Nearly 48,000 acres protected, 12 new parks and expanded trails in Ontario

What happened

• A three-year, $10-million federal–provincial agreement finished this year to permanently protect nearly 48,000 acres of forests, wetlands and ecologically sensitive areas across Ontario.

By the numbers

• 12 new provincial parks and conservation reserves created
• 50 existing parks and reserves expanded
• Notable additions cited in the release: Emily Provincial Park (72 acres / 30 hectares), Hockley Valley Provincial Park (314 acres / 127 hectares), Ivanhoe River Clay Plain Conservation Reserve (7,139 acres / 2,889 hectares), and additions at Bass Lake

Where and who it affects

• Protections and new access affect communities across Ontario, with specific work in the Kawartha Lakes area and along routes such as the Bruce Trail.

Why it matters

• The expansions protect habitat, shoreline and wetlands, improve public access to trails and natural areas, support local tourism, and contribute toward Canada’s goal to conserve 30% of lands and waters by 2030 under the federal "A Force of Nature" strategy.

Context from the release

• Since 2020, Ontario has invested $60 million via the Greenlands Conservation Partnership to protect close to 639,000 acres. Ontario reported over 682,000 acres of provincially managed protected and conserved areas to the national database in the most recent year.