by Ric Stryde
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 04/97) - Parks Canada is going to be revamped. Critics say there's too much bureaucracy within the agency, and that's going to change ... soon.

The MP in charge of the transition promises, however, that privatization is not in the cards.

The department is said to have too many levels of authority to wade through before any information reaches the cabinet member responsible, Heritage Minister Sheila Copps.

So the newly appointed secretary of state for parks, MP Andy Mitchell, is touring the country to discuss the possible changes, and to receive input from any concerned groups.

"We're flattening the organization," said Mitchell, while in Yellowknife on Thursday. "It takes too long for anything to reach the minister."

Mitchell, whose position was created with the appointment of a new cabinet in June, will be making many stops during a cross-Canada consultation tour. He hopes to meet with parks staff and members of environmental, aboriginal, industry, labor and other interested groups that have ideas to improve the plan that will turn Parks Canada into an separate agency.

"We're trying to get a broad spectrum of ideas," said Mitchell. The department of Canadian Heritage doesn't want to turn itself spin off Parks into a separate agency and then face all sorts of complaints from affected parties. It is better to speak with them all first, he said.

The agency that Parks will turn into is supposed to be more flexible, so it can easily respond to the needs of future generations of Canadians and

maintain the vast network of parks and reserves the country currently has.

When Parks Canada turns into that agency, it will be able to bank its profits, instead of turning them over to the federal government each year.

"It's going to have an ongoing non-lapsing fund," said Mitchell. "It's going to become it's own employer, this provides more flexibility."

As for parks in the North, Mitchell says, "We're working actively on creating more parks in the North, as compared with the rest of the country."

No matter what happens when Parks Canada changes status from a sub-department to full-fledged agency, there should be no sponsorships from corporate sources. "This is absolutely no privatization of Parks Canada," said Mitchell.