Who We Are

Pan-Canadian collaboration

Pan-Canadian efforts to expand Canada’s network of protected areas and OECMs

Launched by Ministers in 2017 and recommitted to in 2023, Pathway is a partnership of federal, provincial and territorial departments responsible for conservation, biodiversity, protected and conserved areas, as well as Indigenous representative organizations, municipal governments and sectors of Canadian society.

What is the Pathway initiative?

Pathway History

In 2010, a Strategic Plan for Biodiversity was adopted at the Conference of the Parties for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This plan includes 20 global biodiversity targets, known as the Aichi Targets, which each party to the convention has agreed to contribute to achieving by the year 2020. Canada, the European Community and the other 195 parties in this global plan were encouraged to develop their own national targets using the Aichi Targets as a guide.

In response, in 2015, Canada adopted a suite of national targets known as the “2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets for Canada”. These four goals and 19 targets cover issues ranging from species at risk to sustainable forestry to connecting Canadians to nature.

The Pathway initiative focuses on the terrestrial and inland waters aspects of Canada Target 1, based on Aichi Target 11.

On April 11, 2016, federal, provincial, and territorial deputy ministers for parks agreed to establish a working group to develop a plan to outline how jurisdictions can contribute to achieving Canada Target 1. Broad guidance, in the form of the One with Nature report, will continue to be supplemented by recommended best practices and indicators for measuring progress towards protecting Canada’s biodiversity.

On June 28, 2018, federal, provincial, and territorial ministers for parks committed to:

“continue to work together to safeguard Canada’s biodiversity by improving our network of protected and conserved areas;”
“work with Indigenous Peoples to further elaborate the concept of Indigenous protected and conserved areas, and clarify their contributions to Canada Target 1 and to Indigenous cultural and conservation priorities. We will work in the spirit and practice of reconciliation, consistent with legal duties and mutual commitments in treaties, land claim and self-government agreements, and other agreements as required;”
“share with each other our respective jurisdictional plans for protected and conserved areas by the end of 2018 and commit to reconvene in the spring of 2019 to discuss our collective progress and any further measures that may be needed to reach Canada’s 2020 target.
The solutions associated with achieving Canada Target 1 will only be found through collaboration and collective action. In addition, many governmental departments, Indigenous peoples, communities, municipalities, private and non-profit sectors across Canada will have a significant interest and stake in the outputs from this process. During the process of developing the One with Nature report, an Indigenous Circle of Experts and a National Advisory Panel were formed and approval from all relevant government departments was sought.

Pathway Vision

In the spirit and practice of reconciliation, Canada conserves its natural diversity in interconnected networks of protected and conserved areas for the enduring benefit of nature and future generations, through collective efforts in the Pathway and beyond.

One with Nature

The Pathway initiative produced the One with Nature report, which provides broad guidance to meet the terrestrial and inland water elements of Canada conservation target.

2023 FPT Minister reaffirmation

The Pathway Journey

A Look Back at a Renewed Approach to Land and Freshwater Conservation in Canada from 2016 to 2020.

Principles

The Pathway initiative will operate the following principles of:

Reconciliation,
Respect,
Inclusiveness and collaboration,
Transparency,
Innovation and creativity, and
Evidence-based decision making, grounded in science and traditional knowledge.

The Pathway initiative produced the One with Nature report, which provides broad guidance to meet the terrestrial and inland water elements of Canada conservation target. It outlines the following priorities, challenges and tools:

Priorities

Expand the systems of federal, provincial and territorial protected and conserved areas.
Promote greater recognition and support for existing Indigenous rights, responsibilities, and priorities in conservation.
Maximize conservation outcomes.
Build support and participation for conservation with a broader community.

Tools

Protected areas,
Indigenous protected and conserved areas (IPCAs), and
Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs).

Challenges

protecting the right amount of habitat to support viable populations of all species;
protecting the right areas so protected and conserved areas can function as a representative ecological network, not simply as “islands of green;” and
managing areas in the right way—a way that looks for cooperation across jurisdictional boundaries, and respects natural boundaries where possible.

The Pathway Team

Federal, territorial, provincial and local governments, Indigenous Peoples, private landowners, communities, non-governmental organizations and the private sector all have a role to play in protecting Canada’s biodiversity.

To see who currently participates in the Pathway initiative, click on the image to download a copy of the Pathway Organization Elements diagram.

Three main groups of people have contributed to the creation of Pathway: the Indigenous Circle of Experts, the National Advisory Panel and a National Steering Committee. See information below to learn more about these groups.

The Pathway was designed to reflect renewed relationships that respect the rights, responsibilities, and priorities of Indigenous Peoples.

The Indigenous Circle of Experts

A key element in this has been the Indigenous Circle of Experts (ICE) that led efforts to consider how Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) could be realized in Canada and contribute toward achieving Canada Target 1 in the spirit and practice of reconciliation. Members of the ICE included a core group of Indigenous experts from across Canada, and officials from federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions.

Download the ICE Terms of Reference

We Rise Together

The ICE was mandated to produce a report with recommendations and guidance on IPCAs for consideration by Indigenous, federal, provincial and territorial governments.

The ICE hosted four regional gatherings to hear from Indigenous Peoples across Canada on the IPCA concept, and inform its recommendations with Indigenous knowledge and local experiences in Indigenous-led conservation. This work has resulted in and informed, ongoing dialogue and the We Rise Together report.

Indigenous Circle of Experts members

Click on a profile to learn more

National Advisory Panel

National Advisory Panel (NAP) members were appointed by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Minister for Alberta Environment and Parks. Members were selected based on merit and represented perspectives from Indigenous Peoples, land trusts, conservation non-governmental organizations, industry, academia, and youth.

Download the NAP Terms of Reference

Canada’s Conservation Vision

The National Advisory Panel’s report highlights recommendations on how governments, non-governmental organizations and Canadians could collectively achieve Canada conservation targets through a coordinated and connected network of protected and conservation areas throughout the country.

National Advisory Panel members