The Ontario government will reopen provincial parks, and Conservation areas beginning today. Activities will be limited to walking, hiking, biking and bird watching.
“I encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors, but please do so in a responsible way. Practise physical distancing and follow the rules set out by health care officials to stop the spread of the virus,” Premier Doug said. 520 provincial parks will be open as of today. All buildings including washrooms, water taps, campgrounds, backcountry camp sites, roofed accommodations, playgrounds, and beaches will remain closed.
“In consultation with our health experts, we’re working to slowly phase-in the opening of Ontario Parks in a measured way to ensure the health and safety of visitors and staff. People should take note that not all amenities will be open and plan accordingly,” Environment, Conservation, and Parks Minister Jeff Yurek said. Check the Ontario parks locator for more information.
Conservation Halton Parks Remain Closed
Conservation Halton (CH) parks will remain closed for the time being. “CH is looking into a number of options that will allow monitoring visitor volume,” they tweeted Friday. The agency operates as a separate entity from Ontario provincial parks.
They will look at a phased in approach to reopening its parks over the next few weeks. They run: Mt. nemo, Crawford Lake, Rattlesnake Point, Hilton Falls, Kelso, Mountsberg, and Robert Edmonson parks. Visit their website for more information
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A couple of noteworthy points, it’s non-operational parks and conservation reserves that opened Monday, May 11th, while operational parks (those that offer facilities, washrooms and you typically pay to access, for example, Algonquin Park.) will open for limited use on Friday, May 15th. Conservation Areas aren’t under the control and operation of Ontario Parks so they all have their own schedule to the best of my understanding.
See http://www.ontarioparks.com/ where you will find more official information, an FAQ section and a park locator for operational and non-operational parks.