Federal government to allow up to 100 parks wardens to be armed

"Parks Canada's enforcement officers have the important responsibility of protecting visitors and staff in Canada's National Parks, and they require the right tools to do the job safely," said Environment Minister John Baird in a news release.

"Today's announcement will strengthen our enforcement capabilities in our national parks and national marine conservation areas to ensure that theses places are protected for future generations."

Parks Canada said the change will be implemented by this fall, with armed enforcement officers in place by March 2009.

Last March, Wild Rose MP Myron Thompson said Baird assured him that the $12 million earmarked in the federal budget for law enforcement in national parks would be used for training the wardens in using handguns.

The issue of arming wardens with handguns began when Banff National Park warden Doug Martin filed a complaint in 2000 saying he was being put in dangerous situations without the proper protective equipment.

"We come across virtually the same things that any police officer, like the RCMP, would come across," Martin has said.

"We've carried batons and sprays and all those minimal force tools. And we do have a shotgun and a rifle. It just seems like it's a matter of the length of the barrel that Parks Canada was not comfortable with."