National Capital Act

Honourable senators, I rise today in support of Bill S-229, An Act to amend the National Capital Act (Gatineau Park). Last October, my colleague Senator Cardozo rose to speak in support of this bill. I urge all of you to reread his speech for, in it, he eloquently captures the beauty of this park, its majesty and the cultural and historic importance of this jewel of the National Capital Region.

In June 2025, when my dear colleague Senator Galvez introduced this bill, she put before us a comprehensive rationale for the bill, including a summary of its main points and the broad support it has received from a number of key constituents, including Sophie Chatel, Member of Parliament for Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi; Gatineau Municipal Council; and Chief Jean Guy Whiteduck on behalf of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Band Council. We recently received another letter of support from Ms. Chatel.

Senator Galvez contextualized this bill and this moment in time for us by calling our attention to the great ecological threats we all face and the noble work being done by many in the global community to protect this sacred inheritance for generations to come. Colleagues, I again urge all of you to reread her speech.

I felt called to speak to you today because, among the many reasons for the passage of the Gatineau Park act cited by Senator Galvez, she noted that failing to protect our “. . . ecological diversity . . . will worsen our economies and our health.”

I will expand on this point and use my remaining time to address some physical, mental and psychosocial aspects of health and its relation to nature.

According to my esteemed colleague Senator Boyer:

For First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, land is not a resource we stand above. It is a living relative we belong to. Land carries spirit, memory, and responsibility.

Nearly 2,500 years ago, Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, I would say, observed that “Nature itself is the best physician . . . .” This bit of wisdom from the ancient Greeks is backed by a growing body of scientific research showing that nature truly has a powerful impact on our health.

As a result, many physicians are now actually prescribing nature as a form of nature therapy. In British Columbia, the BC Parks Foundation leads an evidence-based initiative called Park Prescriptions, or PaRx, which is a nature prescription program in which doctors prescribe spending at least two hours per week outdoors in sessions of 20 minutes or more.

Led by health care professionals, PaRx aims to improve patient health by encouraging regular engagement with the outdoors. The program’s core goal is to help individuals incorporate nature-based experiences in their local communities into their daily routines. PaRx is currently active in every province across Canada.

Why prescribe nature? It’s cheap or free to access. Its effectiveness is proven. It promotes environmental protection. One of the great advantages of nature prescriptions is that they’re affordable. It often costs little or nothing to enjoy the benefits of the great outdoors, especially in Canada’s public parks, trails and green spaces. Thanks to initiatives such as PaRx, financial barriers are gradually being removed, allowing everyone to benefit from nature prescriptions.

Gatineau Park, with its rich biodiversity and proximity to urban centres, plays a crucial role in community well-being. Therefore, recognizing it as a national park would help protect its ecological integrity while ensuring that everyone can benefit from this nature prescription for generations to come.

I commend the government and Prime Minister Carney for their landmark investments through the Canada Strong Pass, which opened Parks Canada sites free of charge and provided discounts on VIA Rail fares and access to some of the nation’s most iconic destinations. This initiative opened doors for families across the country, strengthened social connections and ensured that Canadians from all walks of life could enjoy and celebrate our shared natural and cultural heritage.

This has long been a priority for me as a pediatrician. For decades, I have understood the benefits of nature and outdoor play, and I have routinely recommended it to my patients and their families.

As mentioned earlier, a number of scientific studies have shown that spending time in nature significantly improves patient health. For instance, a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Molecular Psychiatry has demonstrated that exposure to natural environments reduces activity in the amygdala — the brain region associated with fear and stress — while also enhancing cognitive functions such as memory, attention and creativity. In other words, nature significantly supports and shapes healthy brain development.

According to Park Prescriptions, the health benefits of nature also include — and listen carefully, colleagues — the following: It reduces the risk of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Nature therapy improves the psychological well-being of cancer patients and activates tumour-killing cells. Also, 90% of us are happier after spending time in nature, and stress hormones decrease significantly after just 15 minutes in the forest. And in some studies, a 20-minute walk in the park for children with ADHD can improve concentration scores similar to medication. For more information, please see parkprescriptions.ca.

These benefits are especially important when considering the economic impact of mental health in Canada, which costs the economy approximately $51 billion annually, according to a 2024 report published by the Public Health Agency of Canada. Colleagues, that is a conservative estimate.

It has become my constant refrain that “There can be no true health without mental health.” And that is why mental health, substance use and addiction parity needs to become a nation-building national priority.

A recently released report by ParticipACTION draws attention to the urgent need for improved physical activity in Canada. The third edition of their report card entitled Moving Beyond Stagnation: Elevating Physical Activity in Canada highlights the costly stagnation in activity levels and a critical opportunity to leverage movement as a nation-building tool. Key findings include: Only 46% of adults aged 18 to 79 meet weekly physical activity guidelines, which amounts to 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity.

Physical inactivity is costing the health care system $3.9 billion annually, while a modest 15% increase in activity levels could save nearly $1 billion each year in health care, absenteeism and chronic disease management costs.

In addition, the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that children and youth should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day.

As Canada seeks to reduce public spending, address the mental health crisis and strengthen social connections, ParticipACTION emphasizes that physical activity offers a “proven solution.”

Dear colleagues, protecting Gatineau Park is not just an environmental imperative, and it is not only a public health investment. It is about preserving our shared history; it is about the future of our children and youth; and it is how we build a strong Canada, a prosperous Canada and a secure Canada.

I urge you to send Bill S-229 to committee for a thorough consultation and review as soon as possible.

Thank you. Meegwetch.

Thank you for the question.

I am not an expert in this. I was speaking particularly about the health aspects.

What I understood is this: Number one, making it a national park would, as noted in the summary of the bill, establish the boundaries of Gatineau Park, first and foremost. I think you will see a lot of longitude and latitude in the bill.

Second, it would prioritize the ecological integrity of the park and its management by the National Capital Commission, or NCC, as it has been a concern that ecological integrity is not strong enough under current protections.

Third, it would prohibit the sale of public lands located within the park with certain exceptions. This guarantees the longevity of the park. It would also, I think, very importantly, strengthen consultation and collaboration between the NCC, the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation and the neighbouring municipalities, which, as stated in my speech and other speeches, has received their support.

In summary, that would be my best answer.