The Ontario Parks system stretches over 125 years. It began in 1893
with the creation of Algonquin Provincial Park. In 1954 the
management and creation of provincial parks came under the
Department of Lands and Forests. There are now 330 provincial parks
comprising 8% of Ontario's landmass which is an area larger (over
82,000 km2) than the Provinces of Nova Scotia and PEI combined.
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History of Ontario Parks
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In 1893 the area was made Algonquin Park or as it was known formally a
Public Park and Forest Reservation for the purposes of fish and game,
health and pleasure. By 1954, there were eight provincial parks in
Ontario due to post Second World War requirements for recreational
amenities and a Division of Parks was established in the Department of
Lands and Forests. Another fifteen parks joined the movement by 1960;
45 parks with over five million site visits per year. In 1967 the
Ontario ministry of the Government of Ontario formally categorized the
parks by the allowed activities: recreation, culture, or wilderness.
In 1978, Ontario introduced the Ontario Provincial Parks Planning and Management Policies, marking the first comprehensive park system planning and policy framework in Canada. This initiative set the foundation for significant growth in the province’s parks system. In 1983, a province-wide strategic land use planning exercise resulted in the creation of 155 new provincial parks. By 1989, Ontario boasted 256 provincial parks, covering more than 6.3 million hectares of protected land. In 1993, Ontario celebrated the 100th anniversary of both its provincial parks system and the establishment of Algonquin Provincial Park, its oldest and most iconic park.
In 1996, Ontario’s provincial parks system adopted a new entrepreneurial operating model, rebranding as Ontario Parks with a new logo. That same year, 11,000 hectares of land were protected under the Legacy 2000 initiative. Ontario's Living Legacy in 1999 further expanded the park system, establishing 61 new parks and enlarging 45 existing ones, significantly increasing protected land across the province. By 2001, Ontario Parks reached a major milestone, hosting over 10 million visits in a single year for the first time, reflecting its growing popularity and importance as a destination for nature enthusiasts and conservation efforts.
In 2006, the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act was passed, enhancing the legislative framework for managing Ontario’s protected areas, with ecological integrity as the top priority. In 2011, the Learn to Camp program was launched to introduce a new generation to outdoor camping. By 2015, Ontario Parks joined the global Healthy Parks Healthy People movement, promoting the health benefits of nature. As of 2017, Ontario's parks system grew to over 330 provincial parks, covering more than 8.2 million hectares of land and water, representing 7.7 percent of the province’s total area.
Visitor Information & Park Activities
North America’s Boreal Forest Songbird Nursery
~How Ontario Provincial Parks Serve as a Summer Songbird Nursery~
What is “boreal” forest?
The boreal forest is vast. One of the largest ecosystems in the world, it encircles the globe’s northern reaches, from Europe to Russia to Canada.
What types of birds live in the boreal forest?
This is often because they were named by observers far from their usual habitat. Palm Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, and Tennessee Warbler were all named as they were passing through on their migrations. Such as : Warblers, Sparrows and Thrushes.