Park wardens in Jasper and Banff are to see layoffs in the coming months as Ottawa works to cut public service by 28,000 positions over four years. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), representing nearly 250,000 workers across the country, said it has learned that 13 warden positions will be impacted by federal cuts. “We are deeply concerned … We’re talking about highly trained officers who play an important role in protecting our national parks, enforcing environmental laws, and providing support to those working in the field,” said Krysty Thomas, regional executive vice president of PSAC for the prairie region. With Parks Canada offering free admission to its parks with the Canada Strong Pass in 2025 and 2026, Thomas said the agency has lost a large portion of revenue as a result. “Just last year Banff alone saw 4.5 million visitors. Those fees were not collected and a lot of those entrance fees do go back into the operations of the parks, including enforcement,” said Thomas. “We want folks to enjoy these parks, we want them to be accessible. But we also want to make sure that if there are going to be additional visitors to these parks, that there are resources available to keep them safe and protected.” Last week Parks Canada issued 2,971 letters to about two thirds of its workforce. Layoffs are expected in the coming months. CTV News Edmonton has reached out to Parks Canada for a response. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Kenny
