Official Languages Committee on Jan. 31st, 2013

[Dr. Larry Ostola]

I can give you an example, which is hypothetical because we have not yet identified any solutions.

At the Riel House National Historic Site of Canada, we could have a self-guided tour and provide information to people who visit the site. We could provide an electronic device, such as those used during art gallery exhibit visits, for instance. That's one possibility, but a number of other technologies could also be used.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I assume that requires more staff. Additional budgets are needed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Ms. Michaud.

[Dr. Larry Ostola]

In my presentation, I mentioned that we make extended use of new technologies. We think we can apply the knowledge we already have to those situations.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Mr. O'Toole.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, I will yield the floor to Mr. Galipeau for one minute.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Okay.

Monsieur Galipeau.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

First of all, I'd like to welcome my colleague and my friend Erin O'Toole. This is his baptism today.

I have a question for Mr. Ostola.

Do you have the statistics on the number of visitors to the Laurier House National Historic Site of Canada and the Riel House National Historic Site of Canada?

[Dr. Larry Ostola]

I am sorry to say that I don't have those statistics on hand, but we do have them.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

I have been to Laurier House at least once a year for the last 50 years. Laurier House last year, counting four visits from me, had fewer than 5,000 visitors.

I'm done.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you very much, Mr. Galipeau.

Mr. O'Toole.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Ostola.

I have only one question, which I will ask in English.

I know that the Trans Canada Trail Foundation is coming up with a fundraising initiative and a 150th initiative. I'm wondering whether there's potential for an expansion of the trail to help connect our system of parks from sea to sea to sea, and whether discussions with a group like that, with a conservancy mandate, connecting Canadians through all regions, could not work together with our parks system to allow Canadians to explore and traverse the country.

Have any partnerships like that been discussed?

[Dr. Larry Ostola]

You raise a very interesting question. I think in terms of partnerships generally, there are many exciting opportunities on the road to 2017.

There has been work done with the Trans Canada Trail Foundation in the past, and I would not at all be surprised to see work continue to be done in the future. There are opportunities through partnerships with organizations such as that one to really find ways to effectively link citizens to our places.

That's just one example, but there are others. These are all partnership opportunities that I think are going to have to be explored in the context of what we might do with respect to the 150th anniversary of Confederation. I think you've raised a very good example.

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Do you have any other questions? Okay.

We'll now go to Mr. Benskin.

[Tyrone Benskin, NDP, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Thank you.

I guess I'm just thinking about Mr. Galipeau's comment. I come from the world of the arts. I'm an actor. I've done a massive amount of theatre in my life. Theatre doesn't pay. It doesn't pay you as an actor, and it doesn't pay theatre companies, but it's extremely important because that live contact with an audience is something you'll never get in film and television. When I go out into schools, I say it's like the difference between buying Justin Bieber's CD and seeing Justin Bieber live. They get the difference.

Although I understand the pragmatism of it, I'm a bit concerned, I guess, about the reliance on technology. I'm fine with social media and so forth and everything else, but there's nothing like being able to walk into a museum and see a Van Gogh hanging on the wall. You can look at the picture. There's nothing like walking into la Maison-Riel or Laurier House and being able to tangibly ask questions of an individual, who can then give you answers.

I'm a bit concerned about whether or not the technology is going to drive people away from visiting sites. If you can look at it on YouTube, then what, as we say in theatre, will get more butts in the seats?

How is Parks Canada addressing that?

[Dr. Larry Ostola]

I appreciate what you've said with respect to the direct contact, but there's another aspect that I would raise as well.

If I take Laurier House in Ottawa as an example, Laurier House is also an extraordinary environment, where Canadians have the opportunity to walk in the steps of historical figures who've occupied Laurier House at different times and to really absorb the atmosphere in often a very personal and a very tranquil way. In fact, it's not unusual for visitors to say “I really just want to contemplate this and soak in the atmosphere”.

That's another dimension of the experience that I think is very important, and that dimension of the experience will not change. People will go to Laurier House and they will be in the authentic environment, which is the historic environment of the house and the furnishings and so on, which I think people will find very, very appealing.

[Tyrone Benskin, NDP, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

But are there any efforts in place to try to get more people out? What action is being taken to try to get more people out into both historic sites and our parks?

[Dr. Larry Ostola]

We feel it's absolutely essential to make sure that we are relevant, to make sure that our national parks and national historic sites are relevant, and that we are finding creative, innovative, inspiring, and exciting ways to connect Canadians with these places.

When I say “connection”, what I'm talking about is a profound, deep, and meaningful sense of personal attachment—I've alluded to this several times—of Canadians to the heritage that they should be proud of and that they need to experience firsthand.

You're absolutely right that in terms of promotion, we need to make sure that Canadians are aware of these places. Once we've made them aware of them, we have to make sure that when they visit them they can enjoy these powerful personal experiences that will both attach them to these places and hopefully encourage them to come back and tell their friends.

[Tyrone Benskin, NDP, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Thank you.

I'd like to give you kudos for the work that Parks Canada did in and around the Lachine Canal. The Lachine Canal is in my riding; I share it with one of my colleagues. I was quite impressed with the efforts of Parks Canada to bring people to the Lachine Canal. The Lachine Canal and that whole area is the heart of the industrialization of Canada.

Are there other areas you'll be looking at in terms of promotional work, to get people into the parks and so forth?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you, Mr. Benskin.

Dr. Ostola.

[Dr. Larry Ostola]

We want to make Canadians across the country aware of our network, so it's not focused on a single geographic area, a single region, or a single park or site. We want to find creative and innovative ways to do that. I pointed to social media as one way that we're getting the word out already.

I'll digress for a moment to give you one small example. We recently established—and this speaks to our use of technology—a Twitter feed related to archeology. Our archeologists and specialists can communicate to Canadians with respect to the work they do. You may agree that Canadians, people generally, find archeology to be a fascinating subject.

With regard to your point, we want to find ways to interest and inspire people about the network generally. So it's not just one particular site or region, but what are these amazing national treasures that Parks Canada administers on behalf of all Canadians, wherever they may be located?

[The Chair, Conservative, Michael Chong]

Thank you.

Our last couple of minutes go to Mr. Trottier.

[Bernard Trottier, Conservative, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

With regard to Parks Canada, I have always liked the fact that Canadians from across the country would work in national parks. That's a national unity mechanism.

Could you talk to us about your hiring and human resources practices? How do you select employees for national parks? Young people often do that kind of work, especially in the summer.

[Dr. Larry Ostola]

If I may, I will begin by telling you a bit about my personal experience.

I started working as an interpreter guide for Parks Canada when I was a student. That was a summer job. I started working for the department and I was—

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

What park was it?