The original idea of a national, state and provincial parks was to set aside an area of outstanding natural beauty and interest, such as Yellowstone National Park in Montana, to be managed and maintained for public access and enjoyment.
Somewhere along the line came the idea that economic activity was completely incompatible with these aims. Then came the huge parks in northern Canada, as big as some countries, where the wardens outnumber the visitors. These parks have no distinctive features and, because of the prohibitive cost of getting there, are inaccessible for most people. Then came Tatshenshini [in British Columbia], where, in 1993, a park was put in place to prevent a mine from being opened, with no concern for public benefit. Most people don’t even know where it is and probably couldn’t afford to see it even if they could find it on a map. Then came the well-known refusal by Parks Canada to accept a 5% reduction in the area of a new park to allow First Nations access for mineral exploration.
Now Parks Canada is eyeing a huge section of the Yukon/Northwest Territories border for a new park with no public access.
Parks have become an empire-building racket from which all concept of public benefit has long gone. It is a one-way process: parks are never decommissioned, because they are no longer of demonstrable public value. Yet laws made these parks, and laws can un-make them. Parks never generate jobs and tax revenues to match the industries that they displace.
As the taxpayer is funding this whole operation, it would be interesting to know what benefit is received.
Tom Morrison
Delta, B.C.
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