Meet the Minister: New leader of Environment and Parks sees a lot of potential for recreation over the next 4 years
Haida Gwaii News - Andrew Hudson photo
Tamara Davidson never expected to be named Minister of Environment and Parks for the B.C. government. But five months in she sees it as a natural fit.
“Just a couple weeks ago, I thanked the Premier for putting me into the role because I get to talk about the environment and parks all day long,” says Davidson, the MLA for the North Coast-Haida Gwaii riding. “It's a great job.”
Though she also admits–in a time of abundant uncertainty, with a tight fiscal budget, and growing demands on parks and recreation–it will also be a challenging one.
Davidson is a first time MLA and her mandate letter included a spectrum of expectations, everything from expediting major projects to making parks more accessible. Recreation wasn’t specifically mentioned, but in an interview with the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC, Davidson said she recognizes its importance to many rural communities. With her government focused on economics, she sees opportunities to make the case for investing in outdoor recreation and, especially, strengthening relationships with the volunteer groups who make it happen.
“We want to keep those lines of communication open because it’s through those connections that we are really going to know what's needed to help us reach our shared goals,” she said.
Davidson made no specific commitments in the interview, but she did share a long list of objectives that match many of the priorities of the ORCBC. How many items she will manage to check off during her tenure remains to be seen, but what was clear during the interview is that Davidson wants to be an ally to the recreation sector.
What follows is a transcript of the conversation. It has been edited for clarity and brevity.
ORCBC: Could you start off by telling us about your background?
Tamara Davidson: My Haida name is Laanas, and my English name is Tamara Davidson. I'm a member of the Haida Nation and a former elected representative of the Council of the Haida Nation. And as well, I've worked in different industries throughout my career. I've worked in the real estate sector. I've worked in the federal government for 20 years, and then also worked with a lot of Indigenous organizations, such as the First Peoples Cultural Foundation.
ORCBC: How did those experiences prepare you for this job?
TD: I think I had difficulty seeing the connections and I'm so happy that the Premier did see the connections. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, I thanked the Premier for putting me into the role because I get to talk about the environment and parks all day long. It's a great job.
I have worked within Parks Canada Agency, specifically back home on Haida Gwaii with the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, Heida Heritage Site and National Marine Conservation Area Reserve. So I do have operational experience when it comes to managing parks. And then also I've worked in environmental assessment work, working directly within Indigenous communities and helping to explain the environmental process to them, albeit from a federal side.
ORCBC: I know that you're a big hiker. Is that your recreation focus or are there other things that you like to do as well?
TD: I like hiking. I like camping. I would say that the biggest reason why I talk a lot about hiking is because I have a dog. And so I get out a lot with him, exploring different recreation areas and trails. I know how important it is having rec sites available.
ORCBC: Do you have a favourite trail or favourite rec site?
TD: I don't really have a favourite because I just love getting out and exploring different areas. I also have had the privilege of working all over British Columbia in my career. Any time I'm in a new community, I love going out and exploring and seeing the trails and local rec sites and campgrounds.
ORCBC: Can you talk a little bit about your Ministry’s priorities when it comes to recreation and parks?
TD: Since 2017 we’ve put in almost 2000 new campsites and we really want to keep adding to those because they're really in high demand. It's a perfect, family friendly, affordable vacation that people are really looking for. And it's also providing an opportunity for some local economic development. Especially small businesses really benefit from having the visitors there in their areas. So we really want to look at that and also make sure that we make all of our sites more accessible for all. And then also carrying out our important conservation work.
ORCBC: How do you see the outdoor recreation community best collaborating with the government to help you achieve those goals?
TD: I think it's really just building strong, positive relationships with the local organizations and the people who really get out and use those parks and trails. We’re always looking to hear more from people on how we can maintain and improve them for future generations. The recreation groups, they really have unique needs. When they're bringing forward different ideas I want our staff to work closely with all of the organizations to really help understand what their needs are and then also provide leadership to help them meet those needs.
ORCBC: The provincial government hasn’t been shy about talking about its fiscal challenges. Most outdoor recreation organizations are volunteer run and struggle to keep up with the demand. How do you think your ministry can support clubs within the fiscal constraints you have and the needs of more and more people trying to get outside?
TD: I think it's going to be really important that we are talking with each of the community groups and recreation organizations about what their needs are. And then also making sure that we're having our park operator models in place with fee structures that are appropriate. That's all part of our program review that we're doing right now. We're looking at everything. All the options are on the table. We're working closely with a lot of the organizations that we have supported in the past and then also just looking at what we can do in the future. It's been really great because a lot of the partners are coming to us with some really good ideas. They understand what the fiscal situation is like and they're willing to roll up their sleeves and work with us and say, “Well, we know we can't do this big project, but maybe as we wait we can do some trail maintenance over the next year that will really help to boost that trail.”
ORCBC: Are there any major funding or program announcements we can look forward to?
TD: We’ve put $10 million [in 2023] in the Outdoor Recreation Fund of BC to try to help recreation groups get their projects off the ground and build their capacity. And we're not just adding campsites. We're investing and targeting infrastructure improvements that give visitors better experiences, and support the local economy. It includes things like expanding and upgrading trails, improving accessibility, and then also developing amenities that cater to a diverse range of recreational activities. So for instance, the Othello Tunnels at Coquihalla Provincial Park is a prime example of recreation’s economic impact. We’re gonna continue with investments like that because we really see the benefit of making sure that outdoor recreation areas are really well maintained and accessible for everybody.
ORCBC: A lot of groups in outdoor recreation are confused about who is the ultimate decider on projects, like building a new trail or maintaining a parking lot, whether it is First Nations or the provincial government. Can you give some guidance on decision making responsibility?
TD: Yeah, I think that's a really good question. That's why we're working with partners across the government and developing a coordinatedcoordinative provincial vision and strategy for outdoor recreation. We are really proud of the work that we've done, including things like co-management agreements with BC Park and collaboration on visitor use management strategies that are focusedfocussed on conservation and cultural values. We know that when we work together with both the recreation organizations, as well as the local Indigenous communities, it builds a stronger partnership, but also really highlights the values of conservation. We’re going to be able to experience nature and also really experience it in a way that is sustainable for generations to come. And that's what our aim is really. It is about sustaining the trails and the rec sites and campsites.
ORCBC: I know the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) aren't the responsibility of your ministry, but can you tell us how the outdoor recreation community can get involved in the creation of these parks and protected areas?
TD: When we first were sworn in and when we first started working within our ministries, the Premier made it really clear that each of the ministers had to work collaboratively together, and not work in silos. And so I know that through the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, that they work a lot on land use planning. And as that part of that land use planning process then leads into the IPCA work that they do. We are working really closely with them, especially in areas where there might be parks or recreation sites or trails. That would be an area where the recreation groups would also have a role in that land use planning process. And I can say that planning really happens at multiple levels. In some cases, recreation might be one of multiple values and in others recreation would be the focus.
We are also using things like visitor use management planning frameworks to ensure that the recreation use decisions are aligned with Indigenous interests, as well as the conservation values. We're really trying to work collaboratively, not just with our Indigenous partners and the recreation organizations, but also collaboratively within government.
ORCBC: I think there's an appetite within the outdoor recreation community for more recreation planning. Can they expect more of these sorts of processes in the near future?
TD: Yes. My daughter teases me all the time at the things that I get excited about. When I heard that Recreation Sites and Trails was being moved out of the Ministry Forests and into my ministry, I was very excited about that. I see it as a real natural fit within my ministry. We're so happy about the relationships that your members have with partners working in local parks and recreation sites. It's super critical because we need to help you to help us to understand what improvements need to be made. We want to keep those lines of communication open because those connections are really going to help us reach our shared goals.
ORCBC: Do you have any plans to support recreation as an economic driver?
TD: Yes. We're wrapping up our program review in the next couple weeks. And then once we've completed that program review, we're also going to be looking at what types of investments. We're really trying to look at this from an economic driver. And when you look at outdoor recreation, we know how much that boosts the local economy within communities. We are already seeing and knowing that people are wanting to travel within British Columbia this summer. They're really looking for where can I go within my province and where can I go that maybe I haven't been before? And so we're really excited about using our Outdoor Recreation Strategy as an area that we can really enhance that economic driver in some local communities and across the province.
ORCBC: The outdoor recreation community has been asking for the province to track the economic impact of recreation on a formal level. Do you see that being a priority for the government?
TD: I think it is going to probably be a focus for me and my ministry. I think we're going to be taking a look at where are the jobs? Where is the economy? And then also looking at the different statistics and data that's coming in from different areas. We really want to make sure that if we make any future plans for any investments or funding or programs, we’re really looking for that data. And it's why we really like talking with a lot of the organizations, the recreation organizations, to provide that data to us.
ORCBC: Many American states have offices of outdoor recreation, a one stop branch that promotes the outdoor recreation sector. Do you see something similar happening here to coordinate and champion outdoor recreation across the province?
TD: I don't know if we have anything that's going to be designated office, but I do know that we are looking to coordinate really closely with our tourism folks in the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Sport to really target where we are spending our marketing dollars. One of the biggest drivers of people wanting to come to B.C., what we’re known for, is beautiful forests and our beautiful beaches and being able to get out in nature. I think we’re just trying to work closely with our tourism partners and just make sure that we’re marketing in the right areas.
ORCBC: You've been on the job about six months now. What has surprised you the most about the job?
TD: I wouldn't say that I'm surprised, but I would say that I absolutely was really happy to meet a lot of the staff. I've been doing some tours out in British Columbia and I just am so excited to see the BC Parks staff, the Recreation Site and Trails staff, and how passionate they are. I went to a couple of different recreation sites and the staff there were like, “Get your hiking boots. Let's go out for the whole day.” They wanted to take me out and just show how proud they are of the maintenance of the trails and the work that partners have done. I think for me it's just really inspiring to hear the passion that comes through the staff and how much they love their job. It’s a lot of fun to work with people who are in alignment with your values and really are passionate about nature.
ORCBC: To close the interview, what do you see as the biggest challenge or challenges for you and your ministry over the next four years?
TD: I think that meeting our recreation strategy, meeting our goals and our objectives together, and that people really feel that we do want to collaborate. We do want to work with organizations and our partners, including our Indigenous partners, to ensure that we're meeting conservation goals, we're meeting cultural use goals and then we're also providing an experience that's really important for visitors, so they are leaving with a really good feeling. And so I think it's just going to be really important that people understand we're here to talk with them, to collaborate with them, to really help us meet our shared goals together.