Commentaire
November 24, 2025
Dear Minister,
On behalf of the Township of Melancthon, we write to strongly oppose the proposal to permit hunting in Boyne Valley Provincial Park, as set out in ERO Notice 019-9306. Environmental Registry of Ontario
Our concerns are rooted in three specific, deeply troubling risks to public safety and community well-being:
1. Primrose Elementary School sits squarely within the lands proposed for authorized hunting.
2. The Boyne River Trail, used by the school for regular field trips, runs directly through this same area.
3. County Road 19, a heavily travelled arterial road, cuts through the park, raising the risk of conflict between vehicles, pedestrians, and hunters.
These are not remote, lightly used backwoods; these are high-traffic, community-integrated areas. As the province itself has reasoned in other park proposals:
“Generally, restrictions [on hunting] are proposed to ensure public safety in high-traffic areas and sites that abut roadways, trails, campgrounds and other developments …” Environmental Registry of Ontario
That same rationale fully applies in Boyne Valley.
Permitting hunting in these proposed zones is incompatible with the park’s current use and character. The safety of schoolchildren, trail users, and local residents must take priority over expansion of recreational hunting.
We urge the Ministry to withdraw the proposal to allow hunting in Boyne Valley Provincial Park and to maintain this land as a non-hunting provincial park.
To be clear, we are a rural municipality that values and supports our local hunting community. But reasonable limits—such as prohibiting hunting near an elementary school—are simply common sense. These kinds of restrictions protect public safety and reflect the expectations of the residents we serve.
The Township of Melancthon stands ready to support alternative recreational and conservation uses that reflect both the park’s ecological value and its importance to our community.
Thank you for your consideration.
Council, Township of Melancthon
Soumis le 24 novembre 2025 4:00 PM
Commentaire sur
Expansion des zones protégées en Ontario – Sites supplémentaires qu’il est proposé de réglementer en vertu de la Loi de 2006 sur les parcs provinciaux et les réserves de conservation
Numéro du REO
019-9306
Identifiant (ID) du commentaire
173424
Commentaire fait au nom
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