Government of Canada Invests $6.6 million in Fundy National Park

From: Parks Canada

News release

Federal investments restore biodiversity and improve park infrastructure

May 31, 2019                           Alma, New Brunswick                         Parks Canada Agency

Nature is our most precious resource yet it is increasingly under threat from climate change, human activity, and habitat loss. Since 1970, the world has lost approximately 60 percent of the populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. We know we need to take action to protect the species and habitats that are home to the wildlife we love. Parks Canada does important work for species recovery and habitat restoration, including through collaboration with Indigenous communities and local organizations.

Today, Alaina Lockhart, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie and Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal, on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, announced a federal investment of $6.6 million for Fundy National Park. This funding will support restoration of Atlantic salmon in Fundy National Park, while streamlining operations with improvements to park infrastructure.

Parks Canada is a recognized leader in conservation and takes actions to preserve national parks and marine conservation areas and contributes to the recovery of species at risk. The Government of Canada is investing $1.8 million to restore the salmon population in Fundy National Park. A decline in the number of adult Atlantic salmon returning to spawn in the Point Wolfe River and Upper Salmon River watersheds is putting this population at risk. A recent United Nations (UN) report showed that almost 1 million of the planet’s species are at risk, and the Government is committed to protecting Canada’s biodiversity. The Fundy Salmon Recovery team works to collect young fish from the wild and raise them in an ocean environment at a marine farm site. The site is custom designed for wild Atlantic salmon – the first of its kind in the world. These salmon will be released, improving the wild salmon population in the park by 2024. The goal is that in five years, salmon will run the Point Wolfe and Upper Salmon rivers again, spawning on their own. Atlantic national parks, including Fundy National Park, are working with Indigenous partners and stakeholders to restore the Atlantic Salmon population.

The Government of Canada will also invest $4.8 million to combine maintenance and storage facilities into one new energy efficient facility. The existing structures were built between 1942 and 1972 and the new facilities will save money and streamline maintenance activities in the park, supporting Parks Canada efforts in offering visitors the best possible experience.

National parks represent the very best Canada has to offer. All Canadians are encouraged to visit them and discover the beauty of Canada’s natural treasures.

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Quotes

“Fundy National Park welcomes more than 350,000 visitors a year from around the world and plays a major part in the local economy. In addition, it is the home of very significant research that is bringing local rivers back to life and making significant progress in our aim to restore the vulnerable Inner Bay of Fundy Salmon population. This investment will ensure that the park has the updated infrastructure required to support efforts in providing a world class experience for visitors and the project funding to carry out conservation work that is vital to the future of our ecological system. I commend all partners involved in this ground breaking success story in Salmon recovery for their commitment, passion, and insight and thank them for their ongoing work.”

Alaina Lockhart,
Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages, and La Francophonie 

“During International Year of the Salmon, our government is working hard to protect wild Atlantic salmon. I am encouraged to see Parks Canada pilot innovative techniques to restore Atlantic Salmon in the national park. We hope that in five years, salmon will run the Point Wolfe and Upper Salmon rivers again, spawning on their own. ”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson,
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Quick facts

  • The inner Bay of Fundy population of Atlantic salmon was listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act in 2003. If restoration can be accomplished, then the productivity of both endangered salmon rivers in Fundy National Park will be restored to a level unseen in decades. 

  • A similar salmon restoration in Fundy National Park to this one was launched in 2014, when approximately $2.6 million was invested in federal government funding to support recovery in the inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic Salmon. The Fundy Salmon Recovery project has shown significant success including a return in naturally occurring salmon to spawn in the Upper Salmon River of the park in levels not seen in 29 years. 

  • Located in New Brunswick on Canada’s Atlantic Coast, Fundy National Park encompasses 20 kilometres of dramatic shoreline along the Bay of Fundy, famous for having the world’s highest tides. More than 100 kilometres of hiking and biking trails ribbon through 206 square kilometres of Acadian forest, leading to thundering waterfalls, freshwater lakes, and scenic river valleys

  • Parks Canada is investing an unprecedented $3 billion over 5 years to support infrastructure work to heritage, tourism, waterway, and highway assets located within national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas across Canada. This investment will ensure these cherished places are protected and secured for the future. 

  • Parks Canada takes its mandate to protect ecological integrity very seriously and is the only national parks system in the world that has fully implemented a system-wide ecological integrity monitoring and reporting program, consisting of more than 700 independent scientific measures that inform park-specific priorities and guide investments in conservation. 

  • Throughout 2019, the Government of Canada is participating in International Year of the Salmon events and continuing important work to protect salmon populations. 

  • The Government of Canada is pleased to continue to offer free admission to all Parks Canada’s places for youth aged 17 and under. By encouraging young people to discover nature and connect with history, we can help to inspire the next generation of stewards for these protected places. In celebration of diversity, Parks Canada continues to offer free admission to new Canadian citizens for one year through the Institute for Canadian Citizenship’s Canoo mobile application. 

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Contacts

Sabrina Kim      
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
819-938-3813
sabrina.kim@canada.ca

Media Relations
Parks Canada Agency
855-862-1812
pc.media@pc.gc.ca

Nadine Gauvin
Fundy National Park
506-887-6393
nadine.gauvin@canada.ca

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