Category: Summer

Five friends, five departments, one park

Today’s post comes from Zuzanna, Alysa, Lyle, Jackson, and Emily: five friends who applied to Ontario Parks across the province and by a twist of fate, all got jobs at the same provincial park, 1,500 km (or 16 hours) from home!

In early January, we applied to work at parks across the province. Being friends with connections in Southern Ontario, we were yearning for seasonal jobs characterized by adventure and wilderness.

After numerous interviews and phone calls, one by one we received job offers from the same park: Quetico Provincial Park.

Once he reviewed our resumes and interviews, our senior operations technician discovered the friendships and previous connections that we had to one another.

Upon consideration of our unique backgrounds, he placed us in distinct departments to align with our individual strengths.

We became five friends in five departments, all at the same provincial park.

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Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Breaking the Barrier

Thirty years ago, Atikokan resident and paralympic gold medalist Tom Hainey historically swam across the entire length of Quetico Provincial Park in the Breaking the Barrier Swim.

This swim honoured Tom Hainey’s mother and long-time Quetico employee, Sheila Hainey, who had recently passed away in a car crash.

This year on August 12, a gathering will be held at Quetico’s Dawson Trail Campground to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tom Hainey’s swim and the dedication of a barrier-free boardwalk to his mother Sheila.

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It’s August — what are Black Bears up to?

Ontario’s Black Bears are busy looking for food in August!

They only have a few a short months before they go into hibernation.

In August, Black Bears are focused on finding delicious berries like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.

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August’s digital download

Can you believe summer’s half over?

If you haven’t had a chance to take a trip to the great outdoors, THIS IS YOUR SIGN!

We’ve got plenty of sites available for your camping trip! Want your pick of the sites? Take some time off work and book a midweek trip!

This month’s FREE digital download comes from the stunning Ivanhoe Lake Provincial Park.

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5 common moths and how to identify them

Today’s blog comes from Murphys Point Provincial Park Assistant Superintendent Mark Read. 

With an ever-increasing interest in some of the smaller wildlife found in our provincial parks, moths are quickly becoming the new park stars!

In fact, when looking at Ontario Parks’ iNaturalist project, you can find five native species sitting right up there amongst some of the most frequently observed wildlife across our entire network of parks.

Here are 5 of the most common moth species found in Ontario Parks:

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Befriending the beings of Lake Superior Provincial Park

Today’s blog comes from Zahra Ebrahim, Lake Superior Provincial Park’s 2022 artist-in-residence.

It was spring of 2022 when I got a phone call from the Friends of Lake Superior Park to let me know that I had been selected as one of the two 2022 artists-in-residence.

Lake Superior has played a huge role in my life.

When I was young, my family immigrated to Canada from Kenya and established Vancouver as our home.

Growing up, the Pacific Ocean was a companion, helping me feel a deep sense of place and belonging in a city and community that hadn’t yet understood how to embrace intersectional, racialized families.

The waters of the Pacific provided a connection to the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean that my family grew up on, serving as the backdrop to some of our most memorable moments.

Fifteen years ago, I moved to Ontario and adventured through its spectacular landscape. But it was only when I first camped on Lake Superior that I felt that same sense of place and belonging as I do on the west coast.

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5 reasons to visit Fairbank Provincial Park

Fairbank Provincial Park is 25 minutes north of Highway 17, and 35 km west of Sudbury.

This quiet, family friendly park provides a tranquil setting for camping, swimming, and paddling, and makes a great base for exploring the Sudbury region!

Check out these five reasons to visit Fairbank:

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