Parks Canada developed a first-of-its-kind conservation breeding centre in Jasper National Park to help protect and repopulate endangered woodland caribou, supporting ecosystem recovery and the rebuilding of caribou herds through partnerships with Indigenous and science communities.
Parks Canada Agency
Challenge
Supporting the recovery of endangered woodland caribou required a purpose-built facility capable of accommodating animal care, research, monitoring, and operational functions in a remote national park setting. The design also needed to balance durability, energy performance, and long-term environmental stewardship.
Solution
Three primary buildings provide day-to-day infrastructure: a handling barn for safe animal care and movement; an administration building for staff operations and research support; and a storage garage for equipment. Designed to operate for approximately 20 years, the facility accommodates up to 120 caribou, with materials and finishes selected for durability and integration with the natural environment.
Outcome
All buildings are net‑zero ready, with a high‑performance envelope and electrical infrastructure designed to accommodate future decarbonization technologies. These strategies balance program requirements, energy performance, cost, and eventual decommissioning needs, allowing the centre to support long-term caribou recovery while aligning with Parks Canada’s sustainability and emissions-reduction goals.
Watch the Parks Canada video of this remarkable and meaningful journey: Caribou comeback: recovering Jasper’s herds | Parks Canada
Drawing on generational knowledge and land-based practices, Indigenous partners lead a lichen collection program that sustainably harvests and supplies pellet feed and essential forage for the animals. Program milestones include relocating the first caribou into the centre in March 2025, the first seven calves born at the centre in Spring 2025, and the upcoming release of the first calves back into the wild.
Photo Credit: Parks Canada – Luuk Wijk
Photo Credit: Parks Canada – Luuk Wijk
Parks Canada developed a first‑of‑its‑kind conservation breeding centre in Jasper National Park, AB, to help protect and repopulate endangered woodland caribou and support the surrounding ecosystem. The facility is designed to house and care for up to 120 caribou and is intended to operate for approximately 20 years, through to 2045. It supports Parks Canada’s commitments to recovering species at risk, in collaboration with Indigenous and science partners, as part of a federally backed program to rebuild herds in Jasper National Park. Drawing on generational knowledge and land-based practices, Indigenous partners lead a lichen collection program that sustainably harvests and supplies pellet feed and essential forage for the animals.
The building complex within the breeding centre consists of three primary buildings: a handling barn for safe animal care and movement; an administration building for staff operations and research support; and a storage garage for equipment. Together, these spaces provide day-to-day infrastructure for animal care, data collection, and coordination. The design, color, and material selections were chosen to be durable, low-maintenance, and visually integrated with the natural environment.
All buildings are net‑zero ready, with a high‑performance envelope and electrical infrastructure designed to accommodate future decarbonization technologies. These strategies balance program requirements, operational energy performance, long‑term cost considerations, and eventual decommissioning needs, so that the centre can evolve in alignment with Parks Canada’s broader sustainability and emissions‑reduction goals.
The centre forms part of a long‑term recovery approach that combines conservation breeding, herd augmentation, monitoring, and habitat management, with the goal of restoring self-sustaining caribou herds. Program milestones include relocating the first caribou into the centre in March 2025, the first seven calves born at the centre in Spring 2025, and the upcoming release of the first calves back into the wild.
Watch the Parks Canada video of this remarkable and meaningful journey: Caribou comeback: recovering Jasper’s herds | Parks Canada
Photo Credit: Parks Canada – Luuk Wijk
