2010-2011 Parks Canada Agency Corporate Plan

Supplementary Information (Tables)

Update to Parks Canada Long-Term Capital Plan

Strategies and Priorities

Management of assets supports all program activities and is central to the delivery of three out of five program activities in the Agency as well as for internal service delivery. Canada's Economic Action Plan (CEAP) investments have resulted in a dramatic increase in funding dedicated to the protection of cultural assets and contemporary assets, both of which help the Agency achieve it's mandate and program objectives.

Context

Parks Canada's holdings in real property fixed assets are diverse and extensive (numbering approximately 18,000) with a replacement value of $11.3 billion, making the Agency a major custodian in the Canadian government.

The variety of fixed assets included in the Agency's inventory range from modern digitally controlled buildings to fortifications, to dams and weirs constructed in 1832, to highways and bridges cut through the Rockies. The Agency also manages assets such as wildlife overpasses, underpasses, fencing and jumpouts designed specifically to support ecological integrity and ecosystem protection objectives. Parks Canada's assets are found, literally, from sea to sea to sea. The diverse range of skills and resources required to manage such a varied inventory go beyond those required by other custodians.

Parks Canada also welcomes approximately 22 million visitors each year, which poses rare challenges in the management of its real property inventory. Parks Canada manages this real property in ways that facilitate visitor experience while ensuring the protection and presentation of the heritage places it administers.

Parks Canada's assets are divided into four groups that present unique management challenges. Cultural or historic assets are core to Parks Canada's mandate; visitor assets are required to enable the visitor experience; assets administered on behalf of the Federal Government by virtue of their location; and, supporting assets support service delivery of Parks Canada's programs and services.

Cultural Resources (23% of total asset portfolio, 21% of Park Canada's CEAP investments)

Cultural or historic assets are core to Parks Canada's mandate, primarily for Heritage Resources Conservation (Program Activity 2), Public Appreciation and Understanding (Program Activity 3), and Visitor Experience (Program Activity 4).

Cultural resources, found in 167 Parks Canada administered national historic sites and 42 national parks, include historic and archaeological resources that are nationally significant and have historic value. Cultural resources are irreplaceable and require a close level of management expertise distinct from that required for contemporary assets. The consequence of not making timely capital interventions is the permanent loss of Canada's heritage fabric since the average year of construction of these assets is: 1902 for buildings; 1879 for marine works; and 1844 for fortifications. For this reason, Parks Canada is investing 21% of its CEAP Allocation to this group of assets.

Visitor Facilities (44% of total asset portfolio, 55% of Park Canada's CEAP investments)

Visitor facilities provide opportunities for Canadians to access, learn about and experience their natural and historical heritage and are the mainstay of Parks Canada's Visitor Experience Program (Program Activity 4). Visitor facilities include reception and interpretive centres, trails, campgrounds and day-use areas, as well as related assets such as access roads, parking lots and water and wastewater systems.

Generating more than $100 million in revenue, these assets rank among the principal assets of Canada's tourism industry, contributing $1.3 billion to Canada's Gross Domestic Product and the equivalent of 31,000 full-time jobs. Because of their contribution to Canada's tourism industry, Parks Canada is investing 55% of its CEAP Allocation to this group of assets.

Assets administered on behalf of the Government of Canada (26% of total asset portfolio, 24% of Park Canada's CEAP investments)

Assets administered on behalf of the Government of Canada include highways, contemporary bridges and dams on historic canals and municipal structures in national park townsites. Parks Canada is responsible for approximately 800 kilometres of highways and 97 bridges, which form part of the Trans-Canada Highway and sections of various provincial highways. Parks Canada is also responsible for: waterway management infrastructure, including over 200 dams controlling water levels and 89 bridges; municipal infrastructure including roads and bridges, and; water and wastewater treatment systems within national park townsites. This group of assets is associated with Townsite and Throughway Infrastructure (Program Activity 5). Parks Canada is investing 24% of its CEAP Allocation to this group of assets.

Supporting assets (7% of total asset portfolio)

Supporting assets include assets such as maintenance compounds, administration centres and fleet which are associated with a wide variety of Internal Services and support the delivery of Parks Canada's various programs.

Parks Canada's fleet is comprised of approximately 1,300 light vehicles, 400 pieces of heavy equipment and 1,000 pieces of off-road and marine equipment such as high-speed snow ploughs, to trucks and cars to snowmobiles and ATVs. The Agency considers green options in every investment decision and has been successful in taking advantage of subsidies offered by other government agencies in greening its fleet.

Materiel Management Framework

The Parks Canada Asset Management Directive (approved by senior management) provides the overall direction for the management of the Agency's assets. Additional more detailed directives are in place to guide the management of non-capital assets and the fleet. The Asset Management System and the financial system are used to inform materiel management decision-making. Asset condition and performance are assessed and monitored by the operational units.

Periodic evaluations of the asset management framework are undertaken, and asset management policies and practices are revised to address the recommendations.

Capital Asset Management Strategy

The substantial new investments resulting from CEAP are working to address the risks associated with a deteriorating asset base. This, combined with significantly increased asset spending over historic levels, is contributing to improve asset management frameworks as well as asset information.

By combining existing budgets with the additional funding arising from investments under CEAP, Parks Canada will spend $947.5 million over the next five years towards recapitalization.

To effectively manage the increased capital program and continue meeting its asset custodial obligations, Parks Canada has invested substantially in increasing its asset management capacity. This includes the creation of a new Infrastructure and Real Property Directorate, the hiring of additional staff to oversee project delivery as well as the refinement of investment priorities and the associated asset risk management framework to better achieve outcomes. The Agency is also committed to updating its management policies and practices to conform to new Treasury Board policies in the areas of Investment Planning and the Management of Projects as well as implementing a new asset management system to ensure it has access to reliable asset information to better support strategic decision-making.

Details on Project Spending

Note: The purpose of this table is to report on projects underway during the reporting period that exceed the Agency's delegated project approval level.