Evidence of meeting #23 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was parks.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada Agency
Those days have been long gone. If you look at the Nahanni National Park Reserve expansion, it's a good example of Parks Canada, the Government of Canada, working with the aboriginal community—in this case, the Dehcho.
The recent announcement we've made in terms of the Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve proposal and the boundaries of that is really working with the Labrador Inuit and the Métis nations, again, through the whole establishment process.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I don't want to speak on behalf of the Haida, but for committee members who haven't had the chance to come to a place like this, there's a standing invitation. If in your careers you get to see something like this and actually explore a place you may have had some participation in creating, this would be one of the ones you'd want to take up. I know Parks Canada does a great job in highlighting the beauty of the place and leaving it as it is, but it's something all members should consider, and the Haida are wonderful hosts. You'll eat well and you might see a dance or two as well.
Thank you to the officials.
Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada Agency
The one point I'd like to add, Mr. Chair, if I can, is that I'm extremely proud of—not since I've become CEO, but well before that with Tom Lee and my predecessors—the relationship with aboriginal peoples. We in Canada should celebrate that, because as a parks organization, we are international leaders in this field.
Conservative
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Thank you, Chair.
Just before I hand my time over to Mr. Trudeau, who I'm sure has some important questions, I want to acknowledge that Canada is an incredible country, a country of unparalleled beauty, and our government is of course committed to preserving and protecting our natural environment, but to achieve that is not possible without the support of yourself from Parks Canada, and a great thanks to the Haida Nation, as well as the different NGOs that were also part of this process. It's tough to say thank you to Mr. Nathan Cullen, but a thank you to him.
Anyway, what an incredible area for this generation and future generations.
I'm going to give my time to Mr. Trudeau.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Thank you, Mr. Warawa and Mr. Bezan.
First of all, I'd like to echo the sentiments around the table about how pleased I am, and we are, at the establishment of this national marine conservation area. I think it's a wonderful piece of news. It has been a long time coming.
On a personal note, I'm very fond of my riding of Papineau, but when I was a young child on a visit to Haida Gwaii with my father and family, I was made an honorary child of the eagle, I believe, on Haida Gwaii. For me to see this national marine conservation area and park come into existence is a wonderful thing.
My only concern around this is related to the tanker traffic moratorium that everyone has brought up, and I'll come to it in a moment.
I have a concern around the process whereby this happened. I would like to at least highlight this, because we had a rushed June, last year, in passing the Nahanni National Park Reserve expansion. This June we seem to be doing this again. I would hate to have to rush through another wonderful piece of good news and a new park being brought in next June without proper time to appreciate it. Therefore, I'm a little bit curious about the process.
Monsieur Latourelle, as I look at the document before me, the entrée en vigueur of the agreement, it was signed on January 16 of this year—so almost six months ago. That was a public signing, I'm assuming. Were the media present?
Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada Agency
It was a public signing.
Do you mean the Canada–Haida agreement?
Liberal
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
The Gwaii Haanas Marine Agreement.
What processes were required following the signing of that agreement to get it to a position where it could be brought forward to Parliament?
Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada Agency
The process, part of it, is called for in our legislation, the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, in terms of the consultation reports, for example, that you have before you. That is one element.
Since that time, we've had to complete that. Although we've had a lot of consultation over the last several years, we needed to put it into a readable format, one that could be communicated.
It's the same for all the other parts of this information. It's the same for the interim management plan. After that, in terms of the process, we actually have to go to Treasury Board first, and that generates the order in council that is before you. Then it's brought to the House.
If I can just comment, I want to make it very clear that I am a public servant. The last two years, it has been Parks Canada and the steps in our process that got us to that timeframe. In the future, in terms of bringing issues forward to our minister, to Treasury Board, and to these committees, we will try to avoid that if we can. We understand.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Thank you.
I also notice that this report to Parliament is dated May 2010 and it was brought forward only in June 2010. There are issues around that. I just hope I'm getting it on the record that for next time we would love to be able to have a little more time and not have to do what we're about to do and waive the 30 days of study and reflection on it before it can be moved forward.
The other issue, and I guess this is more legal, possibly, is this tanker traffic moratorium that we were all talking about. Is there a moratorium on tanker traffic right now?
Acting Executive Director and Senior Counsel, Legal Services, Parks Canada Agency, Department of Justice
I can't answer that question. I'm not aware.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
As I look at the handout, it says:
The review of petroleum resource potential found that most of the proposed Gwaii Haanas Marine Area had very low to moderate potential. ... Additional field work was not recommended, nor could it have been undertaken in view of the existing moratorium on west coast offshore oil and gas exploration and development.
So it looks as though there is in fact a moratorium right now.
Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada Agency
Sorry, there is a moratorium on exploration on the west coast. That I can tell you.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Thank you. So it's a moratorium on exploration, but not necessarily on tanker traffic.
Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada Agency
That I would have to check. I'm not sure.
Liberal
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
You referred to Nahanni National Park. I know the issue of, for example, the abandoned Prairie Creek mine site, which stored barrels of cyanide in a place that could potentially leak and flow down to the river. There was an area of concern and responsibility by Parks Canada toward that site because things outside of park boundaries can affect in an extremely negative way the things within.
Now, I understand that not a lot of work has been done yet because it's not officially a national park reserve site yet. Even in the handout booklet there is a comment that there is a development and implementation of environmental emergency response plans. And when I think of environmental emergencies and the responses that are necessary, obviously right now we think of oil spills in the gulf, and the potential there.
Has there been any study of currents, winds, tides? I believe that the currents in that part of the world flow north, so the tanker traffic passing south and potential problems there could be extremely devastating. Once this is a national park, what kind of power will Parks Canada have to protect this extraordinarily beautiful and delicate piece of nature from potential spills?
Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada Agency
First, in terms of the dates of the report, May versus June, part of it is because we have to go to Treasury Board. I just want to make that clear. That's why there's a difference between May and June.
In terms of the future impacts of activities occurring outside of the national marine conservation area that may affect the national marine conservation area, our approach is going to be consistent with the approach we've taken on all of our programs. When there are activities outside parks or national historic sites that may affect the integrity of these places, we do provide science information and also participate in the appropriate processes. That is our intent, clearly.
At this point, as there have been major studies now, once we have the national marine conservation area established, we will create a team and establish the Parks Canada team with the Haida Nation. As part of their roles, and through the management plan, we will define the priorities for that.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Thank you, Mr. Trudeau.
I want to thank our witnesses.
We have done our first round, which meets the demands of the motion that Ms. Duncan brought forward. So I want to thank you for coming in.
We are going to suspend and talk about our report, and of course these deliberations are done in camera.
Mr. Warawa.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Okay?
With that, I'm going to suspend, and ask everyone who is not associated with a member of Parliament to clear the room, and we'll come back into session.
[Proceedings continue in camera]