Report presents an overview of the state of national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas, and other heritage programs and functions administered by Parks Canada.
GATINEAU, QC, Dec. 17, 2021 /CNW/ - National historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas play a vital role in protecting the environment and ecosystems, preserving and sharing Canada's history, and enabling Canadians to experience the health and wellness benefits that come from enjoying natural and cultural spaces.
Yesterday, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, tabled the 2021 report on the State of Canada's Natural and Cultural Heritage Places in Parliament. Developed every five years, the report provides an update on cultural heritage programs and the establishment of protected areas. It also presents an overview of the state of national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas administered by Parks Canada.
This year's report outlines important achievements in the management of natural and cultural heritage places and programs, including a number of initiatives to support the protection of natural and cultural heritage, expand the network of protected places in Canada, and help Canadians discover nature and connect with history – including the histories, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples. Recently, millions of Canadians have spent their recreation and vacation time in national heritage places, where they have found a safe refuge from the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parks Canada has one of the best ecological monitoring systems in the world, consisting of hundreds of independent scientific measures, to help the Agency continue to understand and respond to the changes happening to our environment and support the conservation of national parks. The Agency has also led significant conservation work on national historic sites, as part of federal infrastructure funding, with a focus on improving the condition of cultural resources.
By building on the success of the past five years, Parks Canada will continue to work with Indigenous communities and key partners to advance reconciliation, mitigate the impacts of climate change, protect biodiversity, conserve built heritage, share history from diverse perspectives, and make heritage places more inclusive and welcoming for all Canadians.
The 2021 report on the State of Canada's Natural and Cultural Heritage Places is available on the Parks Canada website at: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/docs/pc/rpts/elnhc-scnhp/2021.
Quotes
"As the Minister responsible for Parks Canada, it is inspiring to see what has been accomplished over the past five years. As we continue to fight climate change and biodiversity loss, advance reconciliation, and expand our understanding of history, the work undertaken by Parks Canada, in collaboration with Indigenous peoples and key partners, is more important than ever. I look forward to continued success in advancing these priorities and building on the gains of the past five years."
Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada
"I am immensely proud of Parks Canada's team members and the many Indigenous communities and other partners with whom we work to protect and showcase Canada's national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas. The 2021 report on the State of Canada's Natural and Cultural Heritage Places highlights the important work undertaken over the past five years to advance the Agency's mandate on behalf of all Canadians."
Ron Hallman
President & Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada
Quick Facts
- Parks Canada protects a vast network of cultural and natural heritage places that include 174 national historic sites, 47 national parks, five national marine conservation areas and one national urban park.
- Parks Canada is responsible for protecting nationally significant examples of cultural and natural heritage and sharing the stories of these treasured places.
- The report on the State of Canada's Natural and Cultural Heritage Places fulfils the requirement under section 31 of the Parks Canada Agency Act to table a report in each House of Parliament, at least every five years, on the state of Canada's national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas and on other protected heritage areas and heritage protection programs, and on the Agency's performance in carrying out its responsibilities.
- The 2021 report on the State of Canada's Natural and Cultural Heritage Places covers the period from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2021. The previous report was tabled in 2016.
Related Document
Related Links
- 2021 State of Canada's Natural and Cultural Heritage Places Report
- Parks Canada mobile application
- Parks Canada website
SOURCE Parks Canada
Gabriel Brunet, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-665-6527, [email protected]; Media Relations, Parks Canada Agency, 855-862-1812, [email protected]
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