The Government of Ontario has officially expanded its protected areas system through the creation of new provincial parks and conservation reserves, as well as additions to existing protected areas across the province. The changes came into effect on May 6, 2026 and include:
- Expansion of 20 existing protected areas (11 provincial parks and 9 conservation reserves)
- Creation of 10 new protected areas (2 provincial parks and 8 conservation reserves)
The province says these additions are intended to help conserve Ontario’s ecosystems, habitats, and wildlife, while also supporting opportunities for outdoor recreation including hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, and fishing.
Significant Additions in South Georgian Bay
Several of the newly expanded protected areas are located within the South Georgian Bay region, including:
- Beaver Valley Lowlands Conservation Reserve (+685 ha / 1,693 ac) *NEW*
- Duncan Escarpment Provincial Park (+126 ha / 311 ac)
- Hogg’s Falls Conservation Reserve (+234 ha / 578 ac) *NEW*
- Kolapore Uplands Conservation Reserve (+1,892 ha / 4,675 ac)
- Len Gertler Conservation Reserve (+363 ha / 897 ac) *NEW*
- Nottawasaga Lookout Provincial Park (+139 ha / 343 ac)
- Pretty River Valley Provincial Park (+13 ha / 32 ac)
Together, these additions strengthen ecological connectivity across the Niagara Escarpment landscape and contribute to long-term conservation efforts in one of Ontario’s most significant natural regions. Approximately 44% of all lands added or elevated across the province are located within the South Georgian Bay region.
In total, 3,452 hectares were added to protected status in the region, equivalent to approximately 1.7% of the Escarpment Corridor Alliance’s 212,000 hectare Area of Influence in South Georgian Bay. As of December 2024, only about 5% of this 212,000 hectare Area of Influence was protected status. Therefore an increase of 1.7% is very significant.
Public Response
According to the Environmental Registry of Ontario, the proposal received strong public support during consultation, with 94% of respondents generally supportive of the expansion. Many participants also expressed interest in seeing additional lands protected in the future.
The province received 341 comments through public consultation and engagement with Indigenous communities, conservation organizations, recreation users, and local residents. This included comments submitted by supporters of the Escarpment Corridor Alliance following the Nature Corridor Summit in October 2025. The ECA played an active role in encouraging public engagement through the Environmental Registry of Ontario commenting platform and believes these efforts helped contribute to the significant increase in both public participation and protected lands in South Georgian Bay.
Progress… and Ongoing Concerns
The expansion of protected lands represents an important step toward safeguarding ecological corridors, forests, wetlands, and recreational landscapes across Southern Ontario. At the same time, conservation organizations continue to monitor broader provincial policy changes that could affect the long-term security of protected lands. The Escarpment Corridor Alliance remains concerned about the new Special Economic Zones introduced through Bill 5 in 2025, which could allow the Province to remove or rezone lands currently protected through provincial parks, conservation reserves, or the Niagara Escarpment Plan.
The Escarpment Corridor Alliance is also awaiting the overdue announcement of the legislated 10-year review of the Niagara Escarpment Plan, which is required to be completed by the end of 2026 but has not yet been announced.
As development pressure and landscape fragmentation continue to increase across Southern Ontario, connected protected areas remain critical for biodiversity, climate resilience, clean water, and access to nature. This significant announcement by the Province is very encouraging and welcome news.
You can read the full Environmental Registry decision here:
Environmental Registry of Ontario Notice 019-9306
Photo: Brian Hunt
