Cap Tourmente: End Hunt and Fees

Summary#

This is a proposed rule, published in the Canada Gazette on September 27, 2025, that would remove a long‑running controlled fall hunting program and end entrance fees at the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area. It is a proposal (not law yet); comments are invited for 30 days after publication (deadline: October 27, 2025).

What it does#

• Repeals the regulated fall hunt program that has operated at Cap Tourmente to manage grazing on the bulrush marsh.
• Removes the requirement to pay entrance fees and the incidental fees for naturalist services at Cap Tourmente.
• Extends the general prohibition on hunting across the whole site, with exceptions only when a permit is issued.
• Deletes related regulatory provisions and some administrative monetary penalty items tied to those rules in the Wildlife Area Regulations and the Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations.
• If the proposal is approved, the changes would take effect on the day the new regulations are registered.

Who's affected#

• People who hunt migratory game birds at Cap Tourmente (the regulated hunt would end). Comments on the proposal included 9 responses about the hunt (about 3 in favour, 2 neutral, 4 against).
• Visitors to the site: access would become free, so more people could visit. Cap Tourmente is about 2,308 ha and is one of 64 National Wildlife Areas protecting over 3.5 million hectares nationally.
• Local tourism operators and non‑profit parks that charge an admission fee. The government estimates these organizations could, in a conservative scenario, lose up to $280,000 per year.
• The Department of the Environment / Canadian Wildlife Service, which would absorb lost entrance revenue and shift some staff duties. The government estimates lost NWA revenue could be about $310,000 a year (the analysis gives both $2.6 million and $2.7 million as 10‑year totals in different places).
• First Nations consulted: four were contacted. Two gave neutral comments, two did not raise specific concerns, and one said it wants continued access for members to practice traditional migratory bird hunting there; the department says it will continue discussions.

Why it matters#

• Conservation: government monitoring (including work done in 2021) shows the bulrush marsh is now stable and no longer at risk from over‑grazing by geese. That is the main reason the hunt program was put in place, so officials say it is no longer needed for habitat protection.
• Access and public experience: making Cap Tourmente free would align it with other National Wildlife Areas and could bring more visitors and more people connecting with nature. The government estimates visitors could save up to $310,000 a year in entrance fees.
• Trade‑offs: ending the hunt removes a hunting opportunity at this specific location, though officials say there are alternatives nearby. Free access also shifts the funding burden to the federal management budget (the same $310,000‑a‑year estimate for lost revenue), and an increase in visitors could put some extra pressure on wildlife and site services, though the department expects those effects to be limited.
• This is a proposal, not final law. People and organizations can comment within the 30‑day window (until October 27, 2025) before the government decides whether to adopt the changes.