Rondeau Provincial Park
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| Rondeau Provincial Park | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
| Nearest city | Morpeth, Ontario |
| Area | 32.54 km² |
| Governing body | Ontario Parks |
Rondeau Provincial Park is a provincial park in southwestern Ontario, Canada, located on an 8 km long crescentic sand spit extending into Lake Erie. There are only two sand spits like this one in all of North America, Rondeau and one in Florida. It was established in 1894 and is the second-oldest provincial park in Ontario (after Algonquin Provincial Park). It is recognized as the largest tourist destination in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
The park is an important stopover for birds during migration and has been identified as a Canadian Important Bird Area. Its Carolinian woods also provide nesting habitat for the Prothonotary Warbler. Limited hunting of White-tailed Deer has been permitted within the park to control deer numbers because these animals no longer have any natural predators, and they are thought to pose a threat to the park's forested areas. Waterfowl hunting is permitted in the park area in the fall.
The name of the park comes from the French words "ronde eau" or "round water" which describes the shape of the harbour sheltered by the peninsula.
Rondeau is one of two provincial parks in Ontario that allows the presence of privately owned cottages on land leases. There are about 290 family cottages in Rondeau Park, as well as two churches and a Yacht Club / Community Center. The oldest cottages were built over 100 years ago; most were built in the 1920s. The cottage community occupies only a tiny fraction of the park but provides significant economic input to Rondeau Park and to South Kent. All private leases expire in 2017, at which time the heritage cottages, churches, and Yacht Club will be eligible to be demolished. The Heritage Board of Chatham-Kent has expressed concern over the possible loss of the cottages, many of which are architecturally significant. The Rondeau Cottagers Association and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent are actively lobbying the provincial government to have all leases extended.
 Rondeau in Winter |
.JPG/120px-2007-5-25-_Rondeau_Ontario_-_Provincial_Park_(47).JPG) Rondeau in Spring |
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