Date April 2, 2026
Location Calgary, AB
Contact connect@outdoorcouncil.ca
The Outdoor Council of Canada (OCC) today submitted a formal letter to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in response to the federal government’s newly released nature strategy, A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature.
“A thriving outdoor sector is a low-cost, high-return partner in building Canada well.”
The OCC is requesting a meeting with the Minister’s office to discuss the outdoor sector’s direct role in delivering the strategy’s core commitments, including 30×30 conservation targets, Indigenous-led stewardship, and expanded public access to nature.
The letter advances two specific asks:
- A formal two-way communication channel between the outdoor sector and Parks Canada, to ensure recreational and commercial tourism activity actively contributes to conservation and stewardship goals.
- Fund the outdoor programs which enable deep, meaningful access and connection to nature.
The outdoor sector functions as an economic multiplier of conservation: protecting nature creates the assets the sector activates economically, while participation in outdoor recreation is among the most reliable drivers of pro-environmental behaviour.