Building Ontario’s First Urban Provincial Park

Earlier this year, the Ontario Government announced plans to build a new Provincial Park in the Township of Uxbridge, the first urban provincial park in Ontario. According to a news release, the proposed park will be in the Oak Ridges Moraine and would provide opportunities for people and families to enjoy the area’s natural beauty, including hiking and birdwatching, while strengthening the long-term protection and health of local wildlife.

This is welcome news to hiking and nature enthusiast. The plans are supported by a number of conservation groups including the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

"Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is thrilled about the Ontario government’s plan to explore the creation of a provincial park in Uxbridge, said John MacKenzie, Chief Executive Officer, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. “Greater protections for, and investments in, provincially owned green space in Uxbridge supports our Trail Strategy by complementing and connecting existing trail networks on TRCA and other publicly owned lands nearby. The designation of a provincial park will also aid conservation and scientific work to protect our ecosystems and the communities we serve. TRCA looks forward to continuing to work with our partners to make this new provincial park in Uxbridge a success."

This will be the first Provincial Park built in the last 40 years. Plans for an urban provincial park were first referenced in the Ontario Government’s 2023 budget. Ontario currently and protects 340 provincial parks (115 operating parks and 225 non-operating parks) and 295 conservation reserves representing over eight per cent of the province’s land and waters. Visit the Ontario Parks website to learn more.