FAQ

A key component in the development of any management plan is consultation and feedback from Indigenous peoples, stakeholders and Canadians. It is only through public involvement that Parks Canada can ensure that the future direction of the site reflects the perspectives and aspirations of Canadians.

At the close of the public comment period, Parks Canada will carefully review and analyze all feedback received. The information gathered in the engagement process will be used to refine the plan prior to final approval and tabling in Parliament.

Parks Canada is inviting comments on the draft management plan until June 9, 2019. The draft plan and additional information on Sable Island National Park Reserve can be found at https://letstalksableisland.ca/letstalksableisland. The website also provides opportunity to comment on the plan. Additional comments can be submitted to [email protected] or Sable Island National Park Reserve Parks Canada / Government of Canada 1869 Upper Water St., Halifax NS, B3J 1S9.

The horses are part of the island’s ecological community and as such are protected as wildlife by Parks Canada under the Canada National Parks Act and the National Parks of Canada Wildlife Regulations. Parks Canada’s definition of the horses as a wild population of a naturalized species is consistent with the COSEWIC and IUCN definition of wildlife species (an animal in its present habitat for more than 50 years). As with other wildlife in national parks, these regulations protect the Sable Island horses from hunting, harm, and disturbance and stipulate that no person shall touch, feed or otherwise interact with individuals of the population, except under authority of the superintendent. It is important to note that as a wild population, Parks Canada does not consider the Sable Island horses to be domestic animals, which live and breed in tame conditions and depend on humankind for survival. 

Parks Canada’s priority is to protect and maintain the ecological integrity of Sable Island, and also to provide Canadians with opportunities to discover and enjoy this treasured place.

During the first phase of public consultations, the Agency heard from nearly all participants that any visitor experience opportunities on the island should be carefully managed and that potential impacts be monitored. With assurances that visitation would be compatible with and supportive of Parks Canada’s conservation goals, many participants expressed their desire to visit Sable Island National Park Reserve.

Since 2014, visits to Sable Island National Park Reserve have been day visits only and this will continue for the foreseeable future. Parks Canada intends to explore the possibility of limited overnight experiences, but there are no plans to establish a campground on the Island.

Parks Canada ‎will continue to be guided by its mandate to protect this iconic island and share its story with Canadians. A Visitor Experience Strategy is being developed to ensure carefully managed visitor experience opportunities meet the needs and expectations of visitors and align with the vision for the park.

Parks Canada is a recognized leader in conservation and has a good track record for managing visitation in remote and fragile environments. The strategic plan for visitor experiences on Sable Island National Park Reserve has been considered as part of the management planning process. Since 2014, visits to Sable Island National Park Reserve have been limited to day trips and are carefully managed by Parks Canada through a registration system, mandatory orientation and provision of detailed trip planning information to ensure visitor safety and protection of the island’s resources.

Just as the island has been shaped by the forces of nature, it has also been shaped by people for hundreds of years. The vision is for people to continue to have a place in the park. That there are carefully-managed opportunities to experience this special place and that visitation does not compromise the environment and in fact supports its protection. Lastly, the vision is for Sable Island National Park Reserve to be accessible to Canadians without having to travel there and for them to have the opportunity to connect with this special place from home and in their communities.

Parks Canada ‎will continue to be guided by its mandate to protect this iconic island and share its story with Canadians. A Visitor Experience Strategy is being developed to ensure carefully managed visitor experience opportunities meet the needs and expectations of visitors and align with the vision for the park.

The establishment of Sable Island as a national park reserve is a major conservation gain.  Bill S-15 added Sable Island to the Canada National Parks Act - the strongest piece of legislation in Canada for the protection of natural places - providing Parks Canada with the policy and regulatory tools required to manage this national park reserve. With the creation of the Sable Island National Park Reserve, Canada and Nova Scotia agreed to implement a legislative ban on drilling from the surface of Sable Island out to one nautical mile.