Update on Transformation: Next Steps and What to Expect

Hello everyone,

 Earlier this summer, I shared an update on Transformation at Parks Canada and committed to keeping you informed as this work progressed. Today, I want to provide information on what to expect in the coming months, and how we’ll continue to support our team through this period of change.

In late July, the Executive Management Committee (EMC) met to decide on the future-state of the Agency. These decisions apply the recent government budget and prioritize collaborative initiatives that deliver the greatest public value and long-term impact and ensure the sustainability of Parks Canada for generations to come.

What the future looks like?

The work underway is focused on building sustainable working models that will help Parks Canada continue delivering its mandate with available permanent funding, now and into the future. It is now clear that the future path for the Agency will include a revised operations model and modernizing National Office directorates. 

• A more flexible workforce focused on essential operations: To create a nimbler and more efficient organization, we will be moving to a more multi-skilled workforce where it makes sense. This change will move decision-making closer to the field. Superintendent accountabilities remain the same, but we will focus on place-based operations and empower cross-functional teams to perform the essentials in the field. We will also realign resources and expertise across the organization to better support our teams.

• Agency-wide prioritization: We will refocus our functions and our resources on the highest-priority and highest impact services, obligations, and outcomes. This means concentrating our conservation and science capacity on the decisions that matter most for ecological integrity and species at risk; discontinuing underperforming visitor offers and transitioning to self-guided experiences in select locations; managing our assets, real property, and cultural heritage based on risks and accountabilities; modernizing corporate and financial services through automation and digitization; and refocusing our external relations on core storytelling, revenue opportunities, and key services that mean the most to Canadians and to those who visit. Across every directorate, this is about targeting our effort where it has the greatest impact.

• Simpler ways of working: To maximize resource sustainability and achieve high-impact efficiencies across all directorates, we will match our level of effort to the level of risk, leverage AI, and implement a series of changes to improve how work is organized across the Agency. Parks Canada will be doing less end-to-end business alone, partnering rather than owning every stage from conception to delivery, and identifying ways to simplify our processes. This shift will result in enhanced collaboration between teams and increased flexibility to respond to operational priorities and deliver our mandate.

What this could mean for you

As we adapt our working models, many team members will see changes to their roles to support greater flexibility in service delivery. For some, these changes will involve adjustments to existing duties, while for others, they may result in new roles with broader scope of responsibilities at multiple levels of the organization.

While implementation planning is still underway, team members can expect changes that reflect our commitment to:

• Treating team members with fairness, respect and compassion.
• Minimizing impacts on employees wherever possible and taking every reasonable measure to minimize involuntary departures.
• Respecting all provisions of the collective agreement.

Programs such as the Early Retirement Incentive (closed on July 24) and Alternation provide opportunities for employees to make choices that best fit their personal and professional circumstances. Where additional measures are required, Workforce Adjustment (WFA) provisions provide a structured and well-established framework for managing the impacts of organizational change while respecting employee rights, entitlements, and collective agreement obligations.

What happens next ?

While important decisions have now been made regarding the future direction of the Agency, significant implementation work remains ahead of us. The coming months will focus on translating these organizational transformation decisions into detailed organizational models, engaging with PCXs and ensuring that changes are implemented respectfully and fairly. 

The current timeline is as follows:

• August and September: We will continue to engage with PCXs to refine plans and prepare for implementation.
• October 2026: We will begin sharing more information about organizational structures and possible impacts on employees, where applicable.
• Fall and Winter 2026-27: Approved changes will be put in place in stages.

We remain committed to providing people with timely information as it becomes available. While some decisions still require detailed planning before they can be shared, we will continue to provide updates as key milestones are reached.

Supporting one another

We recognize that organizational change can create uncertainty and concern. Please remember that support is available:

• Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP): Free, confidential counselling services at 1-800-268-7708 (TTY: 1-800-567-5803).
• Office of the Ombud: Independent, impartial, informal and confidential support at 1-866-787-6780 or omb@pc.gc.ca.
• Union representative: Represented employees may also seek advice and support from their bargaining agent.

I encourage you to continue visiting the dedicated Transformation page on ParksNet for the latest information and resources.

Thank you for your professionalism, patience and continued commitment to Parks Canada's important work. Together, we are building an organization that is more innovative, more collaborative, and more focused, one that is well positioned to protect and present Canada's treasured places for generations to come.

Andrew Campbell

Interim President & Chief Executive Officer

Parks Canada