Gatineau Park Gets Stronger Protections

Summary#

Bill S-289 amends the National Capital Act to create a Gatineau Park Act. It fixes the park’s legal boundaries, makes ecological integrity the top management priority, and bars the sale of public lands in the park with narrow exceptions. It also requires consultation with the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation and nearby municipalities, enables right-of-first-refusal agreements on private lands, and authorizes regulations and fees.

• Establishes Gatineau Park boundaries in law and limits reductions (Schedule 2; Clause 3).
• Makes ecological integrity the first priority for all park management decisions (Clause 3).
• Prohibits disposal of public lands in the park, with narrow exceptions and reversion terms (Clause 3).
• Requires public reporting on consultations with Algonquin Anishinabeg governing bodies and adjacent municipalities (Clause 3).
• Lets the National Capital Commission (NCC) negotiate right-of-first-refusal with private owners; requires sale notice if no agreement (Clause 3).
• Authorizes regulations to restrict activities and set fees; expands enforcement designations (Clauses 5–6).

What it means for you#

• Households and private landowners in the park

  • If you plan to sell property in the park, you must notify the NCC unless selling to a related person; the NCC can seek a right-of-first-refusal agreement (Clause 3).
  • Use or occupation of public lands in the park requires NCC permission (Clause 3).
  • Park area cannot be reduced by order-in-council; it can grow if the Crown acquires title and orders an expansion (Clause 3).

• Park visitors

  • Activities may be restricted or redirected to protect habitats because ecological integrity is the top priority (Clause 3).
  • New or adjusted fees for facilities, services, and permits may be set by regulation (Clause 5).
  • More officers, including from local and Indigenous authorities, may enforce park rules and issue tickets for designated contraventions (Clause 3).

• Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation

  • The NCC must consult Algonquin Anishinabeg governing bodies and show, in a public report, how their recommendations were considered (Clause 3).
  • The NCC must consider using businesses and workers from the Nation for maintenance and conservation work (Clause 3).
  • Public lands may be transferred to Algonquin organizations when needed for health care, social services, or cultural services; lands revert to the NCC if that use ends (Clause 3).
  • The Act must be read as upholding section 35 Aboriginal and treaty rights (Clause 2).

• Local governments (Gatineau, Chelsea, La Pêche, Pontiac)

  • Formal consultation role; the NCC must demonstrate it considered municipal recommendations in public reports (Clause 3).
  • Continued authority for NCC to pay grants in lieu of municipal and school taxes on NCC properties in the park (Clause 5).
  • Municipal officers can be designated to enforce park regulations (Clause 3).

• Businesses and operators

  • Tour, event, and service operators may face new or stricter permits, conditions, and fees set by regulation (Clause 5).
  • Algonquin Anishinabeg businesses may have more procurement opportunities for park maintenance and conservation (Clause 3).

• Timeline and planning

  • The NCC must table a Gatineau Park Master Plan within 10 years and review it at least every 10 years (Clause 3).

Expenses#

• Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• Key points

  • No explicit appropriation. The bill does not set new funding levels (Bill text).
  • Regulations may set fees, rates, rents, and charges for park use, services, and permits; amounts not specified (Clause 5).
  • The NCC must prepare and review a Master Plan and conduct consultations; administrative costs not stated (Clause 3).
  • NCC authority to pay grants in lieu of municipal and school taxes for NCC property in the park is maintained; no changes to amounts or formula (Clause 5).
  • Enforcement designations may entail costs for training and coordination; Data unavailable.

Proponents' View#

• Protects biodiversity by making ecological integrity the first priority in all park management decisions (Clause 3).
• Locks in park boundaries in law and allows only expansions by order when the Crown acquires title, preventing shrinkage (Schedule 2; Clause 3).
• Keeps public lands public by prohibiting their disposal, with narrow exceptions and reversion if uses cease (Clause 3).
• Strengthens reconciliation and local input through required consultations and public reporting, consistent with the UNDRIP Act (Clause 3).
• Helps consolidate fragmented ownership via right-of-first-refusal and mandatory sale notifications, aiding long-term conservation (Clause 3).
• Provides clear authority to set rules and fees to manage visitor pressure and pay for maintenance, reducing environmental damage (Clauses 5–6).

Opponents' View#

• Adds steps for private land sales in the park (notice and potential NCC negotiations), which could slow transactions; the bill does not provide funding for acquisitions (Clause 3).
• Unknown fees and new regulations could raise costs for visitors and operators or limit activities; amounts and scope are not specified (Clause 5).
• Ecological-priority mandate may reduce access to certain trails or delay events and infrastructure within the park; extent depends on future plans (Clause 3).
• Broadened enforcement powers across multiple bodies risk uneven application or over-ticketing; the bill does not address training or oversight details (Clause 3).
• A strict prohibition on disposing of public lands could limit land swaps that sometimes improve boundary rationalization; exceptions are narrow (Clause 3).
• Long timelines (Master Plan due within 10 years) may delay on-the-ground changes; no fiscal plan accompanies new duties (Clause 3).