Grundy Lake Provincial Park plan amendment to enable road improvement and recreation lane

Description of policy

Management plan amendment

The proposed management plan amendment involves two changes. First, there will be a new section under Development Policies:

9.6 Road Improvement and Recreation Lane

“Major maintenance of park roads is necessary and bridge work may be required in the future to ensure sound infrastructure. Increased visitation and use of larger vehicles and trailers have resulted in significant road congestion on narrow park roads during the summer months. The roads will be brought up to current design standards for the current level of use to maintain traffic flow and safety.

A recreation lane will be added to the main road to accommodate increasing numbers of pedestrians and cyclists in the park, allow for safe travel from campgrounds to the entrance gate and promote healthy recreation.”

Second, the project will become the first priority under the Implementation Priorities section of the plan (Section 10.0).

Other information

The state of the main road

The state of the main road at Grundy Lake Provincial Park is a common complaint from park visitors. The road is uneven, potholed and narrow with narrow shoulders. Camping demographics have also evolved at Grundy Lake, with more visitors using large vehicles and trailers, in part due to the addition of electrical sites. More and larger vehicles have resulted in road congestion and potential safety concerns with increased road use by pedestrians and cyclists.

Road improvement and bike lane

The park is proposing a project to reconstruct the current road to improve traffic flow and safety. To meet current standards, the road will be repaved and widened, underlying aggregate will be renewed and culverts will be replaced or added.

As a separate component of the project, a recreation lane will be added to the main road. There has been a rise in use of existing roads by pedestrians and cyclists due to increased visitation and a general trend towards more cycling within parks. The recreation lane will allow for safe walking and cycling from park campgrounds to the entrance gate and promote healthy recreation.

All work will take place in the park’s development zone.

Environmental, social, and economic consequences of the project

The road improvement involves replacing an existing road in the park’s development zone, the footprint of the project follows an already-disturbed area. However, with new road standards and a new recreation lane, the proposed new road is wider than the current road. Environmental consequences would result from increasing the width of the corridor and shoulders of the road. This increased footprint will involve disturbing natural areas that are currently adjacent to the road. Ontario Parks would undertake careful planning, mitigation, and prevention measures to protect the park’s habitats and species at risk.

We anticipate the social and economic consequences of the proposal to be positive. The project will help mitigate congestion between the campgrounds and the park gate because the road will be up to current standards. The recreation lane will allow more individuals and families to feel safe travelling the length of the park road by foot or bike, which will increase visitors’ enjoyment and have a positive impact on their health.

With careful planning and implementation, this proposed project will have minimal impacts on natural heritage values in Grundy Lake Provincial Park, and will benefit visitors’ health and enjoyment during their stay.

Map of proposed Grundy Lake Provincial Park road improvement and bike lane.

Other public consultation opportunities

Plan amendment

To comment specifically on the park plan amendment, submit your comments online by clicking the ‘submit a comment’ button.

Development project

The road improvement and recreation lane is under evaluation using the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves. Ontario Parks has sent an invitation to comment that describes the Class Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Category B project to potentially interested and/or affected members of the public, stakeholders, and Indigenous communities.

If you are interested in submitting comments on the development project specifically as part of the Class Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves project evaluation, please contact the park superintendent directly at the listed address.