Parks Canada’s Departmental results report for fiscal year 2023 to 2024

Canada’s network of national parks and national marine conservation areas play an important role in halting and reversing biodiversity loss and fighting climate change by protecting healthy ecosystems and contributing to the recovery of species at risk.

National park and national marine conservation area establishment also supports Parks Canada’s commitment to honouring Indigenous people’s stewardship of lands, waters, and ice. This work is grounded in the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership. The creation of new protected areas provides an opportunity to strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities based on principles of shared stewardship, co-management, and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, in collaboration with Indigenous partners and other levels of government, Parks Canada continued work toward establishing new national parks and new national marine conservation areas. This also contributes to reaching Canada’s commitment to protect 25% of its terrestrial and marine and coastal areas by 2025 and 30% of each by 2030. As part of this work, Parks Canada updated its Establishment Roadmap to 2030, the plan supporting the achievement of its terrestrial and marine targets.

Establishing new national parks

National parks and national park reserves of Canada are established and managed to protect representative examples of terrestrial regions in Canada. The National Parks System Plan divides Canada into 39 distinct terrestrial regions, each one a natural environment representative of Canada’s natural heritage. The establishment and management of national parks, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, also contributes to connecting broader landscapes to support ecosystem health.

As of March 2024, 79%, or 31 of 39 natural regions are represented by 47 national parks and national park reserves. These protected areas, along with two freshwater national marine conservation areas currently contribute 3.5% to Canada’s commitment to protect at least 30% of terrestrial areas and inland water by 2030. This is the largest contribution of any province, territory, or federal organization to the terrestrial target.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, negotiations for the establishment of two new national park reserves, one in British Columbia and one in Prince Edward Island, continued. An establishment agreement in principle for a new national park reserve in Pituamkek (Bee-doo-um-gek)/Hog-Island Sandhills (northwestern Prince Edward Island), was reached with the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils. ^{Footnote 1} These barrier islands are of high cultural and historical significance to the Mi’kmaq people, who approached Parks Canada to work with them to protect and present the area.

Parks Canada, the Province of British Columbia, and the Okanagan Nation, as represented by the Lower Similkameen and Osoyoos Indian Bands, continued work towards a final establishment agreement for the proposed national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen in southern British Columbia. This national park reserve proposal would protect a rare ecosystem, contribute to the conservation and enjoyment of nature, support the protection and recovery of species at risk and strengthen biodiversity, and honour Syilx/Okanagan Nation stewardship of their traditional lands and waters.

Progress was also made toward establishing other national parks. A feasibility study is underway for a potential national park reserve in the Seal River Watershed of northern Manitoba, following the January 2024 signing of a memorandum of understanding between Canada, the Government of Manitoba, and the Seal River Watershed Alliance (Sayisi Dene First Nation, Northlands Dene Nation, Barren Lands First Nation and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation).

Seven additional sites have been identified and as of March 31, 2024, discussions are advancing with provincial/territorial governments and Indigenous groups, with new agreements expected to be announced during fiscal year 2024 to 2025.

Establishing new national marine conservation areas

As of March 31, 2024, the national marine conservation area system remains at 21% complete, with six of 29 marine regions represented. Progress advanced significantly on 10 National Marine Conservation Areas representing nine marine regions in fiscal year 2023 to 2024.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada and partners completed two feasibility assessments for the establishment of new marine protected areas. In February 2024, Parks Canada and the Mushkegowuk Council announced the completion of the feasibility assessment and a shared commitment to advance towards the negotiations to establish a national marine conservation area in western James Bay. In March 2024, Parks Canada and the Nunatsiavut Government announced the successful completion of a feasibility assessment for an Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area off the coast of northern Labrador. Negotiations for establishment agreements for these marine protected area proposals are scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2024 to 2025.

Work continued to advance on feasibility assessments for five proposed national marine conservation areas in eastern James Bay, Îles de la Madeleine (Quebec), Southern Strait of Georgia (British Columbia), Central Coast of British Columbia, and Mingan-Anticosti (Quebec). A memorandum of understanding for a feasibility assessment for a national marine conservation area in the South Coast Fjords (Newfoundland and Labrador) was signed by partners in June 2023.

Negotiations and discussions with partners to begin feasibility assessments continued to advance two candidate sites, one in Western Hudson Bay in Manitoba, and the Vancouver Island Shelf/Pacific Rim in British Columbia.

To support meaningful Indigenous involvement and leadership in these projects, Parks Canada had 19 active contribution agreements in fiscal year 2023 to 2024 with Indigenous and community partners to provide financial support for their participation in feasibility assessments and community engagement.

Establishing new national urban parks

This year Parks Canada made significant progress in the development of an Interim National Urban Parks Policy, which is expected to be published during fiscal year 2024 to 2025. This interim policy will guide the designation and management of new national urban parks across Canada. With extensive engagement efforts in 2023, Parks Canada received feedback from approximately 2,500 individuals and organizations across Canada. This includes engagement with partners at candidate national urban parks, Indigenous governments and organizations, national Indigenous organizations, and other stakeholders.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada advanced work on the commitment to designate up to six national urban parks by 2025. As of March 2024, Parks Canada is actively involved in discussions for several candidate sites.

• Candidate sites in Halifax (Nova Scotia) and Windsor (Ontario) continue to move through the planning stage and closer to final negotiations.
• Candidate site in Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) has completed the pre-feasibility stage and is awaiting support from all partners to publish the report.
• Candidate sites in the Greater Victoria Region (British Columbia), Edmonton region (Alberta), and Winnipeg (Manitoba) are progressing through the pre-feasibility stage.
• Exploratory discussions are underway in the Greater Montreal Region (Quebec).

Parks Canada has contribution agreements in place with various organizations to support the designation of national urban parks. These contribution agreements include funding for; studies and research, capacity building for recipients, supporting nation-to-nation and government-to-government engagement, and to ensure equitable and diverse participation in the national urban parks program and support program delivery across the country.

Environmental sustainability is a key contributor to the well-being of present and future Canadians and Parks Canada takes its mandate to protect ecological integrity very seriously. Working with Indigenous partners, Parks Canada manages one of the few national park systems in the world that has a system-wide ecological integrity monitoring and reporting program, consisting of more than 700 scientific measures that inform park-specific priorities and guide restoration action.

An ecosystem has ecological integrity when:

• it has the living and non-living species expected in its natural region
• its processes—the engines that make an ecosystem work, such as fire, flooding, and predation—occur with the frequency and intensity expected in its natural region

As of March 2024, the ecological integrity of 80% of park ecosystems has been maintained or improved, which is a slight improvement over the last two years where it was stable at 79%. Monitoring results continue to indicate that large-scale threats, such as climate change, invasive species, and local stressors like water pollution, are affecting ecosystems.

Park Canada’s ecological integrity monitoring program provides an indication of the condition of Canada’s national parks and work continues to improve data collection for this indicator. The ecological integrity monitoring program was improved in fiscal year 2023 to 2024, by adding 10 new measures and improving methods of measuring ecological integrity. In total, 523 measures were assessed in 2023 as opposed to 513 in 2022. For example, two new measures assessed functional connectivity using a novel approach to determine whether there is enough well-connected habitat to maintain populations of pine marten. In some cases, improved monitoring provided information that changed our understanding of the condition and trend of an ecosystem. For example, in both Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks, two additional measures were assessed in the forest ecosystem that changed the condition of the ecosystem from fair to good in 2023.

Following recommendations from the Evaluation of the Ecological Integrity Monitoring Program, Parks Canada continues to advance work on collecting ecological integrity data related to climate change and connectivity and improving collaboration with Indigenous and external partners. During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, the ecological monitoring program developed landscape-scale monitoring measures, notably for national parks in the Arctic. As a result, several northern national parks will be better able to understand the impact of climate change on freshwater ecosystems in the high Arctic. In addition, new guidance was drafted on ecological integrity program sustainability, power analyses, water quality monitoring, and camera traps.

Parks Canada’s high-quality ecological monitoring helps it direct funding to where it is needed most. For more than a decade, Parks Canada’s Conservation and Restoration Program Fund has played a crucial role in maintaining and restoring the ecological integrity of national parks, ensuring the ecological sustainability of national marine conservation areas, and aiding the recovery of species at risk. During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada invested $23.3 million in 56 restoration projects in 28 Parks Canada-administered places.

Protecting, managing, and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems

Parks Canada is developing general regulations that would apply to all national marine conservation areas (NMCAs) established under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, including the Great Lakes. These regulations will contribute to protecting and managing an expanding network of NMCAs. The goal of the regulations is to protect ecosystems and cultural, historical, and archaeological resources while helping to ensure sustainable use and enjoyment of NMCAs.

Parks Canada has engaged with Indigenous partners, provinces, territories, non-governmental organizations, industry, and other federal departments to obtain feedback on the regulatory proposal for NMCAs. A What We Heard report summarizing the feedback received was published in 2024. Pre-publication in Part 1 of the Canada Gazette is expected for 2025, with the final publication and coming-into-force of the regulations occurring in 2026.

Through the ecological sustainability monitoring program, Parks Canada has acquired knowledge to track the status of habitat and species, environmental stressors, and the management of marine uses. For example, through collaboration with Indigenous partners, provincial and territorial governments, and non-governmental organizations, Parks Canada has gained more knowledge on water quality, fish distribution, and spawning sites in the Great Lakes, as well as marine mammals and ocean noise in the Pacific and Gulf of St. Lawrence (see highlight box on beluga whales, above). This information will be used to inform effective management of these places.

Protecting and recovering species at risk

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada made progress in its protection of species at risk. It advanced the development of 14 multi-species action plans that included opportunities for Indigenous-led conservation, landscape-scale conservation, ecological connectivity, and climate-smart actions. Parks Canada also made demonstrable progress and is on track to complete 85% of recovery measures identified in current multi-species action plans, far surpassing the 33% target. In addition, Parks Canada published three multi-species action plan implementation reports detailing its significant achievements over the five-year implementation period. Parks Canada also published one five-year implementation report for the Pink Sand-verbena Recovery Strategy outlining contributions to species recovery. Parks Canada published four species at risk descriptions in the Canada Gazette, legally protecting the critical habitat of four species at risk in four national parks. Parks Canada also published one joint ministerial order to protect the critical habitat for one species in a national historic site.

Connecting ecological corridors

The National Program for Ecological Corridors is helping to connect protected and conserved areas, to contribute to halting and reversing biodiversity loss and allowing species to better adapt to climate change.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada’s National Program for Ecological Corridors continued to build relationships and engage Indigenous organizations and governments, as well as Indigenous-led conservation networks, to look for ways to weave Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into all aspects of the program and support and honour Indigenous stewardship.

Parks Canada completed engagement and consultations on key elements for the National Program for Ecological Corridors during fiscal year 2023 to 2024, including finalization of the criteria and the map of national priority areas for ecological corridors. Parks Canada sought input from a variety of partners, stakeholders, and consulted Canadians during a 30-day public comment period to support this work.

The National Program for Ecological Corridors supported three new corridor projects that began in fiscal year 2023 to 2024, including two Indigenous-led projects. The total amount committed for on-the-ground projects is $16.5 million since the program’s launch in 2022. Some highlights of ecological corridors work completed during fiscal year 2023 to 2024 by Parks Canada and the partner programs it has supported include:

• with the Province of British Columbia, supported Ktunaxa Nation Council members to complete approximately six kilometres of site preparation work required for wildlife exclusion fencing in the Radium Wildlife Overpass project that will, once complete, improve connectivity for bighorn sheep along Highway 93
• the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System partners successfully completed significant restoration and protection of the natural region, including 241 hectares of invasive species removal, 20 hectares of native planting, 525 square metres of bird-friendly window treatments, 35.2 kilometres of trail improvements, and 2.7 kilometres of roadside fencing to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions
• in addition, they held two open houses for local communities on ecological corridors formed a Traditional Ecological Knowledge Committee, and hosted a conference entitled We Will Take Care of Mother Earth with Six Nations of the Grand River of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to guide and inform ecological restoration and conservation
• the Indigenous-led West Coast Stewardship Corridor reached out to all 13 Indigenous nations in the identified area to establish and build relationships; researched governance and sustainable funding models; supported five on-the-ground restoration projects involving medicinal plants, elders and forest health; and hosted an Estuary Old Grow Gathering with 80 delegates from 20 Indigenous Nations;
• Yellowstone-to-Yukon supported the fabrication and installation of three ungulate guards, updated research, and recommendations for wildlife crossings specific to grizzlies, bighorn sheep, and elk and engaged with the Blackfoot Confederacy [Piikani, Kainai, Siksika], Stoney Nakoda and Tsuut’ina Nations to ensure their traditional knowledge and language were integrated into the project
• Yellowstone-to-Yukon also hosted a community event entitled Bridging Nature and Roads on Highway 3 in Fernie BC, in March 2024, attended by 90 community members
• this gathering included a viewing of two short films on wildlife crossings and presentations related to Reconnecting the Rockies

Managing fire in national heritage areas

Science tells us climate change is leading to longer, hotter, and dryer fire seasons. Wildfires are bigger, hotter, and faster-moving than ever. Parks Canada’s Fire Management Program is committed to ensuring we have fire-resilient landscapes, communities, and ecosystems. Parks Canada takes direct action, in collaboration with communities located inside and near Parks Canada-administered places, to prevent and reduce the risk of wildfires to communities and infrastructure using vegetation management through prescribed fires, forest thinning, and the creation of community fire guards. Parks Canada is the only federal organization that manages and responds to wildfires on the ground, with a national cadre of fully trained wildland fire management personnel.

2023 was a record-breaking year. There were 109 wildfires at 20 Parks Canada-administered places that burned more than a million hectares. The previous record was in 1981 when 597,670 hectares burned in national parks. During the 2023 fire season, 303 Parks Canada staff from 32 Parks Canada-administered places and national office were deployed to 20 wildfires throughout Canada, for a total of 8620 days of work. While successfully managing a record-breaking wildfire season internally, Parks Canada was also able to provide some assistance to partner agencies, exporting 68 fire personnel and two large fire equipment trailers to support Alberta, Quebec, and the Northwest Territories.

Parks Canada uses prescribed fire for two main reasons – to maintain and restore the health of ecosystems and to reduce the risk of wildfire to nearby communities. Prescribed fires help lessen the fuel available to wildfires – this reduces their intensity, slows their spread, and makes them easier to control or extinguish. In 2023, Parks Canada conducted eight prescribed fires in six national parks. A total of 532 hectares were burned for restoration and risk reduction projects. Parks Canada also conducted 29 wildfire risk reduction projects in 17 national parks. These projects included the creation of fire guards around communities in fire-prone areas and prescribed fires.

Building climate change knowledge and capacity

This year, Parks Canada completed significant work to build its understanding of climate change’s impacts on the protected heritage areas it administers. During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada launched an internal Climate Change Information Centre to provide team members with access to curated research and information on climate change impacts on species and ecosystems, and potential adaptation responses to inform climate-smart conservation at Parks Canada-administered places.

In collaboration with partners, Parks Canada also conducted five adaptation planning workshop processes to assess climate impacts, vulnerabilities, and risks to Parks Canada-administered places and programs and identify next steps for adaptation, including at the site and regional levels. It also produced climate data synthesis reports for all national parks and published 15 site-specific and three regional summaries on climate change trends and projections for national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, significant strides were made in developing climate change adaptation tools, products, and initiatives that will allow Parks Canada to better integrate climate considerations into the establishment and management of national parks. Parks Canada also initiated work to identify beneficial practices for ecosystem carbon conservation and enhancement and will support active management measures to sustain and enhance carbon sinks over time.

Fostering conservation cooperation and engagement

Just as protected natural areas do not exist in a vacuum, neither can any single group make significant strides in natural heritage conservation without cooperation across organizations and sectors. In support of this, Parks Canada continued to support the Pan-Canadian Parks and Protected Areas Research Network, including supporting the delivery of the fourth Research Summit, held virtually from February 12 to 15, 2024, with over 600 registrants. This network builds on the platform of the Canadian Parks, Protected and Conserved Areas Leadership Collective, and connects researchers, independent professionals, and practitioners from parks and protected areas.

In fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada engaged more than 150 participants in three international virtual workshops co-hosted with the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas highlighting how protected areas form nature-based climate solutions that contribute to the Government of Canada’s biodiversity and climate change agendas.

Parks Canada recognizes the historic and ongoing responsibilities of Indigenous peoples in the stewardship of the natural heritage of their ancestral territories and homelands. It works to advance cooperative management arrangements with Indigenous peoples at the heritage places it administers. As of March 31, 2024, Indigenous peoples participated in decision-making as part of cooperative management structures in 23 natural heritage places administered by Parks Canada.

Parks Canada and Indigenous Nations continued to work together to negotiate agreements, including during national park and national marine conservation area establishment discussions, to create new or enhance existing cooperative management structures at places Parks Canada has a role in administering. These management structures support Indigenous stewardship of natural resources and collaboration on the management of natural heritage areas. In January 2024, Parks Canada signed a Rights Reconciliation Agreement with the Micmac Nation of Gespeg for Forillon National Park, which provides for the establishment of a shared governance framework for initiatives and activities in the national park. The results of this and other ongoing negotiations are anticipated for the fiscal year 2024 to 2025 reporting year and beyond.

To support productive and effective cooperative management structures in natural heritage places, Parks Canada issued policy guidance and tools this year to further develop internal understanding of cooperative management as well as negotiations. Additional policy work is underway to develop further internal guidance to support operations in the implementation of cooperative management agreements. Parks Canada also held a cooperative management intensive workshop in April 2023, based on the learnings from 30 years of cooperative management in Gwaii Haanas, offered to executives and managers who work with Indigenous partners.

Advancing an Indigenous Stewardship Framework

In addition to the work to build formal cooperative management structures for natural heritage places, Parks Canada, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, continues to advance work toward an Indigenous Stewardship Framework and the development of an Indigenous Stewardship Policy. This work will support natural and cultural heritage place management and governance that is respectfully aligned with Indigenous ways of knowing and Indigenous leadership in stewarding lands, waters, and ice.

At its core, the Indigenous Stewardship Framework intends to advance reconciliation and support the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This work also supports the ministerial commitment in the Minister’s Round Table on Parks Canada 2020 – Report and Response to advance efforts to develop a framework for Indigenous stewardship in Parks Canada-administered places, convene Indigenous partners to advise on Parks Canada-led initiatives, and identify opportunities to support and advance Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, which the Minister’s Round Table on Parks Canada 2023 also highlighted as a priority.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada continued to develop and nurture relationships with Indigenous partners in ways that respect Indigenous rights and Indigenous knowledge and knowledge systems. Among other actions, Parks Canada is advancing its approach to enhance opportunities for shared decision-making with Indigenous governments, supporting Indigenous connections to the land, respecting Indigenous knowledge systems, contributing to economic opportunities for Indigenous communities, and ensuring that Indigenous peoples’ histories and stories are respectfully shared through heritage place programming.

This year, the Indigenous Stewardship Circle began drafting an Indigenous Stewardship Policy, which will be a first step towards implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act at Parks Canada and across the heritage places it administers. Parks Canada also initiated the development of internal policy tools and guidance to support the implementation of Parks Canada’s United Nations Declaration Act Action Plan commitments, as well as an analysis of options under the Action Plan Measure #95 - Governance.

To complement this work, Parks Canada also continued work to review and renew existing standards, guidance, and tools to include Indigenous knowledge systems, foster collaboration with Indigenous knowledge holders, and promote meaningful engagement with Indigenous partners in conservation. It also started work to develop policy options that support the establishment of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas and improve internal tools for tracking negotiations and sharing novel approaches to rights-based negotiations.

Parks Canada supports the designation and commemoration of cultural heritage through formal recognition programs at the national level. Federal heritage designations can include persons, places, and events of national historic significance, heritage railway stations, heritage lighthouses, and federal heritage buildings.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada exceeded its target for total designations for places, people, and events of importance to Canadians with a total of 3,950. This includes 1336 Federal Heritage Buildings, 1009 National Historic Sites, 513 National Historic Events, 740 National Historic Persons., 112 Heritage Lighthouses, 22 Canadian World Heritage Sites, and 42 Canadian Heritage Rivers.

Supporting cultural heritage designation

As part of the many designation programs within its responsibility, this year Parks Canada organized 10 Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque-unveiling ceremonies, including the designation of as a national historic site, the designation of T'äw Tà'är in Yukon as a national historic site, the Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants between 1923-1947 (see highlight box, below) as a national historic event and the designation of Chloe Cooley as a person of national historic significance.

Parks Canada also worked to promote public understanding of the history of Canada and its cultural heritage through social media channels. This year, it launched the Parks Canada ReCollections podcast, with four episodes and a series of Google Arts and Culture exhibits that spotlight designated heritage places administered by Parks Canada and the collection of historical and archaeological objects under Parks Canada’s care.

To support its heritage designation work, in fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada also advanced work on the development of a modernized register for federal heritage designations, which will enhance data integrity and facilitate the sharing of up-to-date heritage designation data with Canadians.

Commemorating the diversity of Canada and the contribution of Indigenous peoples to the history of Canada

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), helps connect Canadians with their shared history. Each designation under the National Program of Historical Commemoration makes a unique contribution to the tapestry of stories that make up our past and collectively contribute to our identity. It is crucial that these stories tell the story of Canada from the diverse perspectives of the Canadians that make up this country.

Parks Canada works to reflect the diversity of Canadian history, including the history of Indigenous peoples, through the National Program of Historical Commemoration. Parks Canada continues to research and share the history and stories associated with cultural and natural heritage in Canada and to expand Canadians’ access to and understanding of cultural heritage using its digital tools. To support this, Parks Canada is collaborating with local communities to tell their stories in a way that reflects Canada’s diversity and ensures that Indigenous history and stories are reflected in the national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas, and national urban parks that Parks Canada administers. This work supports Parks Canada’s implementation of the United Nations Declaration Act Action Plan Measure 110: Acknowledgements and Apologies.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada continued to develop training and programs to guide internal processes. This year, it developed an approach for training teams at Parks Canada on how to address controversial history at heritage places. Parks Canada also delivered training to team members at Parks Canada-administered places and partners on planning, interviewing, and completing oral history projects and provided advice on how to manage such projects.

Alongside its support of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in the creation of historical reports for new designations and review of existing designations, Parks Canada also continued to seek new nominations of persons, places, and events that align with the Framework for History and Commemoration (2019) strategic priorities.

As part of its work to highlight diverse histories within its designation program, Parks Canada completed 12 Stories of Canada projects during fiscal year 2023 to 2024. This project funding supported place-based approaches to building relationships and formalizing working partnerships that respect the unique cultures, rights, and responsibilities of Indigenous partners. Completed projects include the installation of traditional place name signs and outdoor historical interpretive panels, as well as supporting Indigenous research, art installations, videos, and interpretive exhibits.

Advancing reconciliation through commemoration

Parks Canada’s commemoration programs contribute to the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada. These programs play a key role in carrying out the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls-to-action 79 and 80, related to commemoration. Parks Canada’s cultural heritage programs are working to ensure that Indigenous Knowledge is respected, reflected, and honored in the management of cultural and natural resources.

In support of this work, during fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada continued its work on Bill C-23, the Historic Places of Canada Act, which was introduced in the House of Commons on June 7, 2022, and is currently at second reading. If adopted by Parliament as written, this act would advance reconciliation by including representatives for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), responding directly to Call to Action 79(i) of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as well as provide for the protection of federally owned historic places.

Parks Canada also continued its work to renew the HSMBC criteria for the designation booklet. This work is targeted to be completed by 2026 to improve public understanding of and better reflect Indigenous histories and values within the National Program of Historical Commemoration. It also worked in collaboration with Indigenous groups to support new designations through community engagement. Five engagement workshop sessions were held with Indigenous scholars and scholars working in Indigenous history on the history of residential schools and their legacy. During the reporting year, eight new nominations were submitted to the HSMBC under the National Program of Historical Commemoration.

Parks Canada is working to build relationships with communities, Elders, and survivor groups who have nominated or have shown interest in learning more about nomination under the National Program of Historical Commemoration. This year, it provided financial support to community-led efforts to commemorate the legacy of residential schools, including engagement with the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation (Kamloops IRS), Woodland Cultural Centre (Mohawk Institute IRS), Conseil de la Première Nation Abitibiwinni (St-Marc-de-Figuery IRS), Tseshaht First Nation (Port Alberni IRS), Stó:lō Nation (St. Mary's IRS and Coqualeetza IRS).

To support northern gatherings and engagement for community-led projects related to residential school commemoration and to other Indigenous organizations, this year Parks Canada amended a contribution agreement with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR). This amended agreement will allow for more community-led projects and initiatives related to the history and legacy of residential schools.

Supporting Canada’s world heritage

Parks Canada provides leadership in the designation and management of natural and cultural heritage. This year Parks Canada supported the inscription of two Canadian sites, Tr’ondëk-Klondike and Anticosti, on the World Heritage List at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number of designated Canadian World Heritage Sites to 22.

Parks Canada also continued to support Canada’s world heritage program. This year, it provided advice to designated world heritage site managers as well as those on Canada’s tentative list. It also monitored and reported on the state of conservation of sites to the World Heritage Centre and participated in the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee as well as the 24th session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention.

Parks Canada maintains cultural resources through monitoring and conservation work at the national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas it administers, and in the facilities that house the collection of archaeological and historical objects under its care. This work ensures that cultural resources are safeguarded and conserved and that their heritage value is shared for the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of present and future generations of Canadians.

Parks Canada continues to be on track to achieve the target in 2026. This year, construction of the future Parks Canada Collections and Curatorial Centre in Gatineau, Quebec continued. Parks Canada also prepared for the move of 60% of the collection to this new facility, which will begin in autumn 2024. The consolidation and move of the collection to this facility for future safeguarding will contribute significantly to this indicator. Its operations will also be net zero carbon, which will contribute to the Government of Canada’s greening government targets. Parks Canada also continued work to identify, document, and monitor archaeological sites and cultural landscapes at heritage places. Members of the Indigenous Stewardship Circle were the inaugural group to tour the new Collections and Curatorial Centre in Gatineau and responded very positively to the ways in which Indigenous considerations were incorporated into the design of the building.

Protecting and conserving Canada’s cultural heritage places

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, cultural resource management and conservation work continued to contribute to the safeguarding of cultural resources and gains made in cultural heritage conservation. Parks Canada continues its work to advance the implementation of Indigenous values and protocols into the protection and conservation of cultural and natural resources under its care. During the past year, Parks Canada continued work to renew policies related to the protection and conservation of heritage places, and its cultural heritage experts contributed to over 900 projects at heritage places across the country.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada conducted 392 cultural resource impact assessments nationally to identify and mitigate potential impacts of activities on the heritage value of cultural resources at heritage places and the commemorative integrity of Parks Canada-administered national historic sites. It also conducted condition monitoring projects to assess the state of selected archaeological sites. During the reporting year, Parks Canada continued collaborative restoration work with the Haida Nation at SG̱ang Gwaay on Haida Gwaii in British Columbia. It also started to develop a multi-year coastal erosion monitoring and assessment project at Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in collaboration with local Indigenous partners and completed a post-impact response plan to the Chetamon wildfire in Jasper National Park. Parks Canada completed risk assessments at 13 heritage places as part of a strategy of preventive conservation of historical and archaeological objects.

Parks Canada continued the implementation of the Cultural Resource Management Information System to manage the archaeological and historical objects at cultural heritage sites administered by Parks Canada. It also continued to engage Indigenous communities connected to Parks Canada’s heritage places on access to Indigenous objects under its care. For this reporting period, there were engagements with 15 nations to share two-way knowledge on collections.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada continued research at the Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Sites, including archaeological fieldwork and research at the wreck of HMS Erebus in Nunavut and Red Bay National Historic Sites in Labrador. Parks Canada facilitated the transfer of a representative sample of artefacts recovered from HMS Erebus to the National Museum of the Royal Navy (UK) under the terms of a bilateral memorandum of understanding with the Government of the United Kingdom.

Leading and partnering for cultural heritage conservation

In addition to its work to manage the cultural heritage resources in its own care, Parks Canada plays a key leadership role in the cultural heritage conservation of Canada’s heritage places. Parks Canada provides support to departments responsible for protecting and conserving federal heritage properties in their own asset portfolios and provides guidance and funding to other owners of heritage places of national significance.

During this year, Parks Canada completed 97 reviews of intervention at federal heritage properties across the country, including at the National Printing Bureau in Gatineau, Quebec. Other notable reviews were for projects at high-profile heritage properties such as Parliament Hill and the Quebec Citadel.

Parks Canada provided increased financial assistance, for a second year, to support the protection and presentation of 11 nationally recognized heritage places not administered by the federal government through the National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places and to support three pilot projects with Indigenous organizations that did not otherwise fully meet the Program application requirements but merited alternative financial support to better understand the needs of heritage places administered by Indigenous organizations.

Parks Canada also continued to participate at the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Cultural Heritage (FPTCH) Table, as part of its commitment to broaden work and engagement with key partners in the culture and heritage community. In line with the 2021 to 2026 FPTCH Strategic Plan, Parks Canada has continued an ongoing dialogue at the FPTCH Table on priority issues that reflect areas of common interest with federal, provincial, and territorial partners. Parks Canada co-chaired regular bi-monthly meetings of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Heritage Resource Working Group with the province of Saskatchewan.

As part of its international leadership in cultural heritage conservation and its role as Canada’s representative for world heritage, in fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada provided a voluntary contribution of $100,000 to support UNESCO’s activities related to the World Heritage Convention, toward the continued efforts of the World Heritage Centre to recognize the role of Indigenous peoples in identifying, managing, protecting, and presenting world heritage. Parks Canada was also one of 50 participants at the International Expert Workshop hosted by the International Indigenous People’s Forum on World Heritage in February 2024, with the theme of recognizing and respecting Indigenous peoples’ heritage values in World Heritage Sites.

Supporting Indigenous stewardship of cultural heritage

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada continued work to foster Indigenous stewardship of the cultural heritage places it administers. Participation in archaeology projects can connect Indigenous peoples to the history of their communities and builds knowledge. This year Parks Canada and the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia furthered work on the creation of an archaeological cultural camp where First Nations youth participated in an archaeological dig. Parks Canada also continued to collaborate with the Haida Gwaii Watchmen and Saahlinda Naay Haida Gwaii Museum to explore the eco-cultural landscapes of SGang Gwaay in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve (British Columbia). Now in its third summer, archaeological field work at SGang Gwaay continues to reveal some interesting finds, including culturally sensitive materials, and ancient, raised beach site remains. Analysis and interpretation are ongoing in the lab at Saahlinda Naay Haida Gwaii Museum.

Parks Canada continues work to reconnect Indigenous peoples with the artifacts in its care. This year, Parks Canada collaborated with members of Gespeg First Nation to share information about objects and Indigenous archeological sites at Forillon National Park. It also worked with Indigenous partners to develop and sign a protocol for the collection, care, and handling of archaeological objects recovered in Pukaskwa National Park. This protocol defines an ongoing cooperative relationship between Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Nation and Parks Canada, taking into account both Indigenous knowledge and western cultural resource management principles, as well as collection and conservation standards.

Parks Canada recognizes the historic and ongoing responsibilities of Indigenous peoples in the stewardship of cultural heritage of their ancestral territories and homelands. Parks Canada continues to collaboratively advance cooperative management with Indigenous peoples at cultural heritage places by establishing new cooperative management structures or by including Indigenous roles in existing relationship-building structures to support the stewardship of heritage places, in accordance with Recognition of Rights and Self-Determination processes and Rights Reconciliation Agreements.

In August 2023, Parks Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik signed a Rights Reconciliation Agreement for the co-management of St. Andrews Blockhouse National Historic Site in New Brunswick. This new agreement increased the number of cultural heritage places where Indigenous peoples participate in decision-making structures to eight places as of March 31, 2024.

Throughout fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada and Indigenous partners continued to work together to negotiate agreements, including as part of cultural heritage area establishment discussions, which will create new or enhance existing cooperative management structures at places Parks Canada has a role in administering. These management structures support Indigenous stewardship of cultural resources and collaboration on the management of cultural heritage places. Ongoing negotiations will contribute to results reported in the fiscal year 2024 to 2025 reporting year and beyond.

Supporting Indigenous stewardship

Parks Canada, in collaboration with Indigenous partners, continues to advance work toward an Indigenous Stewardship Framework that aims to support natural and cultural heritage places management and governance that is respectfully aligned with Indigenous ways of knowing and Indigenous leadership of stewarding lands, waters, and ice.

Significant work to support Indigenous stewardship is ongoing in both the natural and cultural heritage domains of Parks Canada’s work. More information on measures to implement Parks Canada’s commitments in the United Nations Declaration Act Action Plan, including the Indigenous Stewardship Circle, as well as those made in response to the Minister’s Round Table in 2020 and 2023, can be found under Departmental Result 1, above.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, 58% of built heritage assets under Parks Canada’s administration were in good or fair condition. This net decrease in the overall condition of heritage assets, compared to 61% in good or fair condition in fiscal year 2022 to 2023, is partly due to the sunset of infrastructure funding in 2021 and 2022. The reduced capital funding has resulted in fewer projects to improve or maintain the condition of built heritage assets, leading to a downward trend in the overall condition. Parks Canada’s permanent ongoing funding levels are sufficient to support its full heritage asset portfolio.

In fiscal year 2023 to 2024, nine heritage assets, with a replacement value of $70 million, were improved from poor or very poor condition to good or fair condition.

The following are examples of work carried out that has improved the condition of built heritage assets:

• conservation of several heritage buildings within Riding Mountain National Park
• rehabilitation of historic locks, canal walls, and dams, on the southern sector of the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site
• rehabilitation to ensure stability of a section of Quebec City's “bastion des Ursulines” fortification
• securing, stabilization, and rehabilitation of the barracks and fire station at Fort Lennox National Historic Site
• rehabilitation of the fixed bridge and dam at Hogs Back at the Rideau Canal National Historic Site in Ottawa

Following the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated travel and other restrictions on visitation in fiscal years 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022, demand for travel around the world was anticipated to be high during this reporting cycle. Parks Canada was ready to welcome Canadians and the world back to national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas.

In fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada welcomed 23.7 million visitors from more than 100 places around the world, meeting its target for this indicator for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitation increased 6% over fiscal year 2022 to 2023 (22.5 million) and 10% over fiscal year 2021 to 2022 (21.6 million), demonstrating a continued rebound.

The national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation area systems all welcomed more visitors than last year. Collectively, visitation to Parks Canada places is nearing pre-pandemic levels when total visitation was 24.9 million. Visitation to national parks and national marine conservation areas was 4% above the fiscal year 2016 to 2017 baseline, while visitation to national historic sites remains 17% below the fiscal year 2016 to 2017 baseline of 9.3 million visits. Closures for renovations/capital upgrades played a role in the lower visitation levels at some national historic sites in fiscal year 2023 to 2024, but do not fully explain the decrease compared to the baseline year.

Parks Canada highlighted the national heritage places it administers in its outreach and promotions as Canadians and international tourists made their vacation plans. To showcase the breadth of opportunities to experience across the country, across seasons, and for different interests and needs, Parks Canada used a strategic and integrated mix of proactive media, communications, and collaborative efforts, including paid (e.g., national and international advertising campaigns), owned (e.g., website content, social media, mobile app, e-newsletter, announcements/press releases), and earned media (e.g., travel stories), as well as travel and media marketplaces (e.g., Rendez-vous Canada, Canada Showcase Europe, GoMedia).

This year, Parks Canada continued to facilitate memorable experiences for millions of people through its high-quality services, programming, and experiences. Parks Canada continued to improve its online tools and services, which act as the gateway for many visitors’ experiences. A recent user-tested update of Parks Canada’s website made it easier for Canadians to find the information they were looking for and allowed Parks Canada to target website visitors with strategic tourism marketing campaigns. Parks Canada’s reservation system continues to expand the ability for visitors to book campsites, shuttles, and parking for their upcoming visits. Its National Information Service assisted a high volume of people with bookings, trip planning, and general inquiries. This year, Parks Canada also released a refreshed version of the Parks Canada mobile app, which has been downloaded more than 100,000 times. The app improves the availability of Parks Canada’s services and information for visitors on mobile phones and now includes guided tours, maps, images, orientation, fun facts, and accessibility features.

In national heritage places, Canadians continued to enjoy campgrounds and trails, including an extensive and increasing array of accessible trails and guided and self-guided interpretation programs, providing countless opportunities to learn and discover. Survey results indicate Canadians continue to enjoy their visits and have positive impressions of Parks Canada’s work. More than nine in 10 visitors from Canada enjoyed and were satisfied with their overall visit (93%). Parks Canada also continues to receive high satisfaction ratings for trails (89%), grounds maintenance (88%), staff welcome (88%), wayfinding (86%), and information on being responsible around wildlife (83%). Nearly all visitors (94%) also indicated they would recommend the place they visited to their friends and/or family.

This year, Parks Canada continued to provide high-quality services and programs and worked to remove barriers to the use and enjoyment of its administered places, making them more accessible to and inclusive of all Canadians. For example, building on its commitments in the Minister’s Round Table 2023, Parks Canada began a multi-year project to highlight and improve accessibility information on its website for visitor experiences and services, including trails, and did user testing to confirm whether this information was meeting users’ needs.

Parks Canada acknowledges and respects the extraordinary contributions and sacrifices made by Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, active members, and their families. Starting in December 2023, active Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and their immediate families now receive free daily admission to all Parks Canada-administered locations by presenting the CF One Platinum card, which is administered through the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services Agency, or the Veteran’s Service Card.

Supporting the recovery of Canada’s tourism sector

Parks Canada continues to contribute to the growth of the tourism industry in Canada following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Extreme weather events marked this year’s operating season. Flooding, wildfires, late season snowfalls, and poor air quality due to wildfire smoke created challenges. In some cases, weather events caused temporary closures or reduced services at national heritage places to keep residents, staff, and visitors safe. These events also required Parks Canada team members to adapt quickly, providing communication advisories, timely status updates, addressing media, industry and visitor inquiries as circumstances evolved. To support communities in a time of crisis, Parks Canada provided refuge for those fleeing wildfires in their local communities such as the residents of Yellowknife. Free admission and campground stays were offered at several national parks to residents of the Northwest Territories and British Columbia who were forced to leave their homes and communities for weeks.

Parks Canada continued to engage and collaborate with communities and tourism partners and adapt to new challenges as they arise. This year, Parks Canada collaborated with Destination Canada and Expedia to promote parks/sites and surrounding communities to domestic and international markets, boosting local economies near Parks Canada places across Canada. The collaboration resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of bookings for businesses offering mainly small and medium-sized accommodations, such as bed and breakfasts, local inns, and small motels.

During fiscal year 2023 to 2024, Parks Canada also launched the next iteration of its national, multi-channel advertising campaign, 450,000 km² of Stories, encouraging people to visit and find their own amazing story in national heritage places. It also partnered with Destination Canada in a joint marketing campaign to inspire Americans from five key states (California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey) to visit Canada during the autumn season. The campaign focussed on experiences that are uniquely Canadian and was successful in raising awareness of Parks Canada destinations among people in these markets.

Parks Canada also continued its collaboration with Tim Hortons for their Roll up to Win® contest in March 2023, with 750 Parks Canada Discovery Passes, providing annual national entry to national heritage places across the country as prizes. Parks Canada also participated in their Scan and Pay contest in September and October 2023, which included 25 getaway prizes of accommodation at national heritage places and Discovery Passes. These collaborations with an iconic national brand with an immense reach increased visibility of national parks and national historic sites.

This year, Parks Canada modernized Parks Canada’s Discovery Pass and transaction processes for eligible travel trade companies. These enhancements provide improved security, flexibility, and convenience while removing barriers to purchase. This modernization includes the implementation of an online payment portal and a printable Discovery Pass pilot program which supports travel trade companies that are transitioning from paper to digital packages for domestic and international clients coming to Parks Canada-administered places.

Parks Canada also participated in initiatives to promote collaboration in the tourism sector. It provided economic support by sponsoring the IMPACT Sustainable Tourism Symposium, Rendez-vous Canada Marketplace, Tourism Industry Association of Canada Congress, and the International Indigenous Tourism Conference, facilitating engagement and collaboration with sector partners and stakeholders. As part of Destination Canada’s Tourism Corridor Strategy Program, Parks Canada participated as a key partner in the development of the Atlantic Canada UNESCO Tourism Corridor Strategy, which includes six Parks Canada-administered places located in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The Tourism Corridor Strategy Program focuses on building a more resilient Canadian tourism industry through accelerated and intentional destination development, collaborating across jurisdictional boundaries, and stimulating investment opportunities.

Parks Canada continued its support of the Trans Canada Trail in year two of a five-year contribution agreement. This contribution agreement funds the Trans Canada Trail Foundation’s work to expand links to local/regional trails, strengthen the Trans Canada Trail’s accessibility and inclusivity, and strengthen its role in supporting tourism across Canada.

Parks Canada brings nature and history to Canadians through meaningful in-person and digital experiences, working to ensure that it remains relevant to visitors from Canada and around the world. Surveys show that Parks Canada continues to enjoy a high level of support for its work. In the 2023 surveys, 93% of adult Canadians indicated that they supported Parks Canada’s mandate of protection and presentation, exceeding the target by 15%. Significantly, this support is widespread across demographic segments. Support was at 95% among young adults aged 18 to 34, and 94% among Canadian residents born elsewhere in the world. Support was also above 90% in Canada’s three largest cities, Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver, where approximately one-third of the country’s population lives. Levels of support have been stable for the last few years, but it took Parks Canada more than a decade of hard work to build support for its mandate to these levels.

The surveys also indicated support for and awareness of Parks Canada’s work. More than 40% of adult Canadians had a high level of awareness of the work Parks Canada does in tracking the health of plants and animals (e.g., tagging turtles, monitoring salmon), species at risk, and scientific research. Nearly all those surveyed, 96% in total, felt natural protected areas are important to their quality of life as a Canadian.

Reaching Canadians in their communities

Parks Canada connects people to the work it does and the importance of conservation in meaningful ways, building knowledge of and support for its mandate. In collaboration with partners, Parks Canada held more than 1,000 Learn to Camp events across Canada, fostering first camping experiences and skill development for more than 100,000 participants. In-person opportunities in 2023 also included outreach events that honoured Canadian pastimes and military heroes. Under the Hometown Heroes program, three veterans were honoured by their local communities for their contributions to the Canadian military and their dedication to preserving and promoting Canada’s natural and cultural heritage.

Parks Canada continued to work with others to reach Canadians in diverse ways. For instance, collaborations with several education organizations, such as Canadian Geographic Education, helped engage youth on a variety of issues through in-person and virtual programming. Parks Canada also continues to collaborate with BC Parks Foundation in the PaRx program, which promotes mental and physical health through prescribed time in nature.

Parks Canada continued to creatively engage Canadians in natural and cultural heritage through its digital platforms. More than 200 videos were added to Parks Canada’s YouTube channel, which had a 21% increase in subscribers during fiscal year 2023 to 2024, showcasing the captivating beauty of Canada and its diverse history. Videos on Parks Canada’s Facebook page were viewed for more than 1.1 million minutes. The video series, Field Notes, continued to provide opportunities to build awareness of the conservation work Parks Canada does, and ReCollections, Parks Canada’s history and archaeology podcast, expanded its reach and is now available through Air Canada’s inflight entertainment system.

Parks Canada also shared stories about science, biodiversity, Asian history, and Indigenous cultures across partner platforms. Eight new online exhibits were added to the Google Arts and Culture platform for virtual exploration of Parks Canada-administered places and related stories. In addition, Parks Canada worked with the film, television, and multimedia industry to support production of content for domestic and international audiences, including Canada’s National Parks Season Three for ARTE (Germany & France), Amazing Race Canada for CTV, and Windborne for FlyOver immersive theatres, located in Canada and around the world. Connecting content and stories in meaningful ways keeps the importance of conservation, and all that it entails, relevant among Canadians today and for the future.

Sharing Indigenous stories

Parks Canada also continued to work with Indigenous communities to share their stories. This year, it collaborated with the Students on Ice Foundation to connect Indigenous youth and elders with the lands, waters, and ice of Northern Canada.

Parks Canada also supported the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada’s (ITAC) accreditation program for Indigenous-led businesses in the tourism sector. Through a contribution agreement, which is now in its second of three years, Parks Canada supports ITAC’s work to build capacity among Indigenous tourism businesses who work in and around Parks Canada-administered places. The work led to collaborative opportunities between 22 accredited Indigenous businesses and Parks Canada, helping to provide economic opportunities for Indigenous communities.

This year Parks Canada partnered with Wapikoni Mobile, a Canadian non-profit that raises awareness and educates the public about Indigenous peoples through educational workshops and films. Six Parks Canada-administered places added Indigenous led stories and narrative content to the mobile platform and facilitated cross-cultural dialogue through presentations.

Parks Canada recognizes the important and ongoing roles and responsibilities of Indigenous peoples as stewards of the heritage places it administers and is committed to a system of national heritage places that recognizes and honours the historic and contemporary contributions of Indigenous peoples, their histories, and cultures, as well as the stewardship relationships Indigenous peoples have with ancestral lands, waters, and ice. Most, if not all, of the natural and cultural places administered by Parks Canada have been traditionally used by Indigenous peoples long before Canada became a country. Supporting Indigenous peoples’ connections to traditional territories contributes to repairing connections that in many instances were severed when heritage places were created.

As of March 2024, the number of places administered by Parks Canada where Indigenous peoples use lands and waters according to their traditional and modern cultural practices has increased to 48 places. While this increase of nine places surpasses the target set for this measure, Parks Canada and Indigenous partners continue to work towards finalizing agreements that will facilitate Indigenous peoples’ access to and use of land, waters, and ice at protected heritage places administered by Parks Canada across the country.

As of March 2024, the overall percentage of contemporary assets in good or fair condition was 77%. The completion of major capital projects focused on roadways and bridges, dams, and other important visitor-related assets, such as campgrounds, contributed to the improvement of targeted contemporary assets and maintained the overall condition of this segment of the portfolio at the same level as in fiscal year 2022 to 2023.

This year, 89 contemporary assets with a replacement value of $494 million were improved from very poor or poor condition. The following are examples of work carried out that has improved the condition of contemporary assets:

• construction of a new public comfort station building with 21 washrooms and a waiting area at Rogers Pass National Historic Site in Glacier National Park
• restoration of the Gulf Shore Parkway in Prince Edward Island National Park, which was damaged by Hurricane Fiona, including preventative erosion measures
• replacement of the washroom and changeroom facilities at Ingonish Beach in Cape Breton Highlands National Park
• rehabilitation of aging trail infrastructure in Prince Albert National Park
• completion of a new visitor centre, including an administrative building and washroom building, in Waterton Lakes National Park