Businesses near national parks, historic sites and canals run by Parks Canada could be asked to pay fees to help offset upkeep and operating costs.
Environment Minister Peter Kent talked openly about the potential fees this week, while also suggesting that a plan to cut the operating hours of sites - in some cases by half - could be reversed or scaled back.
Kent made the comments after meeting with municipal leaders from 13 communities along the historic Rideau Canal system in Ontario.
"There are quite a few beneficiaries along the Rideau Canal system, as in our national parks, who in this context pay absolutely nothing for the privilege of operating those businesses," Kent said.
"Whereas in the national parks, there are franchise fees to be paid by those who benefit economically."
Doug Struthers, the mayor of Merrickville-Wolford, who attended Tuesday's meeting, said the minister did not speak at the gathering about the possibility of charging fees to commercial operators on the canal. Such a move could pit local businesses against each other, Struthers said.
"It would be an interesting conversation, I'm sure," Struthers said. "Nobody likes to have a fee to be in business."
The meeting focused on the government's plan to cut back the canal's hours of operation, and its potentially devastating impact on local businesses. Kent acknowledged that he heard concerns loud and clear.
"The initial inclination was to reduce operating hours on the shoulder periods, in the early spring and the late fall," Kent said.
"The mayors have been very effective . . . in communicating that there would be significant impact economically."
No decisions have been made and Kent was merely being frank about his discussions with communities and businesses that would be affected by any changes, spokesman Adam Sweet said Thursday. The minister is not advocating charging new fees, Sweet added. The plan to trim operating hours is still scheduled to go ahead in the spring, he said.
While he did not specify who might be asked to pay fees, Kent suggested to reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday that businesses operating in proximity to the Parks Canada canal systems in Ontario and Quebec may have an unfair advantage over those within federal jurisdiction.
"We can't treat the canals as a free ride for some of those who do benefit significantly," he said.
