Discussion Paper - What are protected areas?

Protected areas are lands and waters with defined boundaries established primarily to permanently protect natural heritage features such as unique landforms, plant communities and animal life. In Ontario, provincially owned and managed protected areas include:

Provincial parks established under the Provincial Parks Act;
Conservation reserves established under the Public Lands Act, Regulation 805/94;
Wilderness areas established under the Wilderness Areas Act; and
Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Park. This park will be added to the protected areas network under the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Park Act, passed in 2003 after substantial consultation. The act applies only to this park. Therefore the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Park is not included in this review.

Why are protected areas important?

They make a significant contribution to maintaining ecosystem health and diversity.
They protect habitats for wildlife, including species at risk.
They diversify local and regional economies by supporting tourism, especially ecotourism.
They support forest “certification” that helps companies make their practices sustainable and market their products.
They preserve genetic materials that have potential for new foods, medicines and other products.
They have an important scientific and educational value.

They provide places where people can enhance their health and well-being through enjoyment of nature and outdoor recreation.

Ontario’s network of protected areas has grown over the years. When the Provincial Parks Act was last reviewed and updated in 1954 there were only eight protected areas, all provincial parks. Today there are 316 parks and 249 conservation reserves, with a total area of 8.7 million hectares. This area is larger than the provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island combined.

How It All Began

Ontario’s first provincial park – Algonquin – was established in 1893. The second, Rondeau Provincial Park, was established in 1894. When Quetico Provincial Park was established in 1913, the need for a legislative framework was recognized and the Legislature passed the first Provincial Parks Act.

A brief history of Ontario’s Protected Areas Network

1893 Algonquin – Ontario’s first provincial park

1913 Provincial Parks Act was passed and Quetico Park was established

1954 A revised Provincial Parks Act passed (with 8 parks in the system)

1959 Wilderness Areas Act was passed

1960 72 provincial parks in the system

1965 10 new provincial parks established

1978 A new provincial parks policy was approved by Cabinet (this was reconfirmed in 1992)

1983 155 parks added to the system through province-wide land use planning

1994 Ontario created a new Conservation Reserve designation under the Public Lands Act

1996 Government released Nature’s Best Framework and Action Plan.

1996 Provincial Parks Act amended to include Special Purpose Account enabling revenue retention

1997 Lands for Life land use planning initiated to complete the system of parks and protected areas in the planning area

1999 378 new protected areas (parks and conservation reserves) amounting to 2.4 million hectares created/announced as part of Ontario’s Living Legacy Land Use Strategy

2003 Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Park Act established

2004 Protected areas legislative review initiated

At one time, parks were viewed only as places with spectacular scenery, prime habitat for game animals, and lands and waters suitable for camping, picnicking and swimming. Over the years, our views changed. Urban development and pressure on these natural resources for commercial, industrial and recreational use increased. The need to protect representative ecosystems, and special natural and cultural features, in a network of areas was also recognized. As a result, Ontario’s protected areas network grew at an increasing pace through the 20th century. Wilderness areas were added to the network in 1959. The first conservation reserves were established after a regulation was approved under the Public Lands Act in 1994.

Today, Ontario’s protected areas network includes about 8.7 million hectares, or about nine per cent of the province's land base:

316 provincial parks with 7.7 million hectares regulated under the Provincial Parks Act;
249 conservation reserves with one million hectares regulated under the Public Lands Act; and
10 wilderness areas with 800 hectares regulated under the Wilderness Areas Act.

Graph of parks growth