Selling the Scenery or Preserving the Wilderness: Canadian Members of Parliament and their Views on the Purpose of National Parks, 1945–64

This article examines Canadian parliamentary discussion on national parks from 1945 to 1964 and traces how the members of Parliament viewed the purpose of national parks and the value of nature. The article shows how comments in the House of Commons reflected local concerns and the ambiguity Canadians felt about national parks, with opinions shifting between the development of tourism and recreational use and the need to preserve natural areas. Discussion in the House indicated a clear focus on development in the comments of politicians who spoke for constituency interests and the developmental opportunities parks offered politicians’ local areas. While the members were aware of the purpose of parks in preserving areas in their natural condition, they opted to seek economic development through tourism and argued that areas with little tourism potential were not suitable for park purposes. The article concludes that even though the parks were viewed in terms of their development possibilities, during the early 1960s the preservationist sentiment gained more ground. The idea of preservation was still, however, mostly concerned with the preservation of park environments for their recreational use.