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		SECTION 1: PARKS CANADA PROFILE

Legislation

Parks Canada was established as an agency of the federal government through the Parks Canada Agency Act in December 1998. Its mandate is to protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage, and to foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure the ecological and commemorative integrity of these places for present and future generations.

Agency Status and Authorities

The Parks Canada Agency has been established as a "departmental corporation" under Schedule II of the Financial Administration Act. This means that Parks Canada is a separate legal entity, reporting to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, dedicated to delivering the programs set out within the Agency’s legislation and policy authorities. The Minister remains responsible for the overall direction of the Agency and is accountable to Parliament for all Parks Canada activities.

The Parks Canada Agency has been provided with more flexible human resource, administrative and financial authorities. These authorities include:

1. Separate employer status to enable the design of a human resources management framework that is more responsive to Parks Canada’s particular operational requirements and the conditions in which its employees work;
2. Full revenue retention and reinvestment to contribute to the financing of services;
3. A two-year rolling budget to promote the wise investment of public funds and to allow for funding advances; and
4. A non-lapsing account to finance the establishment of new national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas.

In addition, Parks Canada has received new capital program, contracting and real property authorities to streamline administrative processes and paperwork, while continuing to be accountable to the Minister and Parliament who oversee the Agency’s operations.

Governance

Parks Canada’s Executive Board comprises the Chief Executive Officer, the four Directors General, the Chief Administrative Officer, the Executive Directors in Quebec, the Mountain Parks and Northern Canada, the Executive Director Ecological Integrity, the Chief Human Resources Officer, the Senior Financial Officer, the Director of Communications, the Senior Legal Counsel and the Chief of Staff. The CEO reports to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

As the senior decision-making body, the Executive Board sets the long-term strategic direction and priorities for the organization. The Board also approves resource allocations, new initiatives and service innovations proposed each year in national office, and field unit and service centre business plans.

The Audit and Evaluation Committee of the Executive Board oversees internal audit and evaluation activities in the Agency. Their role includes reviewing and approving the yearly update to the three-year Audit/Evaluation Plan, receiving and approving all completed audit and evaluation reports and ensuring that any recommendations are incorporated into the priority settings, planning and decision-making processes.

The National Parks and National Historic Sites Directorates develop program direction and operational policy for Parks Canada’s natural and cultural heritage programs respectively. The Strategy and Plans Directorate provides business, information technology, real property and financial services. The Human Resources National Office provides overall direction and support for Parks Canada’s responsibilities as the employer. The Communications Directorate provides strategic communication support to the Agency. The Director General, Eastern Canada, and the Director General, Western and Northern Canada, give strategic direction to the field units and service centres.

The Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat is responsible for the overall co-ordination of Aboriginal issues in Parks Canada (with the exception of land-claim issues) and reports directly to the CEO.

Program delivery, including on-site services to visitors, is the responsibility of Parks Canada’s 32 field units. Field units are groupings of national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas that are usually in proximity to one another thereby allowing them to share management and administrative resources. The field unit superintendents are accountable to the CEO through annual business plans and reports. They report to and receive advice and program guidance from the Directors General for Eastern Canada and Western and Northern Canada.

There are also four service centres, located in Halifax, Québec City, Cornwall/Ottawa and Winnipeg, with smaller branches in Calgary and Vancouver, which support the organization in a variety of professional and technical disciplines, such as biology and history. The service centres are accountable to the CEO through their annual business plans. They also report to and receive advice and program guidance from the Directors General for Eastern Canada and Western and Northern Canada.

Parks Canada Agency Annual Report 2001 - 2002