Parks Canada will end its canine search and rescue programme in Banff National Park this month, according to the agency's confirmation to the BBC. The programme's sole dog handler position is being cut as part of broader budget reductions under Prime Minister Mark Carney's government.
Parks Canada called the decision "difficult" and said it is part of efforts to modernise its law enforcement branch. The agency said "search and rescue operations will continue to be delivered" through other means, but the report does not describe those other means.
The cut has drawn public anger. More than 5,000 people have signed a petition to restore the role. William Stevenson, the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Banff area, started the petition. He said he welcomes tighter government spending but that this cut could harm public safety. "How could they possibly make such a bad choice in where to cut?" he told the BBC.
Scott Ward, a retired dog handler who worked in the park for 17 years, said the dogs were used to search for lost children and to find people trapped under snow after avalanches. He said the dogs save searchers from hours of probing snow and from secondary avalanche hazards. "We lost a huge public safety and staff safety resource," he said.
The last dog in the programme, a German Shepherd named Leroy, retired in August. According to the report, Leroy helped track 156 people, find 57 who were lost, and assist in solving two murders in Banff. A new dog was trained and ready for duty before the cut was announced, the report says, citing the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
Parks Canada has not said how much the canine programme cost to run. In Parliament, Liberal MP Ryan Turnball said the government is focused on reducing the deficit. Stevenson said he will keep pressing the issue and has requested a meeting with Parks Canada's CEO.