Harper to continue expansion of national parks with new Northern reserve

NORMAN WELLS, N.W.T. – Prime Minister Stephen Harper turns his eyes today from the mineral riches of the North to its recreational riches.

On the second full day of his annual Northern tour, he is set to visit a national park reserve in Norman Wells, a small community about 680 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife.

Negotiations to create the reserve have been underway for years and involved the federal government working with local First Nations groups to make the deal happen.

While the Conservatives consider themselves champions of Canada’s national parks, the agency in charge of running them was hit hard in the recent federal budget.

Parks Canada has since announced the closure of services at many parks, including in the North, and locals are concerned about the implications for tourism.

But at a stop at a mine in Yukon Tuesday, Harper wouldn’t commit to reversing the cuts, saying only that they’ll be rexamined on an ongoing basis depending on public demand.