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A camper enjoys the scenery at Quttinirpaaq National Park, in the northeastern area of Ellesmere Island. Parks Canada is proposing to increase the fee structure in its national parks this year. - photo courtesy of Mike Beedell

NUNAVUT
Visiting the natural beauty of the territory in its four national parks might be slightly more expensive since Parks Canada is proposing to increase its fees.

Except for the addition of a $25 aircraft access permit and a $150 freelance photo permit, regular fees would go up by only a matter of cents or a few dollars for Auyuittuq National Park near Pangnirtung, Quttinirpaaq National Park on northeastern Ellesmere Island and Sirmilik National Park on northern Baffin Island. Ukkusiksalik National Park, south of Repulse Bay, was previously accessible for free but would now have the same fee structure as the other parks.

Parks Canada is also proposing daily and annual back country excursion/camping permit fees and back country daily excursion fees for all four national parks in Nunavut.

The department is consulting the public until Feb. 18 about proposed fee increases. National park fees had been frozen until 2008 to encourage tourism during the recession.

Pond Inlet economic development officer Colin Saunders said he doubts the fee increases would have a major impact on tourism levels.

"I can understand if they went up by a couple of hundred dollars, it might have something to do with it," he said. "But considering it costs thousands of dollars to come up to Pond (Inlet), an extra $5 or $10 trying to get into the park, I doubt if it's going to make much of a difference."

In Arctic Bay, hamlet economic development officer Clare Kines said he is more concerned with the lack of infrastructure in the park. He said no tourists come to his community to visit Sermilik.

"If I was an outfitter, I am not sure why I would take anybody to the park when similar scenery, similar items exist right there next to it," said Kines. "My opinion would change if Parks Canada would put more infrastructure in there - had planned hikes, had marked trails, had refuge huts, had an interpreter centre in Arctic Bay. But as it stands right now, there is really nothing there to justify the extra fees from my mind."

Joavie Alivaktuk, owner of Alivaktuk Outfitting, said fewer people will visit Auyuittuq after looking at all the costs involved to come up. It's going to be too expensive.

Parks Canada is proposing to adjust its future fees according to the consumer price index. The CPI is an indicator of prices consumers pay in Canada. Statistics Canada determines the by comparing over time the price of a fixed basket of goods and services.

Once suggested adjustments are made to user fees following the consultation process, the federal agency will present the proposed fee structure to Parliament for approval sometime this year.

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