Ontario Parks

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Ontario Parks is the branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources that administers the provincial parks in Ontario, Canada. The Ontario Parks system covers over 78,000 square kilometres (30,460 mi²), about 10 percent of the province's surface area or the equivalent of an area approximately equal to Nova Scotia. The Ontario Parks system is often used as the model for other parks systems in North America. This can be attributed to its delicate balance of recreation, preservation, and conservation. Many parks in Ontario also offer a Natural Heritage Education program.

Ontario Parks' mandate is to ensure that significant natural, cultural, and recreational environments are protected and that these areas allow and encourage recreational activities for visitors.

Contents 1 History 2 Provincial park classes 3 The parks 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] History

The Ontario Parks system began its long and rough history in 1893 with the creation of Algonquin Park, originally designed to protect loggers' interests from settlement. The management and creation of provincial parks came under the Department of Lands and Forests in 1954 and led to a period of accelerated park creation: a nine-fold increase in the number of parks over the next six years. In the 1970s the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) was formed. Currently, Ontario Parks does not have full agency status, but is a branch of the Natural Resource Management Division of the MNR.

[edit] Provincial park classes

Ontario Parks system uses a classification system to divide the provincial parks into the following categories:

• Recreational parks "typically have good beaches, many campgrounds and lots of outdoor recreation opportunities. Most recreation parks provide services that may include toilets and showers, laundromats, interpretive programmes, playgrounds, boat launch facilities, hiking trails and picnic tables."
• Cultural Heritage parks "emphasize the protection of historical and cultural resources, in an outdoor setting."
• Natural environment parks "protect the landscapes and special features of the natural region in which they are located, while providing ample opportunities for activities such as swimming and camping."
• Nature reserve parks "are established to represent and protect the distinctive natural habitats and landforms of the province. These areas are protected for educational and research purposes. Due to the fragility of many of these natural features, only a few nature reserves are accessible to the public."
• Waterway parks "are river corridors that provide canoeists with high-quality recreation and historical river travel."
• Wilderness parks "are large areas left to nature where visitors may travel on foot or by canoe. Offering little if any facilities for visitors, these areas provide the solitude of an undisturbed, natural setting."

[edit] The parks

As of 2007, Ontario Parks system manages 66 recreational class parks (367.6 km²), six cultural heritage class parks (67.4 km²), 79 natural environment class parks (14,629.5 km²), 108 nature reserve class parks (1,143.5 km²), 62 waterway class parks (14,446.2 km²), and 8 wilderness class parks (48,237.5 km²).

For the list of all parks under administration by Ontario Parks, see: List of Ontario parks#Provincial parks

[edit] See also

• List of Canadian provincial parks - for parks in other Canadian provinces.
• List of Ontario parks

[edit] External links

• Official website

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