Privacy impact assessment summary for the Visitor Safety and Human Wildlife Coexistence Programs

Description

Visitor Safety activities, delivered under the Visitor Experience Program, include the planning, delivery, and management of measures that support visitor safety. These activities encompass the provision of public safety information and education, risk assessment and mitigation, monitoring and management of safety incidents, and coordination of emergency response, including search and rescue operations. Risk management practices include ongoing risk assessment and monitoring, implementation of mitigation measures, risk sharing through the promotion of visitor self-reliance and safe practices, and the acceptance of residual risks. The objective is to minimize the frequency and severity of visitor safety incidents.

The Visitor Safety Program is guided by four core pillars:

• prevention and mitigation: eliminating or reducing risks to protect lives, property, the environment, and visitor experience
• preparedness: ensuring readiness to respond effectively to incidents
• response: managing incidents and their impacts as they occur
• recovery: restoring conditions following an incident

In parallel, Parks Canada conducts human–wildlife coexistence activities to address risks arising from interactions between people and wildlife, while supporting ecosystem conservation. These activities include public education, habitat and attractant management, monitoring wildlife behaviour and human-wildlife interactions, and targeted interventions where necessary. The program promotes safe visitor behaviour and aims to prevent hazardous wildlife situations, such as habituation or food conditioning.

Why a privacy impact assessment was completed

This privacy impact assessment (PIA) was conducted to assess privacy risks associated with the collection, use, disclosure, retention, and protection of personal information in support of visitor safety and human–wildlife coexistence activities. These activities involve operational processes such as incident reporting, emergency response, and coordination with partners, as well as the use of the incident and event management (IEM) system. The PIA ensures compliance with the Privacy Act and Treasury Board requirements, confirms that personal information practices are necessary and proportionate, and verifies that appropriate safeguards are in place.

Additional information

The PIA confirmed that personal information is collected, used, and disclosed on a need-to-know basis to support visitor safety operations, emergency response, and human–wildlife coexistence activities. Information is primarily managed within Parks Canada’s incident and event management (IEM) system, which includes role-based access controls, audit logging, and established retention and disposition practices.

During the PIA process, Parks Canada implemented measures to reduce privacy risks, including the creation of a personal information bank (PIB) and the publication of a privacy notice statement on the Parks Canada website to improve transparency.

Personal information may be shared with authorized partners, such as emergency medical services, search and rescue organizations, law enforcement, and public safety authorities, in accordance with applicable legislation and operational requirements.

A low level of risk was identified related to retention and disposal practices. Parks Canada is addressing this risk by working in collaboration with Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to identify records of archival value and to establish a file classification plan and retention schedules for the organization. Full implementation is expected by March 31, 2029.

Privacy risks are otherwise mitigated through administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, including staff training, standard operating procedures, privacy notices, access controls, and breach response protocols. Ongoing monitoring and periodic reviews ensure continued alignment with legislative and Treasury Board requirements.

Related personal information banks

Institution specific personal information bank visitor safety, human wildlife coexistence activities PC PPU 203.

For more information about this privacy impact assessment

In order to have access to the full PIA, please submit a formal request at the following link: Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Online Request (apps.gc.ca).