’s capacity to advance this important work will be affected. The ability to review existing designations will be reduced. Likewise, opportunities to engage Indigenous organizations, communities and survivor groups is new designations related to Indian Residential Schools, their legacies, and Indigenous histories in Canada will be more limited. While this may slow the pace of work, Parks Canada remains committed to advancing new designations and related engagement activities as resources allow.

Supporting Canada’s world heritage

Parks Canada is a leader in the designation and management of Canada’s natural and cultural world heritage. This year, it provided advice and guidance to two nomination teams for sites seeking world heritage status, including Wanuskewin National Historic Site (Saskatchewan) and the Transatlantic Cable Ensemble, a trans-national site nomination with components in Heart’s Content, Newfoundland and Valentia, Ireland.

Parks Canada also continued to support Canada’s world heritage program. This year, it provided advice to managers of designated world heritage sites as well as to managers of sites on Canada’s tentative list. It also participated in the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, which was held in New Delhi (India).

Safeguarding the collection of archaeological and historical objects under Parks Canada’s care

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Percentage of the historical and archaeological collection, cultural landscapes and archaeological sites in Parks Canada’s care that are safeguarded
  • Target of at least 90% by March 2026
  • Actual result was 68%

Parks Canada maintains cultural resources through monitoring and conservation work at the national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas it administers, and in the facilities that house the collection of archaeological and historical objects under its care. This work ensures that cultural resources are safeguarded and conserved and that their heritage value is shared for the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of present and future generations of Canadians.

This year, construction of the future Parks Canada Collections and Curatorial Centre in Gatineau, Quebec will contribute significantly to the achievement of this target of safeguarding the collection. Construction completion was delayed due to unmet safety and maintenance requirements, affecting the timing of achieving the target, now set for March 2027. The consolidation and move of the collection to the new facility was anticipated to occur in autumn 2024 but, due to the delay, is now planned to start in September 2025. To date, Parks Canada has prepared 60% of the collection for the move. Operations at the new facility will be net zero carbon, which will also contribute to the Government of Canada’s greening government targets.

Protecting and conserving Canada’s cultural heritage places

During this fiscal year, cultural resource management and conservation work continued to contribute to the safeguarding of cultural resources and gains made in cultural heritage conservation. Parks Canada continues its work to advance the implementation of Indigenous values and protocols into the protection and conservation of cultural and natural resources under its care. During the past year, Parks Canada continued work to renew policies related to the protection and conservation of heritage places, and its cultural heritage experts contributed to 1000 individual projects at heritage places across the country.

Parks Canada continued to develop and review policy instruments, tools, and training related to the management of cultural resources this year, including the conservation of national historic sites and built heritage. The new Policy on the Management of Cultural Resources, Archaeological Sites, Heritage Lighthouses, and World Heritage Sites received Ministerial approval in September 2024 and will come into effect on September 1, 2025.

In line with the principles of the Parks Canada Indigenous Stewardship Framework and the UNDA Action Plan, Parks Canada developed the Cultural Resource Management Policy through ongoing dialogue with Indigenous partners. This dialogue was essential to ensure that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis perspectives, protocols, values, and practices are respected and reflected and that they guide approaches to the conservation and sharing of cultural heritage at places that Parks Canada administers.

Parks Canada started initial work on the draft of the Cultural Resource Management Directive during this reporting year, which will support the new Cultural Resource Management Policy and guide its implementation. In March 2025, Parks Canada held a workshop on topics related to the directive in Vancouver with the Indigenous Cultural Heritage Advisory Council. It also began initial work on the review and update to the Cultural Resource Impact Assessment and Commemorative Integrity Assessment processes and completed a draft standard on geographic names.

During this fiscal year, Parks Canada conducted 416 cultural resource impact assessments nationally to identify and mitigate potential impacts of activities on the heritage value of cultural resources at heritage places and the commemorative integrity of Parks Canada-administered national historic sites. Among these were risk assessments of The Fur Trade at Lachine (Québec), Murney Tower (Ontario), Fort Anne (Nova Scotia), and Grosse Ile (Québec) national historic sites and Gros Morne National Park (Newfoundland and Labrador) as part of its strategy of preventative conservation of historical and archaeological objects through the assessment of 35 sites by 207. It also conducted condition monitoring projects to assess the state of and provide expert advice on the management of select archaeological sites. Collaborative data analysis and reporting work continued with local Indigenous partners continued on a multi-year coastal erosion monitoring and assessment project at Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (British Columbia) and in association with the Living Landscapes of SGang Gwaay Project (British Columbia). Parks Canada also continued its collaboration with local Indigenous partners on a multi-year coastal erosion monitoring and assessment project at Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (British Columbia).

Parks Canada’s underwater archaeologists completed extensive repair and remediation this year on the 16th century Basque whaling wreck site reburial mound at Red Bay National Historic Site and World Heritage Site (Newfoundland and Labrador). They also undertook various similar projects at Rideau Canal National Historic Site & World Heritage Site (Ontario), Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site (Ontario), La Mauricie National Park (Québec), and Sable Island National Park Reserve (Nova Scotia) to document and assess underwater cultural resources.

This year, Parks Canada continued to lead ongoing underwater archaeological research at the Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site (Nunavut) and supported artefact transfer, interpretation, and exhibit design for the opening of the Nattilik Heritage Centre in Gjoa Haven. Underwater research was conducted at both wreck sites, including excavation and updated high-resolution multi-beam mapping at HMS Erebus, and current modelling, 3D photogrammetry, and a sedimentation study at HMS Terror.

Leading and partnering for cultural heritage conservation

In addition to its work managing the cultural heritage resources in its own care, Parks Canada plays a key leadership role in the cultural heritage conservation of Canada’s heritage places. Parks Canada provides support to departments responsible for protecting and conserving federal heritage properties in their own asset portfolios and provides guidance and funding to other owners of heritage places of national significance.

During the reporting year, Parks Canada assessed the heritage value of 230 federally owned buildings and responded to requests from multiple federal departments for advice and recommendations. Parks Canada also completed 82 reviews of intervention at federal heritage properties across the country, including the major redevelopment project from Block 2 within the Parliamentary Precinct in the National Capital Region. For the third consecutive year, Parks Canada also increased financial assistance through the National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places, which allowed it to support 13 federally recognized heritage places not administered by the federal government through 15 contribution agreements.

Parks Canada continues to collaborate with provinces and territories by meeting with the Federal, Provincial, Territorial, Cultural Heritage Table (FPTCH) through its role as co-chair of bi-monthly meetings of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Heritage Resource Working Group. This working group collaborates to advance common goals related to cultural heritage protection and conservation. Options for a new collaborative framework for the conservation of historic places in Canada were presented to provincial and territorial deputy ministers at the annual meeting of ministers and deputy ministers responsible for culture and heritage in Whitehorse, in May 2024. During the year, Parks Canada continued an ongoing dialogue at the FPTCH on priority issues that reflect areas of common interest with federal, provincial, and territorial partners.

As part of its international leadership in cultural heritage conservation and its role as Canada’s representative for world heritage, this year Parks Canada provided a voluntary contribution of $50,000 to support UNESCO’s activities related to the World Heritage Convention. This contribution supports the continued efforts of the World Heritage Centre to recognize the role of Indigenous Peoples in identifying, managing, protecting and presenting world heritage.

Supporting Indigenous stewardship of cultural heritage

During this fiscal year, Parks Canada worked to foster Indigenous stewardship of the cultural heritage places it administers and continued work to reconnect Indigenous Peoples to the historical objects and artifacts in its care. During this reporting period, there were engagements with 17 Indigenous nations to share two-way knowledge on collections. Parks Canada collaborated with nations in Northern Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta to share information about objects and archeological sites at Fort St. Joseph (Ontario), York Factory and Riel House (Manitoba) national historic sites and Jasper National Park (Alberta). Continued support and discussions were held with Inuit Heritage Trust (Nunavut), Timiskaming First Nation (Quebec) and the U'mista Cultural Centre (British Columbia).

Parks Canada also engaged with Indigenous communities to share knowledge and collaborate on cultural resource management at heritage places during this year. The Kejimkujik (Nova Scotia) Archaeology committee met monthly, bringing together Mi'kmaw and Parks Canada representatives to discuss projects. First Nation elders and youth were engaged during field work on the Huron Trail Archaeology project at Beausoleil Island National Historic Site (Ontario).

During this reporting year, Parks Canada worked to develop, update, and create new policy tools, processes, and practices that honour and hold space for Indigenous voices, support Indigenous leadership and self-determination, and respect Indigenous rights and Indigenous knowledge and knowledge systems in cultural heritage conservation. Under the direction of the Indigenous Stewardship Circle, a sub-circle was created aimed at identifying and examining gaps in Parks Canada’s relevant policies, processes and procedures relates to overall project and construction management and project archaeology. Provisions for Indigenous engagement were incorporated into the draft Federal Archaeology Guide and the Federal Heritage Review of Intervention templates.

Indigenous Peoples’ stewardship is honoured and supported

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Number of cultural heritage places managed cooperatively with Indigenous Peoples
  • Target of at least 15 by March 2026
  • Actual result was 9

Parks Canada recognizes the historic and ongoing responsibilities of Indigenous Peoples in the stewardship of cultural heritage of their ancestral territories and homelands. Parks Canada continues to collaboratively advance cooperative management with Indigenous Peoples at cultural heritage places by establishing new cooperative management structures and by including Indigenous roles in existing relationship-building structures to support the stewardship of heritage places, in accordance with Recognition of Rights and Self-Determination processes and Rights Reconciliation Agreements.

This year, St. Croix Island International Historic Site, located on the border between New Brunswick and Maine, USA (Peskotomuhkati Interim Agreement on Matters Pertaining to Parks Canada) was added to the total number of cultural heritage places managed cooperatively with Indigenous Peoples.

A significant step was taken that will increase the result for this indicator in future years: Parks Canada, together with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, concluded Rights Reconciliation Agreements/Rights Implementation Agreements with Mi'gmaq of New Brunswick, Mi'kmaq of Prince Edward Island, and Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia. New cooperative management boards at national parks and national historic sites in these provinces will be established and are expected to become active in fiscal year 2025 to 2026, making them eligible to be counted towards the indicator target.

Throughout the fiscal year, Parks Canada and Indigenous partners continued to work together to negotiate other agreements, which may create new or enhance existing cooperative management structures at places Parks Canada has a role in administering. These management structures support Indigenous stewardship of cultural resources and collaboration on the management of cultural heritage places.

During the reporting year, intensive learning sessions were held to enhance understanding of cooperative management across Parks Canada. Sessions included a deep dive on lessons learned in cooperative management. In addition, focused interviews were held to gather examples of tools, tips, and techniques to build and work with management boards in collaboration with Indigenous partners, as these are a key component of shared governance agreements. Lessons learned, words of advice, and strategies to support strong working relationships have been analyzed and summarized into key themes and areas of focus. These will be made available to all Parks Canada staff in the form of new internal guidance, which will be finalized in fiscal year 2025 to 2026.

The Indigenous Stewardship Circle and the Minister responsible for Parks Canada formally endorsed the Indigenous Stewardship Policy this year. This policy, which is now in effect, was co-developed by Parks Canada and the Indigenous Stewardship Circle, a diverse group of Indigenous leaders who will continue to guide its implementation. It recognizes and supports Indigenous stewardship in all places Parks Canada plays a role in administering, guides implementation of the UN Declaration, and supports capacity-building for team members to build and maintain effective relationships with Indigenous partners. The Indigenous Stewardship Policy will support management and governance of natural and cultural heritage places that are respectfully aligned with Indigenous ways of knowing and Indigenous leadership of stewarding lands, waters, and ice. This year Parks Canada also advanced work on several related policy tools, including guidelines for shared governance agreements, Indigenous knowledge and intellectual property, as well as a template for Indigenous Confidentiality and Use Agreements.

Pursuing long-term asset sustainability strategies and priorities

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Percentage of heritage assets in good or fair condition
  • Target of at least 62% by March 2025
  • Actual result was 56%

During this fiscal year, the percentage of built heritage assets in good or fair condition declined to 56%, decreasing from 58% in fiscal year 2023 to 2024. The sunset of temporary funding for Parks Canada’s built assets overall has led to this decline, resulting in a level of investment in asset maintenance or improvements that is below the pace of deterioration. Within available funding, Parks Canada has prioritized interventions to protect the health and safety of visitors and staff and prevent the immediate failure of assets. As a result, fewer projects aimed at improving heritage asset condition were completed.

This year, 15 heritage assets, with a current replacement value of $198M or 2% of Parks Canada’s heritage Portfolio’s overall current replacement value, were improved from “very poor or poor” condition to “fair to good” condition. An additional 19 heritage assets were designated this fiscal year and added to the Heritage Portfolio with no significant impact on the results due to their relatively small current replacement value.

Over the course of the reporting year, 32 heritage assets deteriorated to “poor or very poor” condition, representing 10% of the total current replacement value of Parks Canada’s heritage portfolio. There were 18 heritage assets that were either transferred or otherwise disposed over the course of the fiscal year, representing 3% of the current replacement value of the heritage portfolio.

The following are examples of work carried out during the reporting year that has improved the condition of built heritage assets; most projects this year focused on improvements within individual heritage assets:

• rehabilitation of masonry components at both the Jones Falls and Kingston Mills Locks on the Rideau Canal (Ontario)
• restoration of the cistern filtration chamber at the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site (Nova Scotia)
• replacement of the Lower Brewers Swing Bridge, abutments, and approaches at the Rideau Canal National Historic Site (Ontario)
• restoration and replacement of masonry, doors, and windows for the Fort Henry National Historic Site (Ontario)
• rehabilitation of the historic South Entrance Gate at Kootenay National Park (British Columbia)

Results achieved

Providing visitors with meaningful, inclusive experiences

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Number of visitors experiencing Parks Canada places
  • Target of at least 23.7 million by March 2025
  • Actual result was 23.2 million

Parks Canada continued its efforts to keep heritage places top of mind as Canadians and international visitors planned their getaways this year. Through integrated media, communications, and collaborative efforts, Parks Canada highlighted the wide range of experiences it offers to millions of current and potential travellers, facilitating memorable experiences for millions of people from Canada and around the world.

Parks Canada welcomed 23.2 million visitors from 100 places around the world this year. Total visitation was just 2% below the previous year’s figure of 23.7 million—a notable outcome given the year’s challenges. National historic sites welcomed 8.2 million visitors, a 7% increase over fiscal year 2023 to 2024, marking their highest attendance since 2019, when visitation reached 8.7 million.

National parks welcomed 15 million visitors, a 7% decrease from last year. The Jasper wildfire was a defining event and the decline in visitation is largely attributable to the wildfire response and safety-related closures in the national park. In a typical year, Jasper National Park is the second most visited national park in Canada. The park was closed from late July 2024 through mid-October with limited services post October 2024. While there was a slow and manageable return of local visitors during the winter season (e.g., for skiing or the town’s winter festival), this year, Jasper National Park welcomed 1.3 million (53%) fewer visitors than the previous year. Other parks in the region saw a corresponding boost in visitation through the autumn and winter seasons (for example, Waterton Lakes, Mount Revelstoke Glacier), which suggests visitors were heeding requests to seek alternative destinations to give Jasper residents and businesses the space and time to recover. Overall, Alberta saw the most significant decline, with visitation down 16% compared to the previous year. Regionally, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia experienced the largest year-over-year increases in visitation; up 16% and 13%, respectively.

Parks Canada’s high standards and the quality experiences it delivers to visitors yielded strong results. Among domestic visitors surveyed:

• 93% reported enjoying their visit
• 95% expressed overall satisfaction
• 80% or more of respondents were satisfied with key aspects of their visit, including wayfinding, staff welcome, grounds maintenance, and information on responsible interactions with wildlife
• 91% of domestic visitors indicated they plan to return the following year, reflecting strong visitor loyalty and advocacy
• 95% said they would recommend Parks Canada places to others

Parks Canada continued to facilitate memorable experiences across the country for millions of people through its high-quality services, programming, and experiences. Online tools and services, which act as the gateway for many visitors’ experiences, continued to undergo improvements. This included efforts to improve the usability of Parks Canada’s website using robust user experience testing data to determine which portions of the website to focus efforts on. During testing, trip planning was the top task completed by users and improving this section was a focus of this year's efforts. Parks Canada also continued a multi-year project to highlight and improve information about accessibility on its website that relates to visitor experiences and services. Additionally, a new feature was introduced on the Parks Canada Reservation System that permits people to sign up and receive an email notification when their desired front country campsite or other accommodation becomes available (i.e., due to a cancellation). Further work to advance improvements and add new features to Parks Canada public facing systems like the reservation system continues. For example, a new feature launching soon will support travel trade companies with the purchase of Discovery Passes, export‐ready experiences and on‐account payment options.

Ongoing development and enhancement of the Parks Canada App contributed to a milestone of 1.8 million page views, reflecting strong user engagement and content relevance. The app includes mobile guided tours, maps, images, orientation, fun facts, and accessibility features. During the reporting year Parks Canada issued five editions of its e-newsletter (one for each of the four seasons, plus one holiday edition), reaching approximately two million domestic and international subscribers. The blend of stories (travel, non-travel, and operations) helps seasonally connect people with Parks Canada-administered heritage places. Periodic engagement with subscribers helped the newsletter team enhance customer experience, deliver more relevant content and manage costs wisely; for example, through re-engagement campaigns that removed inactive subscribers. Parks Canada also consistently published content on its national Facebook and Instagram channels to highlight visitor experiences and promote trip planning, with Instagram posts regularly featuring inspirational photos of Parks Canada-administered heritage places submitted by visitors.

Parks Canada’s national photo and video collection continues to be renewed to represent a greater diversity of Canadians experiencing heritage places, services, and offers. Thousands of images and hours of footage have been captured, edited, and added to Parks Canada’s National Image Bank, enriching the ability of national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas to effectively communicate and engage with the public with imagery that is just as diverse as visitors are. Parks Canada’s Brand Standards for UNESCO World Heritage in Canada were also updated to more clearly identify some of humanity’s most outstanding achievements and nature’s most inspiring creations across Canada. These standards help ensure consistent storytelling and recognition, reinforcing the global significance of World Heritage sites while strengthening Canadians’ connection to these irreplaceable places.

During this fiscal year, key Parks Canada tourism destinations and activities were the subject of travel media pitches and familiarization tours with targeted tourism and lifestyle journalists, resulting in thousands of on-line and print publications. Continued relationships with journalists and outlets result in important domestic and international reach. An example that yielded very high visibility was The New York Times inclusion of the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve (Québec) in their list of top 52 destinations of 2025. Parks Canada also participated in tourism marketplaces to connect with travel writers and influencers to showcase Parks Canada, its offers, and stories. This work resulted in articles on traditional and digital platforms across the globe. These tourism marketplaces, such as Rendez-vous Canada and Bienvenue Québec, promote and sell Parks Canada destinations and experiences to international markets. This process helps influence when and where visitation occurs, highlights lesser-known destinations, promotes collaboration with industry stakeholders, and explores ways to improve alignment with tourism industry standards.

Supporting the growth of Canada’s tourism sector

As a key player in and supporter of Canada’s tourism industry, Parks Canada invests strategically in marketing and advertising initiatives. Parks Canada’s national advertising campaign, 450,000 km² of Stories, was launched ahead of the 2024 summer travel season, encouraging people to visit and find their own amazing story in Canada’s national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas. With the campaign reach almost doubling its target and 11 million Canadians recalling the ads, awareness of Parks Canada increased as along with intention to visit. Parks Canada also continued its collaboration with Tim Hortons for their annual Roll up to Win® contest by providing Parks Canada Discovery Passes as prizes, granting annual national entry to all the places Parks Canada administers across the country.

Parks Canada collaborated with Destination Canada and Expedia to promote Parks Canada destinations and to leverage the attraction of these places to support four-season regional tourism economies for local communities adjacent to these places. This year, Parks Canada’s investment achieved over 19 million impressions and approximately $144 million in gross accommodation bookings. These bookings originated from traffic coming from Parks Canada’s content on the Expedia platform.

Parks Canada continues to collaborate with its travel tourism partners to make visits to the places it administers more top-of-mind and convenient to them as they work to put together packages for their clients. This year, Parks Canada continued its secure online payment portal and printable Discovery Pass pilot program to support travel trade companies who provide digital packages to their domestic and international clients. Parks Canada delivered a webinar series to members of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) with the aim of demystifying engagement tools and processes that enable collaboration with Parks Canada.

Parks Canada was a proud sponsor of the Rendezvous Canada Marketplace, Tourism Industry Association of Canada Congress, and the International Indigenous Tourism Conference this year. Involvement at these events provides economic support and leadership to the tourism sector while facilitating engagement and collaboration with sector partners and stakeholders. Parks Canada also continued to participate in Destination Canada’s Tourism Corridor strategy program, which focuses on intentional destination development and cross-boundary and sector collaborations to create a more resilient Canadian tourism industry.

Parks Canada continued its support of the Trans Canada Trail in year three of a five-year contribution agreement. This contribution agreement funds the Trans Canada Trail Foundation’s work to expand links to local/regional trails, strengthen the Trans Canada Trail’s accessibility and inclusivity, and strengthen its role in supporting tourism across Canada.

Meaningful and inclusive experiences for all

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Percentage of Canadians that support the protection and presentation of Parks Canada places
  • Target of at least 78% by March 2025
  • Actual result was 92%

Parks Canada continued its efforts to keep the importance of heritage conservation at the forefront this year. Through multimedia outreach, in-person engagement, and collaborative initiatives, Parks Canada connected people to the tapestry of heritage, the richness of the work being done to fulfill its mandate, and the benefits of shared conservation values.

Despite a year marked by uncertainty, two things remained constant: Canadians’ strong support for Parks Canada’s work and the continued importance of nature in their daily lives. Approximately 92% of Canadians supported Parks Canada’s mandate to protect and present natural and cultural heritage this year, consistent with support levels recorded in 2022 and 2023. Support also remained strong among key demographic groups, including young adults aged 18 to 34, Canadian residents born abroad, and residents of Canada’s three largest urban centers. In terms of nature, 95% of Canadians agreed that protected natural areas are important to their quality of life as Canadians, a sentiment that has remained stable since 2022.

Creating relevant, inspiring, and informative content for Canadians requires passion and dedication, clearly reflected in this year’s results. Parks Canada reached and engaged with audiences through a wide range of communication channels. It also continued to expand its presence in popular formats such as video and podcasts. This year, Parks Canada produced video content on a range of topics including wildlife etiquette, glaciers (in recognition of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation), Indigenous leadership in conservation, and the significance of historical commemorations.

This year, Parks Canada shared stories of cultural and natural history through its innovative podcasts. Throughout 2024, episodes of Parks Canada’s history and archeology podcast ReCollections / ReTrouver were available on Air Canada’s in-flight entertainment system. During this time, they had 33,500 listens, resulting in ReCollections making Air Canada’s Top 100 audio files list. Parks Canada’s ecology podcast Connected also released new episodes this year. Parks Canada also provided financial support for the production of The Woven Spirit Podcast, a youth-led podcast on resilience and intergenerational healing available on the Indian Residential School Survivor Society’s YouTube channel.

In a digitally enabled world, Parks Canada still recognizes the importance of in-person engagement. This year it delivered 967 Learn to Camp events for Canadians interested in developing their camping skills. Parks Canada also held community events to celebrate Canadians for their contributions to Canada and their communities under the Hometown Heroes Program. It also continued to work in collaboration with education-oriented organizations to deliver in-person and virtual programming to develop understanding and appreciation of nature and history among youth of all ages.

Reaching Canadians in their communities

This reporting year, Parks Canada produced and shared over 200 videos highlighting its stories and beautiful places. On social media, these videos reached 6.1 million people and were watched for 1.2 million minutes. On Instagram alone, they generated 10 million total views (plays and replays). The Parks Canada YouTube channel now has over 38,000 subscribers (between its English and French profiles) with 67,000 hours of watch time. In addition, three new interactive mobile tours were published, and 27 existing tours were made available on the Parks Canada App, driving over 10,000 downloads and enhancing visitor engagement through rich media storytelling and interactive features.

Parks Canada continued to leverage new historical designations to tell the stories of people, places, and events in Canada’s history, amplifying each through consistent social media across all channels. Collaboration continued with the film, television, and multimedia industry in the production of content that aligns with Parks Canada’s mandate and priorities. The projects included Canada’s National Parks Season 3, available on TVO’s platforms for no charge, FlyOver Immersive Experience and Secret of a Forest on TVOKids, and Season 2 of Canada’s Ultimate Challenge hosted on CBC, with three episodes featuring Parks Canada administered locations. Broadcasting contributes to Parks Canada’s ability to deliver on its mandate by reaching millions of Canadians while contributing to local economies through tourism promotion and localized spending by industry members on services such as accommodation and food.

Collaborations continued with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Espace pour la vie, and École en Réseau to connect with youth through live virtual programming this year. Parks Canada also collaborated with Learning for a Sustainable Future to support virtual and in-person climate change forums and community action projects in schools, which reach thousands of students per year.

Parks Canada collaborated with National Trust for Canada in the delivery of Historic Places Days, which are events highlighting heritage conservation that reached approximately 779,000 Canadians this year. One veteran was honoured under the Hometown Heroes program this year for his contributions to the Canadian military and dedication to preserving and promoting Canada’s natural and cultural heritage. Parks Canada also collaborated with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on Citizenship Ceremonies, hosting 13 citizenship ceremonies at 12 Parks Canada locations, welcoming 455 new Canadian citizens this year.

Indigenous Peoples’ stewardship is honoured and supported

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Number of places where Indigenous Peoples use land and waters according to their traditional and modern practices
  • Target of at least 42 by March 2026
  • Actual result was 77

Parks Canada recognizes the important and ongoing roles and responsibilities of Indigenous Peoples as stewards of the heritage places it administers and is committed to a system of national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas that recognizes and honours the historic and contemporary contributions of Indigenous Peoples, their histories, and cultures, as well as the stewardship relationships Indigenous Peoples have with ancestral lands, waters, and ice. Most, if not all, of the natural and cultural places administered by Parks Canada have been traditionally used by Indigenous Peoples long before Canada became a country. Supporting Indigenous Peoples’ connections to traditional territories contributes to repairing connections that in many instances were severed when heritage places were created.

Parks Canada continued to work with Indigenous Peoples to pursue opportunities to connect meaningfully with their traditional territories, such as through collaborative projects, agreements, or mechanisms that support Indigenous leadership in the stewardship of lands, waters, and ice in places administered by Parks Canada.

As of March 2025, the number of places administered by Parks Canada where Indigenous Peoples use lands and waters according to their traditional and modern cultural practices has increased to 77. This substantial increase, surpassing the target set for March 2026, is the result of work by Parks Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations to conclude Rights Reconciliation Agreements/Rights Implementation Agreements with Mi'gmaq of New Brunswick, Mi'kmaq of Prince Edward Island, and Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia. These agreements include provisions to facilitate traditional or modern cultural practices on lands and waters at 29 additional places.

Parks Canada and Indigenous partners continue to work towards finalizing agreements that will facilitate Indigenous Peoples’ access to and use of land, waters, and ice at protected heritage places administered by Parks Canada across the country.

This year, the Indigenous Stewardship Circle and the Minister responsible for Parks Canada formally endorsed the Indigenous Stewardship Policy, which is now effect. The policy recognizes and supports Indigenous stewardship in all places Parks Canada plays a role in administering and guides implementation of the UN Declaration. It was co-developed with the Indigenous Stewardship Circle, a diverse group of Indigenous leaders, who will continue to guide its implementation.

Parks Canada supported the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) for the third year in a three-year contribution agreement. ITAC’s accreditation program for Indigenous-led businesses in the tourism sector helps to build capacity among Indigenous tourism businesses who work in and near Parks Canada administered places. Parks Canada’s digital and in-person platforms continued to be leveraged to share Indigenous stories, perspectives and culture. Collaboration continued with the Students on Ice Foundation this year, connecting Indigenous youth and elders with the land, waters, and ice of Northern Canada. Parks Canada also continued to work with Wapikoni Mobile, an indigenous-led Canadian non-profit that raises awareness and educates the public about Indigenous culture through educational workshops and films. Two Parks Canada-administered places hosted screenings attended by visitors, curated by Indigenous artists. Wapikoni ambassadors facilitated cross-cultural exchange with the audiences.

Pursuing long-term asset sustainability strategies and priorities

Relevant departmental result indicator

• Percentage of contemporary assets in good or fair condition
  • Target of at least 79% by March 2025
  • Actual result was 73%

The percentage of contemporary assets in good or fair condition declined to 73% this fiscal year, from 77% in fiscal year 2023 to 2024. The completion of major capital projects contributed to improvements in the condition of some of Parks Canada’s assets, focusing in particular on high-value roadway assets. However, these targeted investments were not sufficient to address the decrease in the condition of this portfolio.

This year, 290 contemporary assets, representing 4% of the current replacement value of the contemporary portfolio, deteriorated from "good or fair" to "poor or very poor" condition. In addition, 137 contemporary assets saw their condition improve this year, representing 1% of the contemporary current replacement value. There were 525 contemporary assets added this reporting year, without any considerable impact on the results. There were also 194 contemporary assets disposed of this year. However, these disposals had no material impact on the overall results because of low current replacement value.

In addition to the construction of new assets, such as a Caribou Breeding Facility at Jasper National Park, work carried out this year improved the condition of several existing contemporary assets, including:

• rehabilitation of the Lake Louise Wastewater Treatment Plant in Banff National Park (Alberta)
• rehabilitation of washrooms, improved park safety signage, redesigned exhibits, and a repaired lookout tower at the Point Pelee National Park southern tip (Ontario)
• construction of shoreline protection measures and re-vegetation along the break walls of the Niagara shoreline at Fort Mississauga National Historic Site (Ontario)
• rehabilitation of 2.4 kilometers of Highway 436 near L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site (Newfoundland and Labrador)

• Description
• Progress on results
• Resources required to achieve results
• Contracts awarded to Indigenous business

• Spending
• Funding
• Financial statement highlights
• Human resources

The increase in spending between fiscal years 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 was partially due to additional funding received partway through the fiscal years for the approval of the collective agreement and the resulting increased salary expenditures, including retroactive payments. In fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada also incurred additional costs when responding to an unprecedented number of wildfires threatening lands and critical infrastructure in national parks and other protected areas and received $37.9 million in additional funding to support these efforts.

Although additional costs were incurred this year in response to wildfires, particularly in Jasper National Park, the total spending has decreased compared to the previous year. This is primarily due to lower investments in capital assets, as well as reductions stemming from measures under the Refocusing Government Spending initiative. Furthermore, fiscal year 2023 to 2024 spending included one-time costs related to the approval of collective agreements and associated retroactive payments, which did not recur this fiscal year.

The Finances section of the Infographic for Parks Canada on GC Infobase offers more financial information from previous years.

The planned spending above reflects approved funding by Treasury Board at the time of the Departmental Plan publication to support Parks Canada’s programs. The decrease in planned spending from fiscal year 2025 to 2026 to fiscal year 2027 to 2028 is primarily due to the end of temporary funding received by Parks Canada for specific initiatives.

In fiscal years 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027, this includes the end of time-limited funding for the Enhanced Nature Legacy initiative, which supports the conservation of Canada’s lands and freshwater, protects species, advances Indigenous reconciliation, and increased access to nature. Another decrease is anticipated in fiscal year 2027 to 2028 due to the end of a portion of the time-limited funding Parks Canada received for capital asset investments in national parks, national marine conservation areas, and national historic sites, as well as the sunset of funding for the preliminary recovery and rebuild of Jasper National Park.

The Finances section of the Infographic for Parks Canada on GC Infobase offers more detailed financial information related to future years.

Appropriate minister(s):

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head:

Ron Hallman, President & Chief Executive Officer

Ministerial portfolio:

Canadian Identity and Culture

Enabling instrument(s):

• Parks Canada Agency Act
• Canada National Parks Act
• Rouge National Urban Park Act
• Historic Sites and Monuments Act
• Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act
• Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park Act
• Historic Canal Regulations pursuant to the Department of Transport Act
• Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act
• Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act
• Species at Risk Act

Year of incorporation / commencement:

1998

Mailing address

Parks Canada National Office
30 Victoria Street
Gatineau, Quebec
Canada
J8X 0B3

General Inquiries (within Canada):

888-773-8888

General Inquiries (International):

819-420-9486

TTY:

866-787-6221

Email:

information@pc.gc.ca

Website:

parks.canada.ca

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role of a department. The departmental results listed for a core responsibility reflect the outcomes that the department seeks to influence or achieve.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report that outlines the anticipated activities and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament in spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan, project or activity that a department focuses and reports on during a specific planning period. Priorities represent the most important things to be done or those to be addressed first to help achieve the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A high-level outcome related to the core responsibilities of a department.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative or qualitative measure that assesses progress toward a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report outlining a department’s accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

Full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

Measures the person years in a departmental budget. An employee's scheduled hours per week divided by the employer's hours for a full-time workweek calculates a full-time equivalent. For example, an employee who works 20 hours in a 40-hour standard workweek represents a 0.5 full-time equivalent.

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical tool that helps to understand the ways diverse individuals experience policies, programs and other initiatives. Applying GBA Plus to policies, programs and other initiatives helps to identify the different needs of the people affected, the ways to be more responsive and inclusive, and the methods to anticipate and mitigate potential barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

government priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2024 to 2025 Departmental Results Report, government priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda as announced in the 2021 Speech from the Throne.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

A program, project or other initiative where two or more federal departments receive funding to work collaboratively on a shared outcome usually linked to a government priority, and where the ministers involved agree to designate it as horizontal. Specific reporting requirements apply, including that the lead department must report on combined expenditures and results.

Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)

For the purposes of a Departmental Result Report, this includes any entity that meets the Indigenous Services Canada’s criteria of being owned and operated by Elders, band and tribal councils, registered in the Indigenous Business Directory or registered on a modern treaty beneficiary business list.

non budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative measure that assesses progress toward a departmental-level or program-level result, or the expected outputs or outcomes of a program, policy or initiative.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to the amounts presented in Main Estimates. Departments must determine their planned spending and be able to defend the financial numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

An Individual, group, or combination of services and activities managed together within a department and focused on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

A listing that identifies all the department’s programs and the resources that contribute to delivering on the department’s core responsibilities and achieving its results.

result (résultat)

An outcome or output related to the activities of a department, policy, program or initiative.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Spending approved through legislation passed in Parliament, other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose and the terms and conditions of the expenditures.

target (cible)

A quantitative or qualitative, measurable goal that a department, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Spending approved annually through an appropriation act passed in Parliament. The vote also outlines the conditions that govern the spending.