Budget fédéral de 2023

Dear colleagues,

Yesterday, Budget 2023: A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future was tabled in the House of Commons. It includes important measures and investments that will contribute to the government’s plan to build a stronger and more resilient economy for all Canadians.

Budget 2023 announced new funding to allow for the continuity of impactful programs, focusing on protecting Canada’s whales and species at risk. These investments will enable Parks Canada, along with other departments, to continue playing a crucial role in protecting Canada’s marine ecosystems and improving the status of several species at risk.

Specifically, Budget 2023 commits $151.9 million over three years to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Parks Canada to continue to protect endangered whales and their habitats. The Budget also commits $184 million over three years to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Parks Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Natural Resources Canada to continue the restoration of species at risk.

Budget 2023 also reflects the economic pressures that the Government of Canada and Canadians are facing today. In this context, Parks Canada will continue the important work underway internally to advance the sustainability of its assets and improve its planning and investment readiness. This includes the work to transition to an accrual budgeting regime and the development of our new Assets Directorate to advance continued strategic planning for maintenance, inspection, and capital spending for our almost 18,000 assets.   

In this regard, the Agency has been successful in securing funds in the past and currently still benefits from unprecedented infrastructure funding that have enabled significant improvements in core infrastructure. Last year, the Agency received $557M in bridge funding to address critical infrastructure projects and to maintain expertise to prepare for long-term asset sustainability until 2024-25. This funding will support us on our journey to secure long-term funding for our assets. I am proud of the progress Parks Canada has made towards becoming a more modern custodial organization and I am confident we are on the right track.

With funds provided in previous Budgets, the Agency is also actively advancing important work on protecting biodiversity and conserving 25 percent of land and inland waters and 25 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2025, working toward 30 percent by 2030. In 2023-24, the Agency’s resource levels are: $33.8M for the urban park program, $17.4M$ for ecological corridors, $14.3M for feasibility studies for national marine conservation areas and $50.8M for new park establishment work. Also, we will also continue our journey on the path towards reconciliation with it $25 million in funding from Budget 2022 to support Parks Canada’s vital work with Indigenous communities to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools and to share more about the Indigenous history with Canadians and the world.

Across the federal government, Budget 2023 also reiterated that efforts need to be done to bring the pace and scale of the growth of government spending back to a pre-pandemic path. As always, we will do our part towards ensuring that Canadians’ tax dollars are being used efficiently and being invested in the priorities that matter most to them.

Over the coming weeks, we will be completing a detailed analysis of the specific elements related to Parks Canada in Budget 2023.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team members who contributed to Parks Canada’s input into Budget 2023, as well as all team members across the Agency, who continue to deliver dedicated, passionate, and outstanding services to all Canadians.

I’m looking forward to working with all of you on our many initiatives during the next fiscal year. 
Ron Hallman
President & CEO

#StrongerTogether   #ParksCanadaProud

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