riority projects to focus on climate resiliency, public safety, built heritage, and improved visitor experiences.
Gaspé – The network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada is a gateway to nature, history, and 450 000 km² of memories from coast to coast to coast. Investing in these locations helps support the health of natural and built heritage, increases climate resiliency and creates jobs in local communities, while providing visitors with high-quality, safe and meaningful experiences across the country.
Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, on behalf of Steven Guilbeault, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, reconfirmed the Government of Canada’s commitment to Parks Canada’s assets and the critical function they provide to Canadians and visitors by providing $557 million over three years to ensure the continuation of infrastructure projects and critical maintenance work. The announcement took place virtually near Forillon National Park and highlighted a $9.8 million project to restore and present the heritage houses of Grande-Grave’s expropriated families, an iconic sector of the national park.
The Government is committed to continued investment in the revitalization of federal infrastructure assets for the benefit of all Canadians. Parks Canada’s ability to meet its mandate of conserving and presenting national historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas in Canada is founded on its assets. More than just supporting visitors, these assets play critical functions, such as transportation, water management, public safety, and services to residents and businesses, while being a source of shared pride for Canadians. In addition, Parks Canada administered places are cornerstones of the tourism industry and play an important role in local economies, contributing billions of dollars in economic benefits annually. With regards to the investments planned in the Grande-Grave sector, they are an important acknowledgement for Forillon’s expropriated families and their descendants and a first step toward the revitalization of a sector that will showcase the Gaspé community and contribute to the development of regional tourism.
Through this federal investment, Parks Canada will focus on high priority capital projects, complete critical maintenance work, and sustain its highly skilled asset workforce capacity, to continue making improvements to the condition of its asset portfolio across all regions of the country. Parks Canada approaches infrastructure projects in ways that support broader federal priorities, such as including Indigenous perspectives, mitigating climate change, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the environmental footprint, and focusing on sustainability, while ensuring efficient, modern, accessible and inclusive facilities that will benefit all Canadians.
This long-awaited announcement for the sector of Grande-Grave includes the restoration of several heritage buildings, the commemoration of the expropriated families’ history, and the creation of a distinctive accommodation offer for visitors in this sector of the national park. Created in partnership with the Association of Persons Expropriated from Forillon and their Descendants, this offer will introduce a meaningful experience for visitors, who will have the opportunity to learn more about the difficult past experienced by expropriated families living in the area at the time of the park’s creation. In addition to presenting an economic and touristic benefit, this new offer will be an opportunity to bring to life the residential past of the site, tell the larger Grande-Grave story and the positive impact these families had on the nation, as well as to provide a unique experience in the Gaspé region. Information regarding other infrastructure projects across the country receiving this federal funding will be shared in the coming weeks and months.