Monday April 7, 2025 | SAANICHTON, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Out on the Saanich Peninsula on this rainy Monday morning, Liberal Leader Mark Carney announced a plan for opening up more parks and natural spaces to Canadians, and protecting the biodiversity of those spaces.
That will include 10 new national parks and marine conservation areas, as well as 15 new national urban parks across Canada. Park access will be free in the summer season, said Carney.
It’s part of a plan to protect Canada’s natural environment.
“Canada’s natural heritage is under threat from climate change and unsustainable development practices,” he said the outdoor podium in a forest clearing near a major highway.
“It is also under a more immediate threat: President Trump wants Canada’s land, water, and resources. He wants to weaken us so America can own us – but we won’t let that happen. Our approach will draw on the wisdom of Indigenous traditions, the power of modern technology, and the strength of a united Canada,” said Carney.
“We need to make progress in how we take care of our natural heritage, for our children and grandchildren,” said Carney outdoors as rain began to drizzle.
“Nature is part of our very identity as Canadians,” said Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. “In this time of crisis, we need bold new approaches to protect Canada’s natural heritage and defend it for future generations.”
He called today’s announcement a “bold new nature strategy with smart approaches” that uses “finite resources for maximum impact”.
The Liberal news release to support this announcement said that a Mark Carney-led Liberal government will:
- Conserve nature and biodiversity, including by creating at least 10 new national parks and marine conservation areas, and 15 new urban parks;
- Connect Canadians with nature by making access to National Parks and Historic Sites free for this summer;
- Bolster Indigenous stewardship, including by establishing a new Arctic Indigenous Guardians program, and funding Indigenous-led conservation and protection projects;
- Protect our freshwater, including by investing $100 million in a strategic water security technology fund to advance Canadian R&D, AI, monitoring, and data tools;
- Enshrine First Nations’ right to water into law;
- Protect nature where it protects us, including by implementing nature-based climate solutions which deliver measurable carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits, while supporting community resilience;
- Clean up, maintain, and protect wildlife in and around our coastal waters, including by investing an additional $15M to modernize the location, retrieval, and responsible disposal of the ghost gear threatening marine mammals and birds; and,
- Champion nature conservation internationally, including by stopping illegal wildlife trade across our borders with modern digital solutions.
Campaign update:
Today Carney again addressed the global economic disruption being unleashed on Canada and the global economic order by US President Trump.
The key issue for voters is to choose who “they want at the bargaining table” with Trump after the federal election is done, Carney declared.
Carney was accompanied today by local candidates David Beckham (Saanich-Gulf Islands), Stephanie McLean (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke), Will Greaves (Victoria), Blair Herbert (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford), and Michelle Corfield (Nanaimo-Ladysmith).
The 45th federal election is on April 28.
===== RELATED:
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- Liberal Leader Mark Carney rallies the party faithful in Victoria (April 6, 2025)
- BC Premier: Softwood lumber duties are an attack on forestry workers (April 5, 2025)
- If the United States no longer wants to lead, Canada will, says Carney (April 4, 2025)
- Carney promises $150 million boost for CBC (April 4, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: CANADA-NATIONAL | CANADA-USA | TARIFFS & TRADE | CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION 2025 | LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA | NEWS MEDIA