Expanding Protected Areas in Ontario – Sites Proposed to be Regulated under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006

Our government is committed to protecting natural areas, promoting the importance of healthy green spaces, and increasing recreational opportunities for future generations of Ontarians to use and enjoy.

In 2023, Ontario signed a three-year, nearly $10-million agreement with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to support the preservation of lands throughout the province. This agreement is focused on conserving and safeguarding Ontario’s unique ecosystems, habitats, and wildlife, while providing more green spaces for outdoor activities, such as hiking, camping and wildlife observation. This investment builds upon the tremendous strides made by the Ontario government to conserve Ontario’s rich biodiversity and natural beauty by supporting efforts to protect new areas under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 (PPCRA).

Through this initiative, Ontario is seeking to accelerate the expansion of protected areas by proposing to regulate sites that are primarily in an advanced stage of planning, such as sites that the province has earmarked for protection under past planning exercises such as Ontario’s Living Legacy (OLL) Land Use Strategy, as well as lands that were historically acquired by the Crown from third parties, including for the purpose of protection.

Ontario’s Living Legacy and Acquired Lands

In 1999, Ontario released its OLL Land Use Strategy, which represented the largest one-time expansion of Ontario’s protected areas system in the province’s history.

The OLL Land Use Strategy recommended 378 protected areas (332 new and 46 proposed additions to existing provincial parks and conservation reserves), totaling almost 2.4 million hectares (ha) (~5.9 million acres (ac)) of which over 2.1 million ha (5.2 million acres) have been regulated under the PPCRA to date.

While the ministry has advanced the regulation of many OLL sites in recent years, several sites have required additional time to regulate due to incomplete planning activities, encumbrances and other factors. These remaining sites have generally received prior consultation, interim protection and have already been designated as recommended conservation reserve, recommended provincial park or as a forest reserve under the Ministry of Natural Resources’ (MNR) Crown Land Use Planning Atlas. The ministry maintains an interest in proceeding with the regulation of outstanding OLL sites.

In addition to OLL sites, over the past several decades, the province has acquired a range of lands primarily through private acquisition from third parties, including land donations, often with the intention of regulating these lands as provincial parks or conservation reserves.

Ontario’s Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves

Ontario’s provincial parks and conservation reserves are established and regulated under the PPCRA. The purpose of the PPCRA is to permanently protect a system of provincial parks and conservation reserves that includes ecosystems that are representative of all of Ontario’s natural regions, protects provincially significant elements of Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage, maintains biodiversity and provides opportunities for compatible, ecologically sustainable recreation.

Under the PPCRA, Ontario regulates 366 provincial parks that protect over 7.4 million ha (over 18 million ac) and 296 conservation reserves, comprising over 1.5 million ha (almost 4 million ac).

Provincial Parks:

• protect sensitive and important places
• allow visitors to learn about why these areas are important
• allow visitors to participate in environmentally responsible recreation
• allow for research to take place.

Provincial parks are also classified under the PPCRA. The park classification system provides a structured approach to how parks are designed, planned and managed. Provincial parks can be classified as:

• wilderness
• nature reserve
• cultural heritage
• waterway
• natural environment
• recreational

Different classes of parks contribute differently to Ontario’s protected area system. The objectives of each classification of park can be found in section 8 of the PPCRA.

Provincial parks can also be operating or non-operating. Operating parks offer a variety of services and facilities, such as campground camping, roofed accommodations, washrooms, and Discovery programs, and charge fees. In non-operating parks, facilities and services within a park are minimal or not provided. There are no fees associated with the use of non-operating parks.

In addition to provincial parks, the PPCRA also sets out objectives for the establishment and management of conservation reserves. These spaces:

• protect sensitive and important ecosystems
• allow visitors to participate in environmentally responsible activities (for example, fishing, hunting, trapping)
• allow for research to take place

Generally, there are no facilities or services provided within conservation reserves and no associated fees for the usage of these areas.

In total, the PPCRA protects nearly 9 million ha (over 22 million acres) of land and water across the province.

What we are proposing

Ontario is proposing to expand the protected areas system by proposing a list of new lands to be protected under the PPCRA.

Recognizing the large number of sites under this proposal, we have divided the sites into geographic regions based on the 5 Ontario Parks Administrative Zones to better support this review and ability for the public to provide feedback. Please see the Map of Ontario Parks Zones to better orient yourself to where the proposed sites are located in Ontario.

These zones are as follows:

1. Algonquin Zone (ALZ)
2. Northeast Zone (NEZ)
3. Northwest Zone (NWZ)
4. Southeast Zone (SEZ)
5. Southwest Zone (SWZ)

Below, you will find a list of sites that Ontario is proposing to advance for regulation as an addition to a provincial park or conservation reserve. We have also provided a supplemental document that contains additional site-specific details for each proposed site with a map of the proposed lands to be regulated. The details for each proposed site can be directly accessed through the links found in the list below.

The ministry is currently proposing the following sites for regulation under the PPCRA.

Algonquin Zone (ALZ)

Proposed Provincial Park Additions:

1. Bass Lake Provincial Park (recreational class; 182 hectares addition)

Northeast Zone (NEZ)

Proposed Provincial Park Additions:

2. Algoma Headwaters Provincial Park (natural environment class; 627 hectares addition)*
3. Chapleau-Nemegosenda Rivers Provincial Park (waterway class; 4,311 hectares)*
4. Chutes Provincial Park (recreational class; 2 hectares addition)
5. Englehart River Fine Sand Plain and Waterway Provincial Park (waterway class; 60 hectares addition)
6. Spanish River Provincial Park (waterway class; 426 hectares addition)*

Proposed Conservation Reserve Additions:

7. Island Lake Forest and Barrens Conservation Reserve (82 hectares addition)
8. Ivanhoe River Clay Plain Conservation Reserve (2,900 hectares addition)*
9. North Muskego River Mixed Forest Conservation Reserve (6 hectares addition)*
10. Severn River Conservation Reserve (38 hectares addition)

Northwest Zone (NWZ)

Proposed Provincial Park Additions:

11. Sandbar Lake Provincial Park (natural environment class; 28 hectares addition)*
12. Turtle River-White Otter Lake Provincial Park (waterway class; 29 hectares addition)*

Proposed Conservation Reserve Additions:

13. Brown's Inlet Conservation Reserve (9 hectares addition)*
14. Eagle Lake Islands Conservation Reserve (8 hectares addition)*
15. South Michipicoten River – Superior Shoreline Conservation Reserve (376 hectares addition)*

Southeast Zone (SEZ)

Proposed Provincial Park Additions:

16. Alfred Bog Provincial Park (natural environment class; 145 hectares addition)
17. Brockville Long Swamp Fen Provincial Park (nature reserve class; 44 hectares addition)
18. Charleston Lake Provincial Park (natural environment class; 6 hectares addition)
19. Emily Provincial Park (recreational class; 29 hectares addition)
20. Voyageur Provincial Park (recreational class; 31 hectares addition)

Southwest Zone (SWZ)

Proposed Provincial Park Additions:

21. Awenda Provincial Park (natural environment class; 108 hectares addition)
22. Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park (nature reserve class; 166 hectares addition)
23. Forks of the Credit Provincial Park (natural environment class; 8 hectares addition)
24. Hockley Valley Provincial Park (nature reserve class; 45 hectares addition)
25. MacGregor Point Provincial Park (natural environment class; 258 hectares addition)
26. Pretty River Valley Provincial Park (natural environment class; 312 hectares addition)

Proposed Conservation Reserve Addition:

27. Wainfleet Bog Conservation Reserve (88 ha addition)

* indicates proposed sites identified for protection under OLL

We are seeking feedback on the above list of proposed sites for regulation under the PPCRA. This proposal represents an initial list of sites the ministry is putting forward for consultation for potential regulation. The ministry is continuing to collect information through this consultation and with support from its partner ministries, to inform a list of sites to proceed to regulation.

Comments and feedback can be provided on any of the listed sites and may also be general in nature. When commenting on this proposal, please specifically identify which site(s), if any, you are commenting on.

Proposed changes to PPCRA regulations

In order to amend the boundaries of existing provincial parks, we are proposing to amend O. Reg. 316/07: Designation and Classification of Provincial Parks under the PPCRA for 19 proposed sites.

Amendments would update “Column 2: Land Set Aside" in "Table 1: Provincial Parks of Ontario" of the regulation to include:

• the provincial park’s size
• the description of the park’s boundaries (including the proposed new area)

In order to amend the boundaries of existing conservation reserves, we are proposing to amend O. Reg. 315/07: Designation of Conservation Reserves under the PPCRA for 8 proposed sites. The amendment will update the existing schedule or that will:

• list the conservation reserve’s name and size
• describe the conservation reserve’s boundaries (including the proposed new area)

Common recreational activities, including fishing and hiking, that are currently taking place on parcels being proposed as a provincial park or conservation reserve are anticipated to be able to continue should a proposed site move forward to regulation under the PPCRA. Any changes to existing park management direction would be considered through a separate park management planning process which would include public and Indigenous consultation.

Existing small-scale commercial uses may be able to continue. Industrial activities prohibited by the PPCRA such as aggregate extraction, prospecting/mining, and commercial timber harvest would be restricted. Please see the ERO supplemental document for more information about each site.

Proposed changes to regulate hunting

Under the PPCRA, hunting is permitted in a conservation reserve and is not permitted in a provincial park unless it is allowed by regulation made under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997 (FWCA). Hunting would continue to be allowed in all 8 proposed conservation reserve additions consistent with the rules for the surrounding wildlife management unit and in accordance with the FWCA.

Hunting is proposed to be allowed in 10 proposed provincial park additions:

• Charleston Lake Provincial Park
• Sandbar Lake Provincial Park
• Chapleau-Nemegosenda Rivers Provincial Park
• Algoma Headwaters Provincial Park
• Englehart River Fine Sand Plain and Waterway Provincial Park
• Spanish River Provincial Park
• Turtle River-White Otter Lake Provincial Park
• Alfred Bog Provincial Park
• Pretty River Valley Provincial Park
• MacGregor Point Provincial Park
  • Note: hunting is not currently permitted in MacGregor Point Provincial Park, however sustainable hunting is being proposed in the additions that are located south of the regulated park boundary consistent with hunting rules outlined in O. Reg. 665/98 (Hunting) clause 110(b) of the FWCA.

Sustainable hunting is currently permitted in these provincial parks (with the exception of MacGregor Point Provincial Park as noted above), and it is proposed that hunting would continue to be permitted in these park additions consistent with the requirements in O. Reg. 665/98: (Hunting) under the FWCA. These requirements are set out in clause 110(b) of O. Reg. 665/98 which states that the hunting of game mammals, migratory game birds or game birds may occur beginning the later of the first day of the open season for that mammal or bird or September 15 until the last day of the open season for that mammal or bird.

Site specific hunting proposals can be found in the supplemental document.

Hunting is not proposed to be allowed in 9 of the proposed provincial park additions. These include:

• Awenda Provincial Park
• Bass Lake Provincial Park
• Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park
• Brockville Long Swamp Fen Provincial Park
• Chutes Provincial Park
• Emily Provincial Park
• Forks of the Credit Provincial Park
• Hockley Valley Provincial Park
• Voyageur Provincial Park

Should the proposal to regulate a particular site proceed under the PPCRA, MNR intends to propose corresponding amendments to O. Reg. 663/98: Area Descriptions under the FWCA (where required), concurrent with regulation changes to O. Reg. 316/07: Designation and Classification of Provincial Parks under the PPCRA to expand or create a new park. MNR is welcoming comments on the FWCA regulatory proposals as part of this ERO proposal notice posting; a separate opportunity for comment will not be provided.

Regulatory Impact Analysis

The ministry does not anticipate any new costs to regulated entities resulting from the regulation of new lands under the PPCRA or FWCA and welcomes feedback on any potential site-specific impacts. The proposal entails substantive benefits to the general public, including permanent protection of sensitive habitat and permitting environmentally sustainable recreation to continue.

Given that there are no other ways to establish a provincial park or conservation reserve boundary, amending O. Reg. 315/07 or O. Reg. 316/07 is the only option.

Other Opportunities for Consultation

The ministry will be contacting Indigenous communities, provincial and regional stakeholders, and the local communities directly to advise them of the proposal.

If sites proposed for regulation are regulated as provincial park or conservation reserve, this would not prohibit Indigenous communities from exercising their Aboriginal and treaty rights. Indigenous communities could still exercise these rights in the provincial parks or conservation reserves subject to safety and conservation concerns.

If you are interested in having your contact information added to the direct notification list for this project, please contact us at Protected.Areas@Ontario.ca.