Historic conservation agreement will protect nearly 48,000 acres of natural greenspace for residents and visitors to enjoy
KAWARTHA LAKES — The Governments of Ontario and Canada are celebrating the completion of a three-year, $10-million agreement that has permanently protected nearly 48,000 acres of forests, wetlands and ecologically sensitive areas across Ontario. Through this agreement, the Government of Ontario has created 12 new provincial parks and conservation reserves, and expanded 50 more, while opening new public access to hiking trails and green spaces for people across the province.
“By working together, Ontario and Canada have permanently protected a combined area that is nearly twice the size of the City of Guelph,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “By creating more parks and strengthening trail connections, including links to iconic routes like the Bruce Trail, we are helping more people experience Ontario’s natural landscapes while protecting biodiversity, supporting local tourism and ensuring people can enjoy these spaces for generations to come.”
This milestone marks the completion of a joint federal-provincial commitment announced in 2024 to accelerate the expansion of Ontario’s protected areas system and conserve more of the province’s natural landscapes.
“Our government is committed to protecting the nature that Canadians rely on, and this partnership shows that commitment is delivering,” said The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature. “Over three years, we helped Ontario protect tens of thousands of acres of forests and wetlands and open up more of the outdoors for families while putting in place faster ways to safeguard land. This is exactly the kind of progress A Force of Nature—our strategy to protect nature—is built to accelerate as we work to protect 30% of Canada’s lands and waters by 2030.”
The agreement is also expanding opportunities for people to experience Ontario’s world-class natural destinations by improving the protection of existing trails and creating stronger links to established routes, including the Bruce Trail. At Emily Provincial Park in the City of Kawartha Lakes, a recent 72-acre (30-hectare) addition has expanded protection along the provincially significant Trent-Severn Waterway. This addition safeguards biologically significant shoreline marshes, wet woodlands and portions of the Pigeon River.
Other notable protected area expansions include:
- Hockley Valley Provincial Park, where an additional 314 acres (127 hectares) of the Niagara Escarpment have been protected, including segments of the Bruce Trail and two provincially significant Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest.
- Ivanhoe River Clay Plain Conservation Reserve, where an additional 7,139 acres (2,889 hectares) have been protected, including pockets of old-growth forest and a section of a free-flowing river.
- Bass Lake Provincial Park, where recent expansions have helped bring additional lands under protection while creating more opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy nearby trails and natural spaces. The additions include the waterfront on Bass Lake, protecting a provincially significant swamp-marsh wetland complex and offering increased opportunities for bird-watching.
These efforts build on longstanding initiatives to protect Ontario’s natural heritage through Ontario’s Living Legacy Land Use Strategy. Ontario continues to engage with the federal government, Indigenous communities, stakeholders and other partners on future opportunities to build on this success to deliver on its plan to expand protected areas, strengthen local tourism and ensure families can enjoy Ontario’s natural heritage for generations to come.
Quick Facts
- Through the Global Biodiversity Framework, the Government of Canada has committed to conserving 30 percent of land and water in Canada by 2030.
- In March 2026, the Government of Canada announced A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature. This $3.8 billion investment will help advance nature conservation and economic growth by working with provinces, territories, Indigenous governments, industry, and private landowners to protect 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030 and halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
- Since 2020, Ontario has invested $60 million to protect close to 639,000 acres (over 258,500 hectares) through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership. This is the single largest provincial fund to secure private land in Ontario.
- Ontario has 344 provincial parks that protect approximately 20 million acres (8.3 million hectares) and 306 conservation reserves that comprise almost 4 million acres (1.5 million hectares) regulated under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act. This totals over 24 million acres (9.8 million hectares) of land and water across the province.
- Ontario’s system of protected and conserved areas covers nearly 30 million acres (more than 12.1 million hectares), which is more than three times bigger than Vancouver Island.
- Ontario recently reported over 682,000 acres (276,000 hectares) of provincially managed protected and conserved areas to the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), representing the province’s largest annual reporting contribution since the database was launched in 2018.
Quotes
“Protecting nature is one of the best investments we can make for our environment, our communities, and future generations. Through our partnership with Ontario, we have permanently protected nearly 48,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and other important ecosystems while expanding opportunities for people to connect with nature. Together, we are making meaningful progress toward Canada’s commitment to conserve 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030 and advancing the goals of A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature.”
– The Honourable Nathalie Provost
Secretary of State (Nature)
“The partnership between the Governments of Canada and Ontario demonstrates our shared commitment to protecting the natural landscapes that make our province unique, safeguarding nearly 48,000 acres of forests, wetlands and other ecologically significant areas while expanding parks, conservation reserves and public access to nature. The expansion of Emily Provincial Park is a great example of this work in action, protecting valuable habitat along the Trent-Severn Waterway while ensuring residents and visitors can continue to enjoy the natural beauty of the Kawarthas for generations to come.”
– Laurie Scott
MPP, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock
“We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the past three years, made possible through the essential collaboration between the Province of Ontario and the federal government. Conserving Ontario’s breathtaking natural landscapes is now more important than ever, and we are proud to have contributed to this work by successfully documenting several of these protected sites in Canada’s Protected and Conserved Areas Database. With support from the provincial and federal governments, our membership has added over 20,000 hectares and over 400 additional sites toward Canada’s 30×30 conservation targets. Our land trust membership continues to work tirelessly to create an Ontario where both people and nature can thrive, and while there is still much work to be done, it is important to celebrate all we have accomplished together.”
– Marketa Evans
Interim Executive Director, Ontario Land Trust Alliance
“Partnerships like this reinforce the connections we all have with nature. Its results protect the places we cherish as Ontarians, while also securing the things we depend on, like drinking water and clean air. Its success shows what’s possible when we work together at the scale required to protect the landscapes that sustain us all.”
– Dana Kleniewski
Regional Vice-President (Ontario), Nature Conservancy of Canada
“Generous support from the Governments of Canada and Ontario has bolstered the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s ability to secure more sensitive lands along the Niagara Escarpment while connecting communities across Ontario to nature and each other through free public access to Canada’s oldest and longest marked footpath, the Bruce Trail. Over the last three years, matching funds from the federal and provincial governments have helped donors double their impact, inspiring more support for the protection of the irreplaceable ecosystems within the Bruce Trail Conservation Corridor. Together, we are contributing to a legacy of conservation that began over 60 years ago, protecting one of the most biodiverse regions in Canada treasured by millions of people and relied upon by countless species. This support of the Bruce Trail is something we can all be proud of.”
– Michael McDonald
Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Trail Conservancy
“The Ontario Conservation Accelerator and The Schad Foundation congratulate the federal and Ontario governments on this landmark achievement. This historic partnership helped make Ontario a national leader in conservation. By protecting our most at-risk ecosystems, we are securing world-class outdoor recreation for generations. This success proves that when governments unite, we deliver amazing results for the natural world.”– Peter Kendall
Ontario Conservation Accelerator and Executive Director, The Schad Foundation
Additional Resources
- Ontario Parks and Protected Areas
- Canada and Ontario commit to significant collaboration on shared nature conservation goals
Media Contacts
Alexandru Cioban
Minister’s Office
Alexandru.Cioban@ontario.ca
Gary Wheeler
Communications Branch
gary.s.wheeler@ontario.ca
416-314-6666