Parks Canada cuts $140M in operations as Carney pushes free park pass

Parks Canada is entering a "period of workforce adjustment" and cutting about $140 million in operational spending over the next three years, even as the federal government prepares to expand free access to national parks.

In an email to staff this month, Parks Canada's interim president and CEO Andrew Campbell said the agency will cut jobs in multiple waves and will adjust, scale back, or discontinue some work.

The timing has drawn criticism. "The timing of it is odd," said Alex Silas, national executive vice-president with the Public Service Alliance of Canada. "While they're trying to promote access to Parks Canada parks and historic sites, they're also weakening our ability to preserve and maintain these historic sites and parks."

The cuts follow the Carney government's decision to renew the "Canada Strong Pass," a free summer program offering admission to national parks and discounts on museums and galleries. The initiative was unveiled after the 2025 election as a tool to boost domestic tourism.

Parks Canada says it will use a data-driven approach to focus resources on experiences and facilities providing the greatest benefit to visitors and conservation. The agency plans to target non-essential internal services and underperforming sites with low visitation.

Magdalena Garcia, a researcher in protected areas with the Montreal-based Secretariat on the Convention of Biological Diversity, said infrastructure damage from past austerity at Parks Canada took years to reverse. "National parks are an economic engine," she said. "But also in terms of human health, ecosystem health, community well-being. We cannot manage parks with magic, right?"