House of Commons Hansard #121 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was parks.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Jeremy Harrison, Minister Responsible for Immigration, Tourism, Innovation and Trade for the Province of Saskatchewan.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
It being Thursday, the hon. member for Burnaby—New Westminster will ask the Thursday question.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, we had the latest chapter of this sad government's record on the vote that was held Tuesday night. It was not a very radical question. It was really a common sense question. We asked that we have relevant answers to intelligent questions in question period.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, all members of the opposition parties and the independent members voted for that NDP motion, including three Conservatives. We certainly congratulate the three Conservatives that stood up and voted for it. However, 144 Conservative MPs voted against the proposition that answers should be relevant in question period. It was as if the Conservative caucus was being whipped to vote against the laws of gravity. It makes absolutely no sense. We are talking about a common sense proposal that was voted against by the Conservative caucus.
There is no doubt that these kinds of decisions by the Conservatives help to undermine public confidence in the government. The government has only 23 sitting weeks to address that. My question for the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons is very simple. What is the government going to do next week to try to repair the tattered, torn and ripped sense of lack of public confidence in the government?
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have an opportunity to respond to my colleague. On the question of question period, as I have observed before, the tone of question period is overwhelmingly determined by the tenor of the questions asked.
There was a very worthwhile letter to the editor in The Globe and Mail yesterday on exactly that subject from a gentleman from Halifax, which I was most appreciative of. I am sure that if the members of the opposition take heed of that, we will see very high-quality question periods in the future.
In terms of the business of the House, for the balance of today, we will be continuing forward on the Nááts’ihch’oh national park reserve act, Bill S-5. Tomorrow, it is our intention to complete the last day of Bill C-36. This is the bill to respond to the court's decision. The court has set a deadline for us in December, and we do want to respond to that. We will be proceeding with other matters on the order paper through the following week.
I do intend to identify Tuesday as an additional allotted day. I believe that it will be an opportunity for the NDP once again.
We have had some discussion in the House of the importance of the potential matter of the mission that is under way in combatting the ISIL terrorist threat right now. There is the potential for the schedule that I have laid out to be interrupted at some point in time by the need for a motion of the House, should there be a decision by the government to proceed with a combat mission.
I do not believe that I reported to the House exactly what we are going to be doing on Monday. On Monday, we will deal with Bill S-4, the digital privacy act, and Bill C-21, the red tape reduction act.
Nycole Turmel NDP Hull—Aylmer, QC
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration used words that we feel are a disgrace and violate the ethics of this House. It was our understanding that you would address the problem immediately, but we have yet to hear anything about what happened.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I appreciate the member for Hull—Aylmer raising this. I will examine the blues and make a determination as to the language that was used. It certainly did prompt a reaction, so I will go back, take a look at that and come back to the House.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Centre-North, AB
moved that Bill S-5, An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act (Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserve of Canada), be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Colin Carrie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I stand before the House today to express my unconditional support for Bill S-5, the Nááts’ihch’oh national park reserve act.
Bill S-5 proposes to protect a vast swath of land in Canada's north, nearly 5,000 square kilometres, an area almost the size of Prince Edward Island.
In August 2012, the Prime Minister travelled to the Northwest Territories to join aboriginal leaders in announcing the establishment of Nááts’ihch’oh national park reserve as Canada's 44th national park. The bill would deliver on work started by this government in 2008 and on the commitment of the Prime Minister to protect this area for future generations.
Nááts’ihch’oh national park reserve is a beautiful landscape located in the southwestern region of the Northwest Territories along the Yukon border. This is within the settlement area of the Sahtu Dene and Métis who have travelled, hunted and trapped there. Given its remote location, the land remains largely wild in nature.
The park would protect habitat for a variety of species such as mountain woodland caribou, grizzly bears, Dall sheep, mountain goats and trumpeter swans. During the short summers, the valleys are covered in wildflowers and insects buzz over the thick carpet of moss, grasses and shrubs. It is truly a site to see.
Given its timeless beauty and more importantly how the lands and waters and abundant wildlife have sustained aboriginal people for generations, it is no wonder that our aboriginal peoples have such a deep connection to these lands. An important spiritual place to local Dene people is the mountain that towers above the Moose Ponds on the upper South Nahanni River. The name of the proposed park reserve, Nááts’ihch’oh, celebrates this bond. The word means “pointed like a porcupine quill”, aptly describing the shape of the mountain. The mountain is highly significant to the Sahtu Dene and Métis for its spiritual endowment.
Creating this national park reserve would serve the national interest in several ways. It would preserve a breathtaking landscape for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. It would create land use certainty that can facilitate investment and economic development for aboriginal and northern Canadians.
Establishing Nááts’ihch’oh national park reserve completes this government's work to significantly expand Nahanni National Park Reserve, which shares its northern boundary with Nááts’ihch’oh, thereby conserving a significant proportion of the South Nahanni River watershed. In short, with the expansion of Nahanni and the creation of Nááts’ihch’oh, this government will have created the third largest national park complex in this country.
These actions build on Canada's strong tradition of international leadership in conservation. Bill S-5 also supports Canada's national conservation plan, which was recently announced by the Prime Minister. The plan contributes to Canada's long-term prosperity by taking concrete action to conserve our nation's lands and waters, restore ecosystems, and connect Canadians to nature.
The creation of Nááts’ihch’oh also supports Canada's northern strategy, a plan to assign the north and northerners a larger role in our country's democracy.
To fully appreciate the importance of the proposed national park reserve, one must first understand the significance of the northern strategy. For generations, Canadians considered the north the land of the future. That future is upon us now. The time has come for Canadians to fully embrace the north and realize the tremendous potential and opportunities it offers. The northern strategy envisions healthy, sustainable lands and vibrant communities of people.
The northern strategy prompts action in four areas: protecting our northern environmental heritage, promoting economic and social development, improving northern governance, and exercising Canada's sovereignty over the north. Since the strategy was launched in 2007, significant progress has been made on each of these important areas. The progress is shown through the conservation of environmentally sensitive waters and lands, such as we are doing with Nááts’ihch’oh.
Additionally, employment and infrastructure in the community of Tulita will support the prosperity of the area with new housing, skills development and training. This is partly because nearly every action taken under the strategy is designed to act as a catalyst. Improvements in governance, for instance, tend to spark economic and social development.
Today, more northern lands are protected from development than at any point in our country's great history.
With the creation of Nááts’ihch’oh, more than 10% of Canada's three northern territories would be protected. It is important to know that is an area about the size of Newfoundland and Labrador. This would ensure the protection of some of our nation's most spectacular scenery, the preservation of unique cultural heritage areas and the provision of unparalleled visitor opportunities to explore these lands and cultures.
There are more job and training opportunities than ever before, creating more economic prosperity in our northern lands, and northerners have a greater say in the decisions that affect them most. The legislation before us would further push this process along and inspire direct progress in three of the northern strategy's four policy areas.
The establishment of Nááts’ihch’oh national park reserve would contribute significantly to environmental protection. With the addition of Nááts’ihch’oh, more than 86% of the South Nahanni watershed would be protected. The combined Nahanni–Nááts’ihch’oh park complex would include a habitat that would protect up to 600 grizzly bears, which is nine times greater than the number of grizzly bears protected within Banff, Canada's first national park. What a legacy for Canada's future generations.
The establishment of Nááts’ihch’oh would promote social and economic development, another component of the northern strategy. Nature lovers and adventurers from across the country and around the world appreciate the remarkable beauty of Canada's north, and many can be expected to travel to Nááts’ihch’oh to experience its spectacular landscapes, flora and fauna. The park headquarters and visitor centre would be established in the community of Tulita, generating job and training opportunities and the economic benefits of new infrastructure projects.
Establishing the park reserve would also trigger direct infusions of resources. For example, during the first five years of the park's operation, Parks Canada would invest nearly $3 million to build offices, a visitor centre and staff accommodation. It would have an annual operating budget of $1.2 million. For a town of only a few hundred people, this is a significant investment that would open the door to a number of additional opportunities. Northerners would also have an active role in managing the new park reserve, which would help build capacity and strengthen northern governance.
An impact and benefit plan, negotiated by Parks Canada and the Sahtu Dene and Métis who live near Nááts’ihch’oh would provide for the collaborative management of the national park reserve by a committee composed of representatives of Parks Canada and the Sahtu Dene and Métis, fulfilling requirements of the Sahtu Dene and Métis land claim agreement. As a result, northerners would have greater control over their lands, an essential component of sound governance.
Parks Canada partners with aboriginal peoples to establish, manage and protect lands and ensure that ancient traditions and harvesting customs such as hunting, trapping and fishing, continue. In fact, formal agreements with aboriginal peoples contribute to the effective stewardship of nearly 70% of all Parks Canada's lands.
Parks Canada maintains effective relationships with more than 130 aboriginal groups across Canada through a broad spectrum of mechanisms and agreements. Establishing the Nááts’ihch’oh park reserve would further this modern, progressive and inclusive vision of the north, particularly to southern and international audiences. It would protect our culture and natural heritage and help sustain communities and develop leaders in our north. There can be absolutely no doubt that rapid change is under way in the north.
The important question that we must ask ourselves is this. How can we influence the course of change to benefit northerners and Canadians for both the present and future generations?
The bill is a concrete example of the action we are taking within the northern strategy, which proposes a responsible approach to development that balances environmental protection with social and economic development, empowers northerners and exercises Canada's sovereignty in the north.
Protecting large representative natural regions while encouraging a diverse economy in the north is a crucial part of this strategy and is the centrepiece of the creation of this new national park reserve. Doing so creates jobs and raises awareness of the spectacular yet fragile ecosystems and the age-old cultures that comprise the rich heritage of our north. In these places, there is a palpable sense of harmony. Everything around us is connected and we are connected to everything around us.
I encourage members to bear this connection in mind as we discuss the proposed legislation. There is enormous potential that can be achieved through this bill, such as protecting the environment, creating jobs, and ensuring that our north stays beautiful for future generations.
Although thousands of kilometres separate us from Nááts’ihch’oh, we must recognize its considerable value and power as a national park reserve. I urge everyone to join me in support of the legislation now before us.
Dennis Bevington NDP Northwest Territories, NT
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the parliamentary secretary for his presentation on the Nááts’ihch’oh new park reserve in the Northwest Territories.
I have stood here on a number of occasions talking about the Conservatives' plans for parks expansions. I think of the Nahanni park expansion in 2007, which we supported after having written confirmation from the minister at the time, Mr. Prentice, that there would be investments made into the communities and into capital to promote the park and provide visitor centres and things that would provide an impetus to tourism and the development of our communities. Seven years have passed, and nothing in those promises has been built in the Dehcho region, in Fort Simpson, or in Nahanni Butte.
Therefore, as we go forward with another national park reserve, of course my question to the parliamentary secretary is this: that guarantees does he have that we are not going to wait another seven years to see a proper visitor centre and the facilities required to operate a park and make it a valuable economic opportunity for the people of the Sahtu region? What kind of guarantees and programs have been established within the department to ensure that this work goes ahead in a timely fashion?
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the north for that very important question, because I think we both share a common goal of developing the north, bringing employment, and opening up these parks to Canadians to participate in.
As I said in my speech, we have certain financial commitments that we are standing by. In this area of the world, there are challenges when we build certain infrastructures, but Parks Canada and our government are committed to following through on these agreements.
When we build on these conversations, we employ a group process; in other words, we bring in first nations, parks officials, and stakeholders to make sure that our investments are going to benefit the local community. It is all about working with the community to conserve and restore, as well as to connect Canadians to this wonderful part of our country and our heritage.
I am hoping that the NDP and the Liberals will work with us enthusiastically to make this park and reserve a reality.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, the words that Canadians fear most are, “Hello. I'm from the government and I'm here to help you.” Similarly, with members of the government, the words that they fear most are, “Hello. I'm from the opposition and I'm here to help you.”
Of course we support the creation of this park and we look forward to working with the hon. member.
I do want to note that this is a reserve as opposed to a park. It is a reserve for a park, which is a different order than simply the creation of a park. That is largely dependent on the status of negotiations with various aboriginal interests. I am interested in the hon. member's comments with respect to the status of negotiations with the various aboriginal communities affected.
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for that very important question, because the status of negotiations with first nations certainly does take precedence over creation of the park. That is why we are working very carefully with first nations, the Sahtu Dene and Métis in the area, and everyone involved.
In terms of the long-term goals, as my colleague said quite jokingly, the comment people fear is “I'm from the government and I'm here to help” and “I'm from the opposition and I'm here to help.” I am actually looking forward to comments from my colleague from the environment committee, because this is something all of us share as a long-term goal. As I said in my speech, the future is now. The north is our future, and it is important that we work with the communities in the areas to make sure we develop it and also protect its heritage.
One extremely important thing is the different species at risk in the area that would be protected through this piece of legislation. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues all through the House, but I recognize too the importance of working with first nations as we move forward in this process.
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the speech by the hon. member, but I am a little puzzled by the response to the question from my colleague from Northwest Territories.
He raised questions about undertakings to deliver on jobs and development within the expanded Nahanni park right into the watershed. My understanding is that an agreement was actually signed two years ago between the government and the Sahtu Dene and Métis. It was then that the undertaking was made to build infrastructure in the watershed part of the park that would provide specific jobs to the first nations and Métis people in the area.
The question, then, relates to yet another undertaking from two years ago. What is planned in the budget update for this fall to actually deliver on those promises?
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for that question, because it is a very specific question and it is very important that people know.
Parks Canada is moving forward with plans for the Nááts’ihch’oh park office, a visitor centre, a warehouse, a garage for the park operations, and housing for park staff in Tulita. I did mention this in my speech.
The Tulita District Benefit Corporation was established by the Sahtu Dene and Métis to coordinate their economic opportunities and the benefits of the new park.
I appreciate the opportunity to expand on my earlier comments. Local tradespeople would be employed in the construction and maintenance of this infrastructure in the community of Tulita. Capital funds to be committed to these construction projects will amount to $2.8 million. In exchange, Parks Canada will have a long-term lease as a tenant in the office complex. The organization chart for the park includes nine staff positions—six full-time and 3.5 part-time—and two student positions. It is anticipated that the majority of these positions, including two trainee positions, will be filled by Sahtu Dene and Métis from the Tulita district. These employees, as agreed in the IBP, would be hired preferentially among the Sahtu Dene and Métis of the Tulita district.
Yvonne Jones Liberal Labrador, NL
Mr. Speaker, this particular bill is obviously favoured by people in the Northwest Territories, especially people who live in the Nahanni park area. I have heard many wonderful things about this particular area and the great work that has been done by many of the aboriginal governments in that particular area.
Whenever we build reserves or expand reserves like this in different regions of the country, obviously we do it to protect our natural habitat and our natural environment, but in many cases there is also an expectation by aboriginal groups for some real social and economic development as a result of it. So far, this is not happening in this particular region.
I am wondering if the government is really serious about investing here to ensure that development happens for the people who live there.
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question, because that is exactly why we are moving this initiative forward in the way that we are. We are strongly committed to fulfill what we have discussed here this afternoon.
My previous answer discussed the details of what has been arranged. Of course, when economic development is brought in and people are given jobs, it certainly helps the social aspects of the community and encourages further development.
I think not only our government but also our opposition colleagues, all of us in this House, are committed to moving forward on this matter. I do hope that I can count on the support of members in this House to move this legislation forward.
Dennis Bevington NDP Northwest Territories, NT
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill S-5, which is a bill to create Nááts’ihch’oh national park in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories.
This region is centred around the Mackenzie River and stretches towards the Yukon boundary with an incredibly beautiful mountain range and the magnificent wilderness that is the Northwest Territories.
I represent people who, when polled, have some of the highest regard for the environment among all the people in Canada. We really have that respect, and respect for the idea of national parks is strong in the Northwest Territories.
We have seen the creation of many national parks over many years throughout our territory and we understand the inherent issues that surround the development of national parks. Our first nations people have experience in dealing with park bureaucracies and understand how national parks and their rules and regulations sometimes intervene in their traditional lifestyle.
The Sahtu Dene have agreed to this park and to a comprehensive and co-operative management system that goes along with it. We look forward to seeing more details of that in committee so that we can understand how their interests will be protected going forward.
I am very pleased to see this beautiful area protected; however, I am not happy that the Conservatives chose the smallest size possible for the park.
Through the process of developing this park, there were three options that were set out for the park.
Option one was a total area of 6,450 square kilometres. It was developed to best protect conservation values while providing an open area around the existing mineral interests.
Option two was a total area of 5,770 square kilometres, which diminished the achievement of conservation goals and allowed more mineral potential to be available.
Option three, and this is the one chosen by the Conservatives, was the smallest proposal, with a total area of 4,840 square kilometres. It took advantage of the mineral potential within the proposed park reserve while providing some protection to key values.
The Conservatives made this choice despite option one, the option of 6,450 square kilometres, getting the overwhelming support, at 92.3%, of those who indicated a preference during public consultations on the proposed park.
The people of the north said that they were fine with the park, but they wanted to make sure that the park works for the resources and values that are being included within it. This has not been done completely with this park. That is not surprising, because many on that side of the House see national parks as a waste of land and resources.
For example, the member for Oak Ridges—Markham has publicly stated that Parks Canada staff are not the best stewards of Canada's land. When a national park was proposed for part of his riding, he responded, “We're going to have to do whatever we can to prevent it.” He quickly changed his tune, however, when his bosses here in Ottawa told him that he should be in favour of the Rouge national urban park. It is a small park, but it is a park that absolutely has value for urban residents of Canada.
The belief that parks are a waste of land and resources is just plain wrong. National parks create long-term sustainable jobs and they create opportunities in tourism and support industries. These jobs and economic opportunities last forever, unlike those in the resource sector. Extraction only lasts a few years, and we are very familiar with that. Sometimes they leave a legacy of destruction that lasts for eternity, as was the case with the Giant Mine, so we have to be very careful with how we deal with land.
We know that in the Northwest Territories. We understand what goes on with development and we understand why we have to preserve land and why it is important that land be put aside.
Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Yukon to Kluane National Park and Reserve. Yukon's Parks Canada is worked with the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations to create a visitor centre at the Da Ku Cultural Centre in Haines Junction. This centre and the numerous businesses in Haines Junction all exist because of Kluane National Park and Reserve. Like other national parks, Kluane has created jobs and economic opportunities that are long lasting and environmentally sound.
However, many times it seems to me that to the Conservatives, tourism jobs and economic opportunities that surround that type of activity are of little value because it puts money not in the hands of big corporations, but in the hands of little people, local people, workers and those who want to see a future for the preservation of our natural beauty and such like. Is this the reason why the Conservatives chose the smallest size possible for the park against the recommendations of all the people who chose to make those recommendations in the public consultations?
I want to talk about the tourism industry, because it is what really will give the economic opportunities to the Sahtu region by putting aside 4,850 square kilometres of land. Tourism opportunities provide great potentials for our future. They provide local jobs and local businesses, as with Kluane, and Kluane has been done in a very good fashion. It took years to get there. It took many difficult negotiations with first nations so they would achieve benefits, but now they are. We do not want to make those mistakes with any new national park. We want to move to the good side as quickly as possible.
The tourist industry in Canada, though, creates more than $84 billion in economic activity, more than $17 billion in export revenue, nearly $10 billion in federal revenue and employs more than 600,000 Canadians. Tourism's contribution to the GDP is worth more than agriculture, fisheries and forestry combined. Despite these figures, the Conservatives have turned their backs on Canadian tourist operators.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has ranked the lack of support for our tourism industry as one of the top ten barriers to the competitiveness of the Canadian economy. Canada, during the reign of the Conservatives, has cut its tourism marketing budget by 20% over the last nine years. Instead of expanding the budget as it should be with inflation and all the rest, we have seen a cutback of 20%. It has forced the Canadian Tourism Commission to abandon advertising initiatives in lucrative markets like the United States. The Canadian Tourism Commission's core funding has declined from nearly $100 million in 2001.
The Conservatives continued lack of leadership in promoting tourism at home and abroad is needlessly damaging what was once a good news story for the Canadian economy. A quick look at other countries shows just how little the Conservatives support the tourism industry. Those results are showing in the incredible drop that we have seen in international tourism visitations to Canada.
These are countries where the money has been put in tourism: Ireland spent $211 million a year in promoting its tourism, which is a 14% increase in the same time; Mexico, $153 million, 4% increase; Australia, $147 million, 30% increase; Canada $72 million, down 10% over that same period. By the time when we factor in inflation, we see a massive decrease in the support for the tourism industry.
There is an old saying, and this is one that the neoliberals like, “A rising tide raises all boats”. What we see in the tourism industry is a falling tide which has becalmed the industry and left a lot of tourism boats stranded on the shore.
When we talk about increasing national parks, we want to talk about expanding tourism.
What operator is going to create a new market in Canada for a new product when the Conservative government has decimated our tourism market. It has refused to put the dollars into it that can return, promote and increase this very important market. It is very content to see the tide go out and the boats sit on the sandy floor of the bay.
The Conservatives changed the tourism tax rebates, so only those on packaged tours could apply for a tax refund, rather than the old system where any visitor to Canada could get their GST refunded. This change has really hit small tourism businesses, but has provided an unfair advantage to large tourism operations.
What is going to happen in the Northwest Territories? We have small tourism operators. Everybody in the tourism industry starts out small. The average time to make a tourism business profitable is between 10 and 14 years. Someone has to invest. They have to create the market. They have to create the product. They have to make it work. That is what is going to have to happen in Nááts’ihch’oh. That is where we are going to have to put the investment to get the tourism industry to work there.
We need the support of the federal government on the federal programs that increase the volume of tourists to Canada. That is a fundamental.
I have included this in my speech because we want to see benefits from taking 4,850 square kilometres of land and creating a national park, which is a great idea for the people of Canada, and can be a great idea for the people of the North, but we need to promote tourism.
However, there is another story about tourism with the government and how little it supports it, and that is its treatment of Parks Canada. In budget 2012, Parks Canada had 638 positions eliminated. Many of the positions in national parks in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon were lost as well.
When we are trying to build a tourism industry based upon natural beauty, national parks, we see that the cutbacks affect that throughout the system.
Budget 2012 cut Parks Canada's budget by almost 7.1%. The cuts hit parks and historic sites nationwide. Nova Scotia's Fortress of Louisbourg, touted by the Canadian Tourism Association as a signature designation, is facing the loss of 120 jobs. Banff National Park, another prime tourist destination, is losing 40 jobs.
Winter services have been eliminated and visitors are left to guide themselves at historic sites.
We have even cut out cross-country ski trail building. One activity that could be guaranteed in national parks throughout northern Canada was cross-country ski events. We do not have that anymore.
Budget 2014 included $391 million, allocated over five years, allowing the agency to improve roads, bridges and dams located in Canada's national parks and historic canals. However, the 2014 budget specifies that only $1 million is allocated for this fiscal year and $4 million for 2015-16, with the rest to be handed out in 2016 and onward, after the next election.
It is estimated by Parks Canada reports the cost could be as much as $2.7 billion to complete all deferred infrastructure programs.
We are happy we see an agreement between the Sahtu Dene and Metis and the current government to create a national park reserve: Nááts’ihch’oh. This is a good thing. However, it cannot stand by itself. Efforts have to be made to create a situation where, what the parliamentary secretary talked about, the economic opportunities, the jobs, the local economy that can come out of a national park can flourish, and that is linked to tourism.
Without the effort put into that, without the effort put into Parks Canada to provide it with the resources to promote tourism, without the effort put in by the Canadian Tourism Commission and without the resources to advertise to promote Canada worldwide, we will not see an increase in our tourism, and we will continue this downward trend. This beautiful country, with so much to offer to so many people around the world, is not getting its due right now.
We are spending all kinds of money promoting the oil and gas industry, trying to do the work for multinational corporations that should do their own work because they are making massive profits from these resources. What do we do for the tourism people? What do we do for those little people who are trying to set up small businesses? What do we do to set up the opportunities for people to work in this field? We are cutting back on the resources that are available to promote this very important sector.
As I have pointed out, agriculture, forestry and fishing combined do not match up to the impact that tourism has on our economy. We want to be successful in the Northwest Territories. We want our people to have an opportunity to take advantage of the natural beauty of our country and the land. We want our first nations, which have gone into agreements, to invest in business and opportunities in the tourism sector. That is the real growth potential for the national parks in the Northwest Territories.
However, the government has shown that it is not interested in that. Perhaps after the next election, we will have another government; it looks likely. At that time, we perhaps will see the true potential of the Canadian national parks system, including all those in the Northwest Territories. They will have an opportunity to grow, so the people in that region, who have given up so much to provide these beautiful national parks to Canada for eternity, will have an opportunity to achieve a prosperous lifestyle from doing that. It will be hard. There is nothing easy about the tourism industry. It takes time, effort and resources, but it also takes the active participation of the Government of Canada in promoting Canada as a destination.
We cannot back off from that. We cannot say that it is not important, that we will leave it to the private sector. That does not work. This is our country. We have to make the best opportunities for it. We cannot simply continue to cut the opportunities that exist there to show the world what we have here.
I appreciate this. I really hope the Conservatives this time follow up on this, and have an active plan to get the facilities in place. With the Nahanni National Park Reserve expansion, we were promised seven years ago that these facilities would be built, including a proper visitors centre in Fort Simpson. The Nahanni National Park Reserve is a world heritage site. It is famous around the world. Yet there is absolutely nothing in Fort Simpson to sell somebody on getting in a plane and flying all the way out there to look at it. There is nothing there. There is nothing that has been put in place yet, after seven years. That is a shocking record. That is a record of ineffective behaviour. That is a record of not understanding how to get along with first nations to accomplish this. This is where that sits in the Nahanni National Park Reserve expansion plans.
I trust there is someone on the other side who might be listening to this and understanding that there is work to be done here, that this is not all just clapping our hands for the wonderful things that the government has created. The government has not created anything. It has taken land and put it aside. Now we need the work to go in to making it something.
Colin Carrie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I would like to disagree with my colleague's saying the government has not created something.
We have actually worked very closely with the Sahtu Dene and Métis in the Northwest Territories. They are going to benefit from lasting economic, cultural, and social benefits thanks to the agreement our government signed in 2012.
If we look at it, the Nááts’ihch’oh national park reserve translates into a sixfold expansion of the protected area in the Nahanni region by our government.
This creation has been years in the making, involving consultations with communities, aboriginal groups, industry, and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
My colleague talked about tourism, and I would like to point out that this is extremely important. Parks Canada would be working with our Sahtu partners in the development of aboriginal-operated visitor experience opportunities. I would point him toward sections 19.4 and 19.5 of the impact and benefit plan, which commit Parks Canada to explore opportunities such as river guiding, ecotourism service, and the in-park accommodation with the Sahtu businesses. I would remind the member that it is over $2.8 million that we would be investing in this.
In the context of this bill, and since I did point out those different sections, would the hon. member not agree that expansion of the Nahanni and the establishment of the Nááts’ihch’oh and the agreement with the Sahtu would help promote tourism in this region?
Dennis Bevington NDP Northwest Territories, NT
Mr. Speaker, as I said in my speech, developing tourism is a difficult and expensive business. I have been involved with tourism development in the Northwest Territories. I have chaired a tourism advisory board for 10 years.
I know what I am talking about when it comes to the need to develop. It takes time. This is not something that is done overnight.
If we want an operator to start working on this, we need to show that there is going to be a market. We need to first develop a product, then find the market for the product, and promote that product. That all takes time and resources.
While the government says that these are going to develop overnight, they are not. We need to see a commitment on the part of the federal government and Parks Canada to work with any operator in the future to make this happen. That is the reality of the situation.
I truly hope that Nááts’ihch’oh becomes a focal point for tourism, but many years of investment and effort are required to make that happen.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has a significant advantage over me in this debate, and I had a significant advantage over him in the debate earlier this morning, because I live close to the Rouge Park and he lives in some proximity to Nááts’ihch’oh. He has more familiarity with the park than I do.
The member made some reference to the drawing of the boundaries. I note that the drawing of the boundaries seems to exclude a couple of mines. Within the bill itself—and I do not know whether or not this is a usual thing in a park bill—it says the minister may enter into leases or licences for mining access roads, and the minister may issue, amend, renew, suspend, or cancel licences for the use of water for the purposes of mining access roads.
I would be interested in whether that is at all usual, in the member's experience, and whether or not any public consultation occurred around that, given his proximity to the park itself.
Dennis Bevington NDP Northwest Territories, NT
Mr. Speaker, certainly the issue of the access road was one that raised a number of flags at the time. More than that, the big issue has been the reduction in size of the park. The larger size of the park, 6,450 square kilometres, was developed to best protect conservation values. The range of the animals that the park would be home to and the types of situations that would be involved with watersheds were best served by the 6,450 square kilometre size.
The 4,840 square kilometre size has opened up opportunities for other things to happen. Whether they happen or not, the park has not been given the surety that the 6,450 square kilometre size would have done.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, I concur entirely with the concern of the member for Northwest Territories about tourism in this country. Having seen Canada drop from 7th most visited country in 2002 to 18th in 2011, one can draw some lines.
One of the concerning things is that the largest market for tourists to Canada is visitors from the United States, but under the current administration, all tourism advertising in the U.S. market has been cancelled. The only product we are advertising in the United States is bitumen.
I would like to ask him about the Nááts’ihch’oh. He hinted at his concern about the smaller boundaries. We know that the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and many other conservationists on the ground believe these smaller boundaries will not be adequate to protect the South Nahanni. I want to ask if he shares those concerns.
Dennis Bevington NDP Northwest Territories, NT
Mr. Speaker, those concerns were shared among 92% of the people who had opinions on it in the public process. As a citizen and representative of the people of the Northwest Territories, I too have those concerns. When we set up a park, we set it up to provide protection for certain values, whether those values are wildlife or the watershed. Those are things that we do.
I live next to Wood Buffalo National Park, an area that is considerably larger than this park. It is the largest park in Canada, the largest area in North America with no seismic lines. It is the largest area where there is a complete biosphere. It is an amazing area, and we have paid the price for that. In my community, I would love to see more tourism related to it because, of course, that is a big part of the landscape of northern Alberta and southern N.W.T.
When we take out land, we must provide other answers for people. It is a two-way street. The choices have been made. This is what the Conservative government has put forward. We can live with this, but is it the best solution? The people who looked at it in detail said no.
Anne-Marie Day NDP Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for the Northwest Territories for his excellent speech.
If our leader were in the House, he would agree that the hon. member's speech reflected our noble values and desire to protect the earth and keep it healthy. Those values are extremely important for the future of our national parks, which are often located in areas where there is less tourism than elsewhere and where we want to protect the flora and fauna.
For example, I am thinking about Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve on Quebec's north shore, where the remnants of the last ice age are being protected. These parks exist for good reason, particularly so that areas are properly developed.
I know that the hon. member spoke about tourism, but could he explain the socio-economic importance of this park?