Parks Canada set to slash warden detachments, officers across national parks
Federal agency spokesperson says it 'will continue to provide services across all locations'
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it → set → locations
Parks Canada is closing at least 13 warden detachments and prioritizing a regional service for law enforcement, according to multiple sources.
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Canada → close → sources
Detachments will be closing in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Yukon and Northwest Territories.
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Detachments → close → Columbia
The number of wardens impacted by the decision is unknown, but CBC News has learned at least a dozen positions will be cut.
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positions → impact → decision
Some detachments, such as Banff and Jasper, will each lose one warden, multiple sources told CBC News.
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sources → lose → News
"We’re deeply concerned what that looks like.
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that → concern → what
These aren’t just administrative changes," said Krysty Thomas, regional executive vice-president for Public Service Alliance of Canada’s Prairies region.
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Thomas → say → region
"We’re talking about highly trained officers who play an important role in protecting our national parks, enforcing environmental laws and providing critical support to other employees working in the field.
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who → talk → field
These changes come amidst $145 million in cuts to Parks Canada over the next three years.
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changes → come → years
Parks Canada acting CEO and vice-president of transformation Andrew Campbell wrote in an Oct. 20 email to staff that 2,917 letters went out to employees to let them know they could move to new jobs or be let go.
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they → write → jobs
Thomas said the union has been told Parks Canada plans to cut 517 full-time jobs.
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Canada → say → jobs
Among the detachments closing will be Kluane National Park in Yukon, Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia, Elk Island National Park in Alberta and Point Pelee National Park in Ontario.
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Park → close → Ontario
A new regional system will have 85 total wardens spread over western, central, eastern and northern Canada, and the Rockies.
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wardens → have → Canada
Thomas said PSAC wants to hear how Parks Canada will “maintain these important services with fewer people in fewer locations.”
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Canada → say → locations
Meaghan Bradley, a spokesperson in Parks Canada’s national communications office, told CBC News the federal agency is “modernizing its law enforcement model by redistributing capacity to focus on areas of highest priority and risk.”
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agency → tell → priority
Bradley didn’t acknowledge the number of wardens being let go, but said “some detachments are being consolidated into higher-need areas” and "adopting a more intelligence-driven approach to enforcement," including adding three regional intelligence co-ordinator positions.
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detachments → acknowledge → positions
CBC News reached out via email to the leadership team in charge of the decision-making for the cuts.
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News → reach → cuts
Campbell, executive director of transformation Hugues Michaud, transformation communications Stéphane Rondeau and senior strategic adviser Laurie Wein didn't get back to CBC News.
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Campbell → get → News
Multiple other requests for interviews were also declined.
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requests → decline → interviews
Some of the 34 national park wardens who received the Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal in Banff on Oct. 21, 2025.
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who → receive → Oct.
'You just get burned out'
When a detachment in a national park is closed, it means there's no on-the-ground law enforcement.
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it → burn → ground
The new system will rely on bringing in regional wardens to enforce federal law.
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system → rely → law
Mike Henderson was a warden in the Canadian Rockies for more than 30 years until retiring in 2022.
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Henderson → retire → 2022
He said a regional plan could contribute to staff burnout, especially if they’re thinly stretched to cover vast territories.
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they → say → territories
If a warden in the Lake Louise, Yoho, Kootenay field unit were to get a call on the Icefields Parkway, for instance, it could take more than half a shift to respond and get to another call, Henderson said.
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Henderson → get → call
“If you’re relying on the bigger national parks to fill the holes required in smaller national parks, you’re still pulling somebody from a bigger place,” he said.
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he → rely → place
“You still don’t have enough staff.
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You → have → staff
It’s not really a Band-Aid solution.
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It → ’ → ?
It’s a way to muddle your way through.”
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It → ’ → way
He noted the majority of warden work is a one-person job in remote areas — a mixture of front country and back country work.
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majority → note → work
“You go to these calls and you know you’re by yourself.
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you → go → yourself
You just get burned out,” he said.
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he → burn → ?
“That’s the weird thing with wardening: it’s pretty smooth sailing until it’s not.”
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it → ’ → wardening
Thomas said “one of the most troubling things they’re hearing” is staff may be without backup in remote locations.
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staff → say → locations
“Worker safety cannot be an afterthought in the workforce reduction exercise,” she said.
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she → say → exercise
'Parks Canada has a responsibility to protect these places for future generations'
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Canada → have → generations
Tamaini Snaith presented the changes in an Oct. 22 virtual meeting with wardens across the country, according to multiple sources.
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Snaith → present → sources
Multiple sources told CBC News that people in some of the positions being cut will be offered roles in the new regional enforcement areas.
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people → tell → areas
Parks Canada did an evaluation of the law enforcement program in 2023.
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Canada → do → 2023
The report states it has an annual budget of about $10 million, with roughly 80 per cent allocated to salaries.
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cent → state → salaries
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
