Nearly half of staff in N.W.T. and Yukon could be affected by layoffs: Parks Canada
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Fort Smith, N.W.T., mayor says any local job cuts will have profound impact on community
As Parks Canada prepares to restructure more than 100 jobs across the North, some leaders are worried about the void that will leave in their communities.
Nearly 3,000 Parks Canada staff nationwide are being notified by letter this week that their jobs are at risk, according to a memo sent to employees and posted online on Tuesday.
The federal agency told CBC News it has 67 of 147 staff in the Northwest Territories and 58 of 137 staff in the Yukon who are affected by a “workforce adjustment” making up about 45 per cent of its staff in the two territories. CBC News is awaiting details about affected employees in Nunavut.
Parks Canada said receiving a letter does not necessarily mean an employee will lose their job — some positions will remain as is, some will change and others will be eliminated.
Dana Fergusson, the mayor of Fort Smith, N.W.T., located near Wood Buffalo National Park, said any job loss in the town of roughly 2,500 people will be felt deeply in the community.
“They’re the volunteers at the minor hockey rink, or the curling lounge, or taking your kids to do bake sales on the weekend to fundraise so kids can go play volleyball in Yellowknife,” she said.
Fergusson is also concerned about how any cuts could affect the preservation of the park, which is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Parks Canada restructuring comes after the federal government’s comprehensive expenditure review, which requires Parks Canada to absorb nearly $145 million in budget reductions over the next three years.
Some Parks Canada programs will be scaled back or discontinued, and the number of positions required to deliver certain programs and services will be reduced.
Parks Canada expects to eliminate the equivalent of 500 full-time jobs across the country. The staffing reductions will be carried out in the coming months, but the exact timeline is unclear.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Labour shortage has Fort Smith businesses struggling to keep doors open, CBC News
Finland: Nearly 700 health and social services jobs at risk in Lapland and South Karelia, Yle News
Sweden: 100,000 new residents needed to fill jobs in northern Sweden, Radio Sweden
