2024-Sep-26
GBA Applauds Ontario Parks Expansions, But More Work to Be Done!
After a recent consultation, Ontario’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP) expanded the boundaries of 27 parks to add a little more protected land towards Ontario’s and Canada’s 2030 targets. Although this is a move in the right direction, GBA noted two issues.
Firstly, before these additions, less than 11% of land in Ontario was protected—the target is 30% by 2030—and this extra land is not going to significantly move the needle. Unless major action is taken to protect large amounts of Ontario land, there is little prospect of meeting this target.
Furthermore, MECP did not include an addition to the Massasauga Park along the Moon River, which was requested by the Woods Bay Community Association in 2016 to protect the banks of the river from irresponsible campers and picnickers leaving their garbage behind and damaging the environment.
Read GBA’s letter here.