Parks and Outdoor Recreation operational records
- GR-3706
- Series
- 1928-2003; predominant 1960-1994
The series consists consists of a wide variety of operational records created by the Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division, and its predecessor the Parks Branch, predominantly from 1960-1994. The records relate to setting long term management direction for the creation, use, development and protection of provincial parks and protected areas. Management directions are established through master plans, management plans, management direction statements and purpose statements. Systemic planning involves consultation with the Premier’s office, land use planning offices, and regional and federal government agencies. The records also concern participation in inter-agency resource management planning, such as land, marine and coastal land use plans.
Records include: integrated resource planning project files; inter-ministry co-operation files (Parks with other ministries such as Health, Mines, Forests, etc.); trail corridor planning files; end of season assessment reports on interpretative, information and education programs in parks; recreational activities files; files concerning facilities and safety and security in parks; background documents used in establishing management directions; consultation with communities, user groups and First Nations; and files regarding various other operational policies and procedures. See for example, files concerning policies on boating, camping, caving, skiing, etc.
Note that all records concerning the Alexander Mackenzie Trail fall under various titles including: Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail, the Alexander Mackenzie Trail, Alexander Mackenzie Grease Trail, and Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail.
Record types include correspondence, memoranda, news clippings, maps, committee minutes, reports, studies, proposals, seminar papers, environmental surveys, newsletters, signage, photos, promotional materials and departmental branch meetings.
The series include records concerning the numerous private organizations and associations which coordinated with the Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division. It includes the AGM records, annual reports, financial statements, and meeting minutes of those organizations and associations. The series also includes records regarding financial support to these organizations.
Note that the new Parks and Protected Areas ORCs includes a concordance table which cross references new ORCS classification numbers with the old ORCS numbers by which these files were classified. Many of these records would be classified under the primary 98800 in the new Parks and Protected areas schedule (186896).
The ministries responsible for these records, and the years that they were responsible, are:
Ministry of Lands, parks and Housing (1978-1986)
Ministry of Environment and Parks (1986-1988)
Ministry of Parks (1988-1991)
Ministry of Lands and Parks (1991)
Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (1991-2001)
British Columbia. Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division