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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Parks Canada is hoping to regulate the use, possession and transportation of firearms in the NWT's three Northernmost national parks, a move officials say will entice more visitors for research and adventure trips.

"The North is really becoming 'top of mind' for Canadians," said Rob Prosper, executive director for Parks Canada.

"We feel that if we increase that sense of security and trust in those types of areas, it's likely to result in increased visitation. It's one of those pieces of the puzzle to increase access to activities in the park."

Parks Canada is overhauling its wild animal regulations in Aulavik National Park, Tuktuk Nogait National Park and Ivvavik National Park - the three parks in the Inuvialuit settlement region with polar bears - and hopes to market the parks, which already face an uphill battle because of how remote they are and how expensive it is for most Canadians to visit.

In 2009 the three parks attracted 87 visitors and 31 researchers. In 2010 there were 95 registered visitors and 54 researchers.

Under the proposed regulations, beneficiary guides will be first in line to receive firearm permits, a move Prosper said respects land claim agreements and secures jobs.

"We feel that this is an economic opportunity for beneficiaries to take advantage of their existing skill set and knowledge in these areas," Prosper said.

"These individuals know their firearms, know the environment and they also know bear behaviour."

The new regulations won't effect beneficiaries' right to harvest and carry firearms, but will simply extend this right to when they are acting as guides in the region's three national parks.

Non-beneficiaries will only be able to obtain a firearm permit in the parks if a beneficiary guide is unavailable.

Between September and December of this year, Parks Canada will be holding consultations with the general public, corporate management boards, wildlife management boards, communities, aboriginal groups, tourism outfitters, hunters and trappers associations and researchers in the region.

Jennifer Lam, resource management co-ordinator for the Inuvialuit game council, said Parks Canada has council's full support.

The regulatory changes come on the heels of interim guidelines established last year, which allow for firearm permits in limited circumstances. So far, seven permits have been issued in the three parks - six to beneficiary guides and one to a non-beneficiary guide.

The research group that obtained a permit for the non-beneficiary guide had to prove they tried and failed to find a beneficiaries guide, according to Ifan Thomas, a Parks Canada field unit supervisor for the Western Arctic.

Thomas emphasis that firearms will still be used as a "safety tool of last resort" in national parks.

Knowing how to safely store food, travel in a group and use pepper spray and bear bangers are things everyone visiting the three parks should be able to do.

Prosper said the revised wildlife regulations will likely come into effect next fall.

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