Parks Canada to send workforce adjustment letters to nearly 3,000 staff amid budget cuts

Facing a federal mandate to slash $145 million, or just over 10 percent, from its $1.27 billion budget, Parks Canada is preparing a new round of workforce adjustments. Andrew Campbell, the interim president and CEO, announced that 2,917 staff will receive letters indicating their roles may be redundant, relocated or otherwise altered. While the agency expects to remove the equivalent of 500 full-time positions, it says affected employees will be notified directly by their supervisors.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada, representing nearly 5,000 park workers, highlighted the anxiety this creates for employees in communities such as Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, where housing depends on park jobs. Union regional executive vice-president Krysty Thomas noted that departments like park wardens, dog search-and-rescue, visitor services, trail maintenance and emergency response could be targeted. She called for transparency on which roles are at risk and how decisions were reached, stressing the importance of maintaining park safety and visitor experience.