Should our National Parks in Alberta and B.C. be managed by the people of Alberta and B.C.?

[greylynx]

Given that our National Parks in B.C. and Alberta are managed by a bunch of people in Ontario, mainly Ottawa, do you think it is time that control should be placed in the hands of Albertans and British Columbians?

[TreeGuy]

Given the way this provincial government budgets and manages it's own affairs, I'll vote with a resounding NOPE!

[CNP]

How do the people of AB get to manage federal land? AB doesn't manage federal property and the feds don't manage provincial property. I fail to see your point?

[Bushrat]

If Alberta got control it would get logged, mined, wells, pipelines, cutlines everywhere.

[rwm1273]

I don't care who manages it so long as it is managed properly.

[doetracks]

I'm in agreement with ehntr. It's federal land that just happens to be in Alberta and BC.

That being said, it needs to be managed properly regardless of who is doing the mangaing. And, THAT being said, "properly managed" means something different to everyone.

Leave it with the feds and REMEMBER THE ORIGINAL MANDATE : for all Canadians, in perpetuity:

On behalf of the people of Canada, we protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure the ecological and commemorative integrity of these places for present and future generations.

[Dennis780]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Given that our National Parks in B.C. and Alberta are managed by a bunch of people in Ontario, mainly Ottawa, do you think it is time that control should be placed in the hands of Albertans and British Columbians?

It depends. If you are asking if the AB and BC governments should regulate it, possibly. If you are asking if the people in the provinces should, then no. Many people love and take care of the parks. But the amount of people who do NOT far outweigh those that do. I do find the parks are becoming too commercialized (I was just out there last weekend, and they put up some new HUGE trailhead signs, and expanded parking for hiking trails). But overall, it's not horrible.

Dennis

[gatorhunter]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Given that our National Parks in B.C. and Alberta are managed by a bunch of people in Ontario, mainly Ottawa, do you think it is time that control should be placed in the hands of Albertans and British Columbians?

What is it that you're not happy with? How about Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, SK and MB, Maritime Federal Parks? What are your issues?

[FlyOnTheWall]

Kick out the Feds, all National Parks actually belong to the Provinces and are merely on loan to Ottawa. Given that they are mostly a make work project for Eastern Canada. Cancel the deal with Ottawa and send them home. Besides Ottawa has started giving away our land to the UN. IE; HeadSmashedIn, all of the land with a UNESCO designation has been given to the UN. We have way to much parkland in Alberta now, around 20M acres. Almost all of the Rocky Mts now are under Ottawa's control.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by FlyOnTheWall

Kick out the Feds, all National Parks actually belong to the Provinces and are merely on loan to Ottawa. Given that they are mostly a make work project for Eastern Canada. Cancel the deal with Ottawa and send them home. Besides Ottawa has started giving away our land to the UN. IE; HeadSmashedIn, all of the land with a UNESCO designation has been given to the UN. We have way to much parkland in Alberta now, around 20M acres. Almost all of the Rocky Mts now are under Ottawa's control.

An excellent example ^ of; 'stirring the pot'.

Please tell us Mr. Bug (FlyOnTheWall) ... what planet did you come from?!

TF

[FlyOnTheWall]

If speaking the truth is stirring the pot, yah I'm guilty. Banff is located in Banff Alberta if you look on a map. If you mail a letter to Banff, the adress is in Alberta not Canada or Ottawa, fact. Alberta has around 20M acres of land in Parks and Protected and Restricted areas already, way to much, fact. Why shouldn't Albertans control their own Natural Legacy on their own land. What's radical about that, Ottawa has been handing over Alberta Sovereign Territory to the UN, that is fact. Go read the National Parks Act, it includes a clause on handing back the land fact. Why are you stirring the pot and not relying on the facts.

[FishingMOM]

Fly why do you think Alberta should have control over the parks?

I am rather content with having the parks as they are. At this time they are preserved for the future generations. We all have access to use the parks.
Its nice knowing I can take my son to Banff to explore the beauty, without having to worry that some landowner will be ****y I am in his mountain.
Plus if they transferred it from national park it would all need to be provincial parks. We can't manage the land we have now.
Just look at the punks who destroy the land every long weekend with their machines.

So leave my national park alone!

[300-510]

Oh yes leave it to the feds they know whats best for us dumb albertans.

[burblecut]

Alberta can't even manage wildlife populations, let alone national parks. They would log it, mine it, and have oil roads all over. It P%^% me off just to think about it.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Given that our National Parks in B.C. and Alberta are managed by a bunch of people in Ontario, mainly Ottawa, do you think it is time that control should be placed in the hands of Albertans and British Columbians?

So you are basically saying no National Parks, only Provincial Parks. Nope.

National Parks is the ONLY sort of Federal spending I can think of where Alberta gets more than it's fair share of. We have the biggest, best national Parks in the country. I see no reason to take over paying for them as well.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by 300-510

Oh yes leave it to the feds they know whats best for us dumb albertans.

National Parks aren't for us "dumb Albertans", they are for ALL Canadians. That's the point.

[gunner72]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

So you are basically saying no National Parks, only Provincial Parks. Nope.

National Parks is the ONLY sort of Federal spending I can think of where Alberta gets more than it's fair share of. We have the biggest, best national Parks in the country. I see no reason to take over paying for them as well.

x2

[300-510]

Managed by Albertans ,not the feds or the u.n., Canadians including Okotokians would be welcome.

[DarkAisling]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Given that our National Parks in B.C. and Alberta are managed by a bunch of people in Ontario, mainly Ottawa, do you think it is time that control should be placed in the hands of Albertans and British Columbians?

No. The national parks are federally funded parks and fall under federal jurisdiction.

Alberta can't manage our provincial parks worth a damn (poor quality campgrounds, closures, etc.), IMO. I'd rather the province didn't have the opportunity to mess up parks outside of its jurisdiction.

[TheClash]

Originally Posted by FlyOnTheWall

If speaking the truth is stirring the pot, yah I'm guilty. Banff is located in Banff Alberta if you look on a map. If you mail a letter to Banff, the adress is in Alberta not Canada or Ottawa, fact. Alberta has around 20M acres of land in Parks and Protected and Restricted areas already, way to much, fact. Why shouldn't Albertans control their own Natural Legacy on their own land. What's radical about that, Ottawa has been handing over Alberta Sovereign Territory to the UN, that is fact. Go read the National Parks Act, it includes a clause on handing back the land fact. Why are you stirring the pot and not relying on the facts.

This is not a fact, it is an opinion..no more or less valid than an opinion of the opposite view.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by FlyOnTheWall

Alberta has around 20M acres of land in Parks and Protected and Restricted areas already, way to much, fact.

The 20 million acres may be fact. "Way too much" is simply your opinion. One I don't share. So if the province took over the parks and ran them as you would like, we would simply have less park, turning much of tha land back over to industrial development.

[grunger]

Originally Posted by greylynx

Given that our National Parks in B.C. and Alberta are managed by a bunch of people in Ontario, mainly Ottawa, do you think it is time that control should be placed in the hands of Albertans and British Columbians?

To serve what purpose?
All National Parks across Canada are supported through federal funding. Why should Alberta and British Columbia be any different?

[eastcoast]

Originally Posted by grunger

To serve what purpose?
All National Parks across Canada are supported through federal funding. Why should Alberta and British Columbia be any different?

I guess he doesn't understand what "national" park means.

[greylynx]

Originally Posted by gatorhunter

What is it that you're not happy with? How about Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, SK and MB, Maritime Federal Parks? What are your issues?

All I asked was a simple question and your trying to start a fight.

It is not going to work

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by greylynx

All I asked was a simple question and your trying to start a fight.

It is not going to work

I don't thinnk he is trying to pick a fight any more than you were with your original question GL. He didn't insult you or question your intelligence or even say he thought it was a dumb idea. He's just asking your reasoning for advocating a change.

[greylynx]

I have no specific issue in mind. This forum has a wide sampling of intelligent people of different backgrounds. I just wanted to know if there was any one sided atitude.

Thank you for your comments

[FlyOnTheWall]

Couple of points. Can any of you read a map. Banff and Jasper are inside the borders of Alberta. Fact. In all cases were you see UNESCO, that means that control of that land has been handed over ceded by Ottawa to the UN. Fact. And just because you think that Albertans are not paying for it and that Ottawa has a money tree, you probably still believe in the Tooth Fairy as well. There is only one Taxpayer, and the taxes siphoned off by Ottawa still come out of every Albertans pocket whether they are spent by Ottawa or Edmonton. The National Parks is just another make work project for Eastern Canada. And all of the National Parks and Crown Land in Alberta, still belongs to Alberta held in trust by Ottawa in the name of the Queen. And by Right of Emminent Domain. As to the 20 Million acres not being enough, and this being a hunting site, fishing etc. what makes you think that you will ever be allowed to legally hunt in a National Park. Much of these parks are listed off limits, now except under certain specified conditions. It seems that the Taxpayer is subsidizing so called EnviroVacationers the Elite. Much like we are forced to fund the CBC whether we want it or not. Boot the Feds out, and take back the mountains for all Albertans.

[McLeod]

Originally Posted by doetracks

I'm in agreement with ehntr. It's federal land that just happens to be in Alberta and BC.

That being said, it needs to be managed properly regardless of who is doing the mangaing. And, THAT being said, "properly managed" means something different to everyone.

Leave it with the feds and REMEMBER THE ORIGINAL MANDATE : for all Canadians, in perpetuity:

On behalf of the people of Canada, we protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure the ecological and commemorative integrity of these places for present and future generations.

I agree except that those managing the Parks in the last decade have done there best to keep Canadians out rather that bring them into parks. Now they are having to deal with new initiatives that are out in left field as a result of some poor management decisions which resulted in reduced revenues.
Further to that Parks is no longer doing trail maintenance on many long and historical trails in the park and they are going so far as decommissioning the bridges. The direction our National Parks has never been more cllouded and confusing than it's is now.

[gatorhunter]

Originally Posted by greylynx

All I asked was a simple question and your trying to start a fight.

It is not going to work

People who pick fights don't normally take the time to ask the other what their issues are with respect to a topic?

The question was very simple. Also, what about the National Parks in all these other Provinces and Territories? Should they be turned over to their respective jurisdictions too?

I know employees in some western Canadian National Parks and they are Albertans, British Columbians, Manitobans, Saskatchewanites.... I don't get what you're trying to say.

I also agree with many of the comments related to Provincial Parks. These are totally different entities with a totally different feel to them. I see absolutely nothing wrong with various levels of Governments managing their own "Parks!" My opinion anyway.

[sjd]

I'm a proud Albertan, but I'm also a proud Canadian. Parks Canada have done a pretty good job in the past 100 years in my opinion - and the international branding that comes with it, is good for our tourism industry.

I agree with many other posters I wouldn't trust the Government of Alberta to not liquidate all our natural assets given the chance. Alberta's wildlife populations survive in spite of, not because of the Government of Alberta. Fish and Feathers staff do their best, but its pretty clear the mine/drill/clearcut/sell public land mindset in Edmonton are driving the bus and they won't stop until every dollar has been squeezed from our land.

IMHO those 20 million acres of parkland help create nice source populations for our hunting