Law-breaking rampant in parks: critics

January 10, 2002
Source: National Post
Original story - link verified on January 10, 2002
By Tom Blackwell

From the killing of moose to the illegal harvesting of contaminated clams, Canada's National Parks have become a haven for poachers and other troublemakers since the RCMP took over policing of the preserves, critics allege. Giving the Mounties enforcement duties in the parks, a beat they had never covered before last year, is costing taxpayers an extra $20-million yearly. But the wardens who did the job for a century, other government officials and environmentalists say the police lack the training, time or resources to keep order in the wilderness. Parks Canada insists there is no evidence of an increase in law-breaking and attributes the criticism to a bitter labour dispute over the use of guns by wardens. The government stripped wardens of their enforcement role last February rather than comply with a Labour Code ruling that said they should be armed.

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