13 attempts to protect Gatineau Park have failed, but a new bill could change that

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A new bill aiming to protect Gatineau Park was introduced in the Senate Thursday afternoon. Not the first of its kind, the bill will follow 13 others that ultimately failed.

Independent Senator Rosa Galvez and Liberal member of Parliament Sophie Chatel co-authored the new bill, which seeks to establish the boundaries of Gatineau Park and ban the sale of public lands within the park with certain exceptions. It would also bring the park, which is managed by the National Capital Commission (NCC), under the oversight of Parliament.

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Supporters of the bill say this would ideally prevent the park from shrinking any further after development has reduced its size over the decades.

“(Despite) the importance of the park, it’s a park that does not have the legal status of a truly protected park,” said Chatel, who has also launched a petition calling for the protection of Gatineau Park that garnered thousands of signatures.

The bill would require the NCC to submit a “master plan,” including a “long-term ecological vision” to Parliament at least every 10 years.

Chatel added that establishing park boundaries will be important to prevent further development of parkland and to ensure it’s protected for future generations.

Galvez said the 360-square-kilometre park contains more than 50 lakes, as well as rivers and creeks that are homes to vital ecosystems.

“I was particularly interested in bringing this bill forward when Ms. Chatel approached me, given the urgent need to protect our natural ecosystem and biodiversity,” said Galvez, who noted that Canada committed in 2022 to protect 30 per cent of its land and water by 2030.

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13 failed attempts to protect the park

While the bill’s proponents said the bill is “historic,” it’s nowhere near the first of its kind.

Between 2005 and 2013, 13 bills were introduced in Parliament to amend the National Capital Act—a law that established the NCC—specifically to protect Gatineau Park.

These bills have often been private members bills brought forward by NDP legislators, but not always, as the Conservative government of then-prime minister Stephen Harper introduced such a bill in 2014. It didn’t pass before the election in 2015.

Other bills withered away and were never passed before the end of a parliamentary session.

Chatel said she “strongly believes” this bill will pass, noting that the new project already has the support of 12 members of Parliament from the National Capital Region, as well as Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. Chatel and Galvez said they’re confident that the bill will go forward but said that, if not, it will be re-tabled.

“We’ve talked a lot over the past year about this to ensure that we have a bill that will receive government support,” Chatel said in French.

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Concerns about the bill being introduced so late in the game

As a potential federal election looms, some supporters worry the bill may suffer the same fate as others seeking to protect Gatineau Park.

Nikita Lopoukhine, the former chair of the World Commission on Protected Areas, said that while he hopes the bill will pass, he has concerns about it being introduced so late in the government’s mandate.

“The challenge is that we always come to this point at the end of the mandate instead of at the beginning of the mandate,” Lopoukhine said. “If indeed there can be an effort in the beginning of a mandate, we might get some legislation through.”

He noted that, in the last 50 years, the park has decreased in size as roads and transmission lines have been built.

“Through policy decisions, the park has shrunk in size and there’s no protection for its current delineations,” said Lopoukhine, who worked in vegetarian inventory at the park in the 1970s. “There’s no protection for Gatineau Park.”

Lopoukhine said the new bill parallels the National Parks Act. While he said it goes far enough, he would have liked to see some financial resources for wardens or rangers to monitor the park and ensure the bill is followed.

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“We’re taking one step at a time, let’s at least get the boundaries recognized and put into a bill so that it becomes very difficult for the government of Canada to give away land,” Lopoukhine said.

The bill also encourages hiring businesses and workers from the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation to maintain and conserve the park. It also says that while the occupancy of public lands won’t be allowed, there will be exceptions for local Anishinabeg organizations.

“Gatineau Park is an integral part of our regional identity and together we have the responsibility to protect it,” Chatel said.

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