By Robert Fraser
YELLOWKNIFE — Nearly half of Parks Canada’s workforce in the Northwest Territories and Yukon has been told their jobs could be affected by federal spending cuts, a blow that northern leaders say will be felt far beyond park boundaries in small communities where the agency is one of the biggest employers.
Sixty-seven of Parks Canada’s 147 employees in the N.W.T. and 58 of its 137 employees in Yukon received notices that their positions may be affected, roughly 45% in each territory, CBC News reported. Figures for Nunavut had not yet been released.
The national picture
Nationally, Parks Canada sent 2,917 workforce adjustment letters as it works to eliminate the equivalent of about 500 full-time jobs and cut $145 million over three years under Ottawa’s comprehensive expenditure review, CBC reported. The Public Service Alliance of Canada says 2,671 of its members received notices, according to the union.
Andrew Campbell, Parks Canada’s interim chief executive, said the agency had tried to limit the damage. “We have used, and are using, every means we have to minimize the number of team members who may need to involuntarily leave the agency,” he told employees. In June, as an earlier round of cuts began, he had warned staff: “Given the scale of the required savings, I have been clear that attrition alone will not be enough to meet our targets.”
In an email to CBC News, a Parks Canada spokesperson said, “Responsible choices are being made so that programs and services can be delivered smarter, faster and more effectively for all Canadians.”
‘They’re the volunteers’
In Fort Smith, the gateway to Wood Buffalo National Park, Mayor Dana Fergusson said the cuts reach into the fabric of the town. “They’re the volunteers at the minor hockey rink, or the curling lounge, or taking your kids to do bake sales on the weekend to fundraise so kids can go play volleyball in Yellowknife,” she said.
Wood Buffalo, which straddles the Alberta–N.W.T. boundary, is Canada’s largest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Union pushes back
PSAC national president Sharon DeSousa said, “By cutting Parks Canada’s workforce, this government is stripping away the people who care for these places.”
Alex Silas, a trustee for the Union of National Employees, said, “The government should be investing in the people who protect our parks, not pushing them out.” Krysty Thomas, PSAC’s regional executive vice-president for the Prairies, told CBC, “As the federal government encourages more Canadians to visit, they must ensure that the parks have the staffing and resources to serve them safely.”
An “affected” letter does not necessarily mean a layoff. It means a position may no longer be required, and workforce adjustment is the process through which alternative jobs are offered where possible to permanent public servants, the Ottawa Citizen reported. Campbell told staff the agency sent so many letters to allow for the highest possible number of voluntary departures.
The Buffalo Chronicle has requested comment from Parks Canada on how many positions in Nunavut are affected and whether seasonal visitor services in northern parks will change next year.
Leave a Reply