 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1893 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Ontario |
| Headquarters | 300 Water Street, Peterborough, Ontario |
| Minister responsible | |
| Website | www.ontarioparks.com |
Ontario Parks is a branch of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in Ontario, Canada, that protects significant natural and cultural resources in a system of parks and protected areas that is sustainable and provides opportunities for inspiration, enjoyment and education.[1] The Ontario Parks system covers over 78,000 square kilometres (30,000 sq mi), which is about 10 per cent of the province's surface area or the equivalent of an area approximately equal to Nova Scotia. It falls under the responsibility and mandate of the province's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. It was formerly under the mandate of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.[citation needed]
The Ontario Parks system has been used as a model for other[example needed] parks systems in North America. This can be attributed to its delicate balance of recreation, preservation and conservation.
Many parks in Ontario also offer a Natural Heritage Education program (also called interpretive services or visitor services).[2]
- ^ "Welcome to Ontario Parks". Ontarioparks.com. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
- ^ "A brief history of nature education in provincial parks", Ontario Parks. Killan, Protected Places: A History of Ontario's Provincial Parks System, 1993, p 262 and passim.