In response to the spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks has announced the closure of all provincial parks in Ontario until the April 30th 2020. The decision was made as an effort to preserve the health and safety of the employees of and visitors to the parks and will include the closure of activities such as “car camping, backcountry camping, roofed accommodations, day-use opportunities, and all public buildings”, according to a statement made by Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
In order to assist the province with its efforts to keep Ontarians safe during this time, all provincial parks will be closed to the public from March 19, 2020 until April 30, 2020.
For full details, please read: https://t.co/n5VtJuxUBx
— Ontario Parks (@OntarioParks) March 19, 2020
Visitors and residents in the backcountry or campgrounds will be alerted to the closure by staff and will be asked to leave by Thursday. Security measures such as building lockdowns and barred gates to park entrances will be put in place wherever possible, says Andrew Buttigieg, a spokesman for the parks’ minister.
Ontario’s vast parkland – spanning more than 300 provincial parks and covering roughly 7.4% of land area – is a protected area administered by the Government of Ontario and managed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks; and is a popular choice for locals, tourists and academics to observe and enjoy the natural and cultural features of Canada’s scenic beauty.
