I am writing to express…

I am writing to express serious concern regarding the proposed inclusion of rock climbing as a permitted recreational activity at Devil’s Glen Provincial Park. This amendment directly contradicts the ecological protection objectives outlined in the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, which prioritizes the permanent protection of ecological integrity for current and future generations.
Ontario Parks’ own studies—including the Devil’s Glen Biological Inventory reports by Gould (1984) and Jalava (2008), as well as the park’s Background Information Report—clearly identify the cliff and talus areas as Extremely Sensitive to human disturbance. These unique environments host specialized plant and animal communities that have evolved over centuries in isolation. Academic research and climbing community studies confirm that climbing activities can severely degrade these fragile ecosystems, even with short-term exposure.
Unfortunately, climbing access and its associated impacts have expanded over time due to neglect and mismanagement. What began as unauthorized activity from adjacent lands has now grown into widespread use within the park, despite existing policies that were supposed to prevent such encroachment. The current level of climbing activity—especially on busy weekends—has overwhelmed the park’s capacity and is incompatible with its ecological mandate. The proposed plan fails to address existing overuse issues, such as unsanitary latrine practices at the cliff base, and instead suggests expanding parking to accommodate more climbers.
The adjacent crown land proposed for park addition was originally acquired by the Nature Conservancy of Canada for long-term protection due to its exceptional natural heritage, including sensitive cliff and talus habitats. Its transfer to Ontario Parks was intended to enhance conservation—not to facilitate recreational climbing for a politically connected interest group.
Ontario Parks staff have previously conducted ecological assessments in unauthorized climbing zones, identifying sensitive vegetation, wildlife, and areas of high conservation value. Recommendations for protection zones were made, but these were swiftly reversed following pushback from the climbing community. Despite climbing never being a permitted use, signage was removed and ecological monitoring appears to have been curtailed. This pattern suggests a troubling disregard for ecological integrity and a willingness to ignore impacts rather than address them.
While the proposed amendment includes language about protection policies, Ontario Parks’ recent actions suggest these will not be meaningfully enforced. If applied properly, very little of the park would be suitable for climbing—yet the plan seems designed to accommodate widespread use. This raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability.
Without clear, enforceable commitments to prioritize ecological protection over recreational expansion, and without demonstrated capacity to manage existing impacts responsibly, I cannot support this proposal. Devil’s Glen is a rare and irreplaceable natural heritage site. Its future should not be compromised for the benefit of a single user group at the expense of broader conservation goals.