In 2022, Canada hosted a crucial UN summit on nature in Montreal, where the Liberal government led a diplomatic push for a global agreement to protect ecosystems.
The countries agreed conserve 30 percent of the world's lands and oceans. Canada has committed to achieving this goal by 2030, with plans to more than double the current number of protected areas.
Three years later the situation has changed. Stephen Guilbeault, the former environment minister who helped negotiate the deal in Montreal, quit The Cabinet of Ministers discussed new steps to expand the development of oil and gas resources. Prime Minister Mark Carney's first budget barely mentioned nature, with his government instead focused on big resource projects.
Now environmental groups and others are concerned that the Carney government's apparent U-turn will reverse years of progress made on conservation.
Among the initiatives that now face uncertainty: new national parks and protected areas, as well as federal support.”win-winAn Indigenous caregiver program that teaches and employs indigenous peoples to conduct conservation and research work on their traditional lands.
“I think there is a very real concern that biodiversity is not being put forward as a priority when making decisions about new infrastructure,” said James Snyder, vice-president of science, knowledge and innovation at WWF Canada.
“And we risk repeating the mistakes of the past, rather than imagining a future in which the environment and the economy go hand in hand.”
What's at stake?
Canada is only about halfway toward its 30 percent land and ocean protection target, meaning it will have to double the amount of protected areas in the country in just five years.
Carney's Liberals promised during the federal election campaign earlier this year that they would step up conservation efforts to achieve those goals, including creating 10 new national parks, 15 new city parks and expanding the Indigenous Guardians program, which will run out of funding by March.
In an unusual exchange in the House of Commons on the day of the crucial vote, Prime Minister Mark Carney answered a question from Green Party leader Elizabeth May. He said Canada remains committed to its climate goals as set out in the Paris Agreement.
But unlike those campaign promises, the federal budget does not directly allocate new funding. Speaking in the House of Commons a few weeks ago, Carney said the government would publish a new environmental strategy, but there were no details yet about what the strategy would include.
Environmentalists are watching.
“As the government looks to invest in what they call a 'once-in-a-generation investment' in economic development, there is also a need to recognize the economic benefits that nature also provides,” said Sandra Schwartz, national executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wildlife Society.
Several high-profile and extensive protected areas are currently under development, including Seal River watershed in northwestern Manitoba, new national park in the South Okanagan in British Columbia, and Peel River watershed in Yukon, which completed a feasibility study. The projects involved years of surveying and planning work, much of it carried out by local indigenous communities.
“It's like a stranded asset. These projects need funds and they can't come from just philanthropic dollars,” Schwartz said.
Schwartz said ongoing conservation projects could be left in the lurch – studies, public consultations, geodetic surveys and other activities that need to be done before parks and wilderness areas can be created and that will take years of work.
“Canada has the opportunity to be a beacon to demonstrate what it means to do things right and provide leadership around the world,” said Valerie Courtois, executive director Indigenous Leadership Initiativea national group advocating for Indigenous-led conservation. She is a member of the Mashtewyatsh Innu community located on the shores of Peikuakami or Lac-Saint-Jean in eastern Quebec.
The 23-year-old Poplar River First Nation resident recently became a trustee of the community's lands. Owen Bear is now tasked with protecting the land known as Pimachiowin Aki, which translates to “life-giving land” in the Anishinaabemowin language.
“I remain hopeful”
Courtois has long been a supporter of Indigenous guardianship programs, where she saw the benefits of involving community members in conservation work. She said it helped young people especially connect with the community and retain and learn the language while working on the land.
“I'm a registered professional forester by trade. When I look at a forest management plan, we're taught to ask how we can optimize, maximize the economic return on investment and the value of the forest land,” Courtois said.
“When you're indigenous, the question you ask [instead] Is this what must remain so that these landscapes are preserved and I continue to remain an Innu?”
National caregiver program It was first introduced by the federal government as a pilot project in 2017 and then extended in 2021 with $100 million in funding. Courtois said the funding would end by March 31 next year and there had been no word yet from the government about an extension.
“We know from the government that the initiative of the guardians is viewed very, very positively. They recognize that it is a good investment, but I know that they themselves are coping with financial difficulties,” Courtois said.
“We haven't heard anything concrete on this, but I remain hopeful.”
When asked for a response, Environment and Climate Change Canada did not specifically mention support for Indigenous-led programs and conservation efforts.
“The Government of Canada has laid the foundation for continued success in achieving Canada's conservation goals, and we will continue to work with Indigenous peoples, provinces and territories, environmental non-governmental organizations, the private sector and philanthropic organizations to achieve this goal,” the department said in a statement.
