Ruffing it at Ontario Parks: a dog’s perspective on camping

This post is brought to you from our guest blogger Sitka the Border Collie, with help from her human Laura Myers, a strategic market development specialist with Ontario Parks.

Hello! My name is Sitka and I’m a dog.

My humans love to camp! From the moment they brought me home when I was eight weeks old, they said, “I can’t wait for all the camping adventures we will go on, little one.”

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6 parks with extended fall camping seasons

Cooler weather. No bugs. The pumpkin pie aroma wafting from your campfire, and the warmth of hot chocolate in your hands.

It must be fall camping season!

Searching for the perfect destination? These six parks will be extending their camping seasons this year:

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Healthy Parks Healthy People Day 2023

We know that spending time in nature is good for us.

Sometimes, we just need a little push to get outside and feel the effects!

That’s why on July 21, we are offering a variety of activities in parks across the province in celebration of Healthy Parks Healthy People Day.

All parks that normally charge a day-use fee will be offering free entry so you can enjoy the benefits of being in nature.

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Chugging along the tracks of time

Today’s post comes from Kelila Seymour, a Discovery Leader at Neys Provincial Park.

While some parks can boast a connection with the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR), few parks are “tied” to the railroad as closely as Neys!

Maybe you’ve driven across the tracks when you’ve entered the park, heard the whistle blow as you curl up around an evening fire, or had the chance to paddle under the trussel bridge that spans the Little Pic River.

Surrounding Neys, you are reminded of the CPR and its historical significance to the park and to Canada.

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7 iconic vistas of northwestern Ontario

Ontario Parks is fortunate to be able to both protect and showcase an abundance of natural vistas across the province.

While some locations are relatively easy to access, others will challenge you before rewarding you with their amazing views.

Here are seven iconic vistas to discover and explore this season.

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Help us fill Breeding Bird Atlas gaps!

In today’s post, Ontario Parks Northeast Zone Ecologist Anna Sheppard is asking for your helping hands (actually, eyes. And ears.)

Planning to visit any of these northwestern parks this summer?

If so, and you’re a fan of birds, then I have a favour to ask!

These parks are especially important to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, and the atlas needs your help.

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A look back on Ontario Parks’ outhouses

We called on Ontario Parks Architect Matthew Harvey to provide some insight on outhouses…the good, the bad, and the stinky!

In the course of my 25 year architectural career with Ontario Parks, I occasionally get asked what I do for a living. I proudly reply “Why, I design outhouses!”

If that person doesn’t excuse themselves, turn on their heel and beat a hasty retreat, then we might get down to a discussion that goes something like this:

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Why driftwood matters

Today’s post comes from Laura Myers, Past Senior Park Interpreter of Neys Provincial Park.

Driftwood – it makes a great bench to watch the sunset, a balancing beam to play on, or that perfect element to your photograph.

There’s something about driftwood that gives beaches that rugged beauty factor. Walking on a beach, listening to the waves and the birds, and looking at the different pieces of driftwood can be wondrous and relaxing.

Has a piece of driftwood ever caught your eye and made you wonder where it originally came from? How it got that far up the beach? The size of the wave that put it there? What species of tree or how old it is?

Each piece of driftwood has its own journey and its own story. But its story isn’t over when it washes up on the beach.

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