In March, Budget 2012 announced that, as part of the broader federal budget balancing exercise, the operating budget for Parks Canada will be reduced by $29.2 million over the next 3 years, and that all Parks Canada sites, including the Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW), would face budget reductions. The total expenditures of Parks Canada were $885 million last year.
In April, in a meeting between the Minister of the Environment and the President of Parks Canada, and Members of Parliament in the Trent-Severn Caucus: Rick Norlock, Northumberland – Quinte West; Dean Del Mastro, Peterborough; Barry Devolin, Haliburton - Kawartha Lakes – Brock; and Bruce Stanton – Simcoe North. It was agreed that the MPs would consult with waterway stakeholders in order to make recommendations for future canal operations, and present them to the Minister later this summer.
Without an increase in revenue, or a corresponding reduction in expenditures, the operating season of the TSW is poised to be reduced, starting in 2013, to weekends only in the spring and fall; two hours per day less during the summer, and finishing the navigation season three weeks earlier, in mid-September.
“Since April, when the planned schedule reductions were announced, I have heard a range of opinion on the impact of these proposed changes, participated in three stakeholder meetings and received dozens of written submissions”, said Bruce Stanton. “I invite people with an interest in this issue to come and share their opinions. Their comments and suggestions will help develop my recommendations to the Minister later this month”.
The public meeting will be held:
- Thursday, August 16, 2012
- Washago Community Centre
- 4361 Hamilton St – Washago
- 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
For more information please contact:
James Nicol
Office of Bruce Stanton, M.P.
575 West St S – Unit 2A
Orillia ON L3V 7N6
(705) 327-0513
Bruce.stanton@parl.gc.ca
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