New Government of Canada Legislation Tabled to Protect Canada’s Natural Wonders

Press Release

Legislation will finalize the establishment of Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve and Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area, and formally update the boundaries of seven national parks and one national park reserve

October 19, 2023

Canada’s national parks are the crown jewels in a country blessed with breathtaking natural landscapes. But this network of protected areas in Canada also plays an important role in helping to address the impacts of climate change by protecting and restoring healthy, resilient ecosystems and contributing to the survival and recovery of species at risk.

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the tabling of legislation which will increase the amount of land protected under Parks Canada legislation.

The legislation will finalize the establishment of Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve in Labrador while permitting and regulating traditional land use activities in this national park reserve and finalize the establishment of Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area in Nunavut, upon completion of its interim management plan. It will also formally update the boundaries of seven national parks and one national park reserve, to include lands added to national parks over the past decades, from iconic dunes along the Atlantic, to one of Canada’s most northern islands and ecologically important grasslands.

While these lands are already managed or under the administration of Parks Canada, this legislation will ensure that they are added to the Canada National Parks Act and the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act and can receive the full protections of the Acts and their associated regulations. In total, this will represent an increase of 12,085,851 hectares protected under these Acts, a land mass slightly smaller than the combined area of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The legislation also includes six amendments that will align the Canada National Parks Act and the Rouge National Urban Park Act with the modern legislative environment, and strengthen the tools used to operate and manage Parks Canada’s network of protected areas.

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Quotes

“We are securing stronger protections for some of Canada’s most iconic landscapes. With an increase in the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, ensuring that these lands can benefit from the highest level of protection is more important than ever. Tabling this legislation is a critical step to ensuring that, along with its partners, Parks Canada has the authority and tools required to protect these lands for current and future generations.”

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault,
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

“Establishing the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area is a key element in the preservation of Canada’s natural environment, and the wildlife that Inuit depend on for cultural continuity, ensuring that Inuit rights are respected, and traditional activities continue to be carried out. Establishment is also critical to co-management of the region and represents an internationally significant natural and cultural area, for the benefit of present and future generations of Inuit and all Canadians.”

Olayuk Akesuk,
President, Qikiqtani Inuit Association

Quick facts

The Canada National Parks Act, Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, and the Rouge National Urban Park Act are Canadian federal laws that regulate the creation and protection of national parks and national marine conservation areas. For a national park or national marine conservation area to be fully protected under legislation that is enforceable under the Canadian legal system, it must be passed under these Acts.
The Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve protects a nationally significant example of the East Coast Boreal Natural Region. The landscapes of this outstanding natural region hold great cultural significance for the Indigenous people of Labrador. One of the defining features of this national park is the sharing of management, stewardship, and planning responsibilities with Indigenous partners.
Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area is the “ecological engine” for much of the Eastern Canadian Arctic marine ecosystem. It is one of the most significant ecological areas in the world and is considered the heart of High Arctic Inuit existence. At approximately 108,000 km², Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area represents nearly 1.9% of Canada’s marine protected area coverage.