Parks Canada launching public consultations on proposed user fee changes

Desktop – Leaderboard

Home » Parks Canada launching public consultations on proposed user fee changes

Posted: January 16, 2013

Parks Canada launching public consultations on proposed user fee changes

Parks Canada is now consulting on proposed changes to its national and local fees for services such as entry and camping starting in 2013.

These consultations will run from January 11 until February 18. Your views are important to us!

In a release on its website, Parks Canada explains “user fees to help pay for services that provide personal or commercial benefits. Parks Canada currently charges over 3,300 different user fees for services such as entry, camping and for rights and privileges such as business licenses. Only about 30% of the cost of visitor programs is funded by user fees revenue; revenue that is retained at the national park, national historic site or national marine conservation area where it was collected.”

Higher energy costs and other inflationary impacts are increasing operating costs to provide services to visitors, Parks Canada outlines.

Fee freeze ends

To support Canadians and tourism businesses during a difficult economic period, Parks Canada froze its prices at 2008 levels. This fee freeze ends in 2013.

Parks Canada proposes that future fee adjustments for major services be in accordance with the Consumer Price Index. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the rate of price change for goods and services bought by Canadian consumers. It is the most widely accepted indicator of price changes in Canada.

Parks Canada has in its bailiwick 44 national parks, 167 national historic sites and four national marine conservation areas.

Comments

Parks Canada consults on all fee changes to provide transparency and accountability of its user fees as required by the User Fees Act and the Parks Canada Agency Act. Parks Canada’s public consultations, for the proposed price changes for 2013, began January 11 and runs to February 18. This period also represents the official User Fees Act ‘notification period.’

To provide comments to Parks Canada on the proposed 2013 fees, please do so:

Electronically

[email protected]

or by mail

Parks Canada Agency

2013 Fees Consultation – Brand Experience Branch

25 Eddy Street, 6th floor (25-6-T)

Gatineau, QC K1A 0M5

Parks Canada Locations by province

Newfoundland and Labrador  Nova Scotia  Prince Edward Island  New Brunswick Quebec  Ontario  Manitoba  Saskatchewan  Alberta  British Columbia  Yukon  Northwest Territories Nunavut