Chatel sees Gatineau Park and Kidjīmāninān in new federal strategy

Tashi Farmilo

Sophie Chatel, MP for Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi, says the federal government's new $3.8-billion nature strategy, announced in Wakefield on March 31, is the kind of backing local conservation efforts in the Outaouais have needed for years.

Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled A Force of Nature: Canada's Strategy to Protect Nature, which sets a target of bringing 30 per cent of Canadian lands and waters under protection by 2030. Chatel said the plan speaks to something fundamental about life in this part of Quebec.

"From hunters and fishers to hikers, spending time in nature is core to who we are as Canadians," Chatel said. "Our lands put food on our tables, supply building materials and fibres for manufacturing, and help keep our air and water healthy and clean. Safeguarding our land, lakes and rivers also helps protect our communities from the impacts of extreme climate events, while advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. That is why this strategy is so essential."

A central piece for the riding is the Kidjīmāninān project, a Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg-led initiative whose name means "our canoe" in Algonquin. Working alongside the City of Gatineau and regional municipalities, the project aims to map and protect biodiversity across the Outaouais, where only a fraction of the land currently holds official protection. "The Kidjīmāninān project, which I have championed since 2022, is exactly the kind of locally grounded conservation work that can help Canada meet its 30 by 30 goal, and this new strategy gives that kind of effort stronger federal backing," Chatel said.

She was equally pointed about Gatineau Park. Despite drawing millions of visitors annually, it has never been enshrined in federal legislation, leaving its boundaries vulnerable to changes without Parliamentary approval. Chatel is working with Senator Rosa Galvez on Bill S-229 to establish those protections. "Gatineau Park still lacks the legal protections it needs despite its ecological importance," she said.

The strategy also creates a financing taskforce to steer private money toward conservation. "This is an important recognition that protecting nature also requires long-term financial tools and incentives. For regions like ours, that kind of thinking can help finance our conservation initiatives," Chatel said.