As one of the largest countries in the world, Canada faces unique challenges and opportunities when it comes to improving connectivity. Canada is home to some 80,000 species — around 300 are found exclusively in the nation. Iconic species such as caribou, beavers, and loons factor heavily in the country’s identity.
Ecosystems in the country range dramatically. Canada holds approximately one quarter of the world’s boreal forests, temperate forests, and wetlands. Keeping the remaining habitat intact and connected plays a key role in retaining the places and species that people value and need.
After signing the onto the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in Montreal in December 2022 at COP15, Canada is developing their 2030 National Biodiversity Strategy. This historic framework lays out a set of ambitious global goals and targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and put the world on a path to living in harmony with nature by 2050.
The guiding principles for consideration as the strategy is shaped include:
- Committing to urgent and ambitious action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030;
- Seeking transformative change to change “business as usual”;
- Taking a comprehensive, whole-of-society approach that includes varied knowledge, tools, and resources to achieve shared biodiversity goals;
- Taking an all-of-government approach, including federal departments and agencies to lead and co-lead different elements of the plan;
- Walking the path to reconciliation as conserving and sustainably using biodiversity must be done hand in hand with Indigenous Peoples who hold unique knowledge, rights and connections to lands and traditional territories; and
- Making space both western science and Indigenous knowledge systems.
With an investment of $60.6 million (Canadian) over five years, the Government of Canada has initiated a National Program for Ecological Corridors (NPEC). The objectives of NPEC are to:
- Collaborate with other levels of government, Indigenous partners, experts, and stakeholders;
- Develop national criteria for ecological corridors that protect and restore ecological connectivity;
- Identify and map priority areas where ecological corridors would halt and reverse biodiversity loss across Canada;
- Support on-the-ground work for corridors through funding towards conservation, restoration, and management; and
- Inspire others to take measures in support of ecological connectivity and corridors.
One region that benefits from NPEC funding is the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) corridor, a global model for ecological connectivity that spans more than 3,400 kilometers (2,100 miles) from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in the United States to Canada’s Yukon Territory.
At its core, Y2Y showcases the success of landscape-level conservation planning. By safeguarding vital pathways and ensuring the protection of key habitats, the Y2Y vision fosters the movement of diverse wildlife species, from grizzly bears to native trout. This is essential for genetic diversity, adapting to climate change, and preventing species isolation, ultimately promoting ecosystem resilience.
Canada’s National Biodiversity Strategy prioritizes reconciliation and engagement with Indigenous Peoples. The Y2Y model is informed in part by Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Collaborating closely with Indigenous communities, the initiative not only respects cultural ties to the land but, when appropriate, integrates traditional ecological knowledge with modern conservation strategies. The Y2Y vision also underscores the potential for economic viability that works in sync with conservation efforts. By promoting sustainable tourism, responsible outdoor recreation, and maintenance of key ecosystem services, Y2Y showcases the economic benefits of conserving landscapes while ensuring their ecological integrity.
The Government of Canada recently announced several on-the-ground pilot projects under the NPEC, including a contribution of more than $1.9M to Y2Y to support ecological connectivity in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta. It helps fund wildlife mitigation efforts on Highway 3, which forms the dividing line between Banff National Park and Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park and limits wildlife movement. Collaboration between Parks Canada and Y2Y supports measures on Highway 3 to address connectivity and decrease wildlife-vehicle collisions through infrastructure construction, communications, research, and Indigenous engagement.
Please note: This digest is intended to provide up-to-date information on policy development from a neutral, unaffiliated position as it relates to connectivity and corridor science and management.
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