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A row of RCMP and Parks Canada cruisers are parked in front of a line of evergreen trees. An RCMP and Parks Canada warden lean against the hood of each vehicle.

RCMP supports park wardens in traffic enforcement

The RCMP and Parks Canada Wardens have worked together on highway enforcement in Terra Nova National Park. Credit: RCMP

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To make roads safer for highway drivers, national park visitors and wildlife, the RCMP has trained Parks Canada wardens in Newfoundland and Labrador to use speed-measuring radar allowing the park-focused officers to write speeding tickets.

"We partnered with the RCMP to do the training and equip us with the tools to properly conduct highway enforcement," says Park Warden Supervisor Janelle Macleod.

The Newfoundland and Labrador RCMP Traffic Unit provided the radar devices and Sgt. Adam Gardner of the Glovertown RCMP detachment trained the two Terra Nova wardens on how to use the technology.

"We partner with them any way we can. And being a small detachment, it's great to have those extra resources nearby," says Gardner.

A 42-kilometre stretch of the TransCanada Highway runs through the park.

Gardner says new passing lanes eased collision concerns on the highway, but speeding is still an issue.

"The speed limit drops from 100km/h to 90km/h all through the park and there's some 80km/h zones near entrances and buildings," he says.

While there's not yet empirical data, he says there's other evidence that drivers have slowed down.

"I can say for certain that since the wardens have been patrolling, the speeding complaints to us have gone down significantly," says Gardner. "Their presence alone is helping the detachment—we police 16 communities spread over hundreds of kilometers."

Macleod says another benefit of reducing speeds within the park is decreasing the number of collisions with wildlife. There have only been two collisions with moose in the park this summer compared to 11 last year, according to Macleod.

Parks Canada wardens are federal peace officers designated to enforce the Criminal Code of Canada, the Highway Traffic Act as well as the Parks Canada Act. They have a key role in supporting the Parks Canada mandate providing law enforcement services focused on protecting natural and cultural resources and ensuring quality visitor experiences.

Following the project's success in Terra Nova National Park, there are plans to train wardens with the radar devices at Gros Morne National Park and possibly others in the province.

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