We have a national parks system in this country. We have provincial parks. You're absolutely right that protecting habitat is the key.
I would argue that the federal government should have some jurisdiction over species when and if provinces aren't taking care of them, because in some cases it can become the last species on the planet of that endemic. In Canada, it's a moral question in the end: do you believe we should allow certain species to go extinct in this country even if they do exist in the States or somewhere else?