Parks Canada is closing at least 13 warden detachments and prioritizing a regional service for law enforcement, according to multiple sources.

Detachments will be closing in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Yukon and Northwest Territories.

The number of wardens impacted by the decision is unknown, but CBC News has learned at least a dozen positions will be cut. Some detachments, such as Banff and Jasper, will each lose one warden, multiple sources told CBC News.

"We’re deeply concerned what that looks like. These aren’t just administrative changes," said Krysty Thomas, regional executive vice-president for Public Service Alliance of Canada’s Prairies region.

"We’re talking about highly trained officers who play an important role in protecting our national parks, enforcing environmental laws and providing critical support to other employees working in the field." These changes come amidst $145 million in cuts to Parks Canada over the next three years.

Parks Canada acting CEO and vice-president of transformation Andrew Campbell wrote in an Oct. 20 email to staff that 2,917 letters went out to employees to let them know they could move to new jobs or be let go. Thomas said the union has been told Parks Canada plans to cut 517 full-time jobs.

Parks Canada plan to cut 500 jobs draws criticism from union Among the detachments closing will be Kluane National Park in Yukon, Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia, Elk Island National Park in Alberta and Point Pelee National Park in Ontario. Others are Gulf Islands National Park Reserve in British Columbia, Fundy National Park in New Brunswick and Nahanni National Park Reserve in Northwest Territories.

A new regional system will have 85 total wardens spread over western, central, eastern and northern Canada, and the Rockies.

Thomas said PSAC wants to hear how Parks Canada will “maintain these important services with fewer people in fewer locations.”

Meaghan Bradley, a spokesperson in Parks Canada’s national communications office, told CBC News the federal agency is “modernizing its law enforcement model by redistributing capacity to focus on areas of highest priority and risk.”Bradley didn’t acknowledge the number of wardens being let go, but said “some detachments are being consolidated into higher-need areas” and "adopting a more intelligence-driven approach to enforcement," including adding three regional intelligence co-ordinator positions.

CBC News reached out via email to the leadership team in charge of the decision-making for the cuts. Campbell, executive director of transformation Hugues Michaud, transformation communications Stéphane Rondeau and senior strategic adviser Laurie Wein didn't get back to CBC News. Multiple other requests for interviews were also declined. 'You just get burned out' When a detachment in a national park is closed, it means there's no on-the-ground law enforcement. The new system will rely on bringing in regional wardens to enforce federal law.

Mike Henderson was a warden in the Canadian Rockies for more than 30 years until retiring in 2022. He said a regional plan could contribute to staff burnout, especially if they’re thinly stretched to cover vast territories.

If a warden in the Lake Louise, Yoho, Kootenay field unit were to get a call on the Icefields Parkway, for instance, it could take more than half a shift to respond and get to another call, Henderson said.

“If you’re relying on the bigger national parks to fill the holes required in smaller national parks, you’re still pulling somebody from a bigger place,” he said. “You still don’t have enough staff. It’s not really a Band-Aid solution. It’s a way to muddle your way through.”Parks Canada ends search and rescue dog program He noted the majority of warden work is a one-person job in remote areas — a mixture of front country and back country work.

“You go to these calls and you know you’re by yourself. … You just get burned out,” he said.

“That’s the weird thing with wardening: it’s pretty smooth sailing until it’s not.”Thomas said “one of the most troubling things they’re hearing” is staff may be without backup in remote locations. “Worker safety cannot be an afterthought in the workforce reduction exercise,” she said.

Parks Canada has a responsibility to protect these places for future generations' Parks Canada’s executive director of conservation Tamaini Snaith presented the changes in an Oct. 22 virtual meeting with wardens across the country, according to multiple sources.

Multiple sources told CBC News that people in some of the positions being cut will be offered roles in the new regional enforcement areas.

Parks Canada not laying charges after Banff National Park superintendent admits to violating federal law Parks Canada did an evaluation of the law enforcement program in 2023. The report states it has an annual budget of about $10 million, with roughly 80 per cent allocated to salaries.

It notes there were about 100 wardens in 2022. Through surveys and interviews, it found “there is also agreement that available resources have not kept pace with the increasing needs of the program” since new national parks have been created and laws have increased responsibilities.

Parks Canada administers more than 450,000 square kilometres of land and water in 37 national parks, 11 national park reserves, five national marine conservation areas, one national urban park and 171 national historic sites.

Bradley said some positions will be relocated, and the warden service “will continue to provide services across all locations.”Thomas said the union has been asking Parks Canada about impacts to response times, increased travel distances and what happens when a warden needs immediate backup.

“These are occupational health and safety concerns and not just financial savings. ... Parks Canada has a responsibility to protect these places for future generations," she said. "That responsibility doesn’t disappear because budgets are being reduced.”