Despite promises of campsites, recreational trails, and a visitor hub, Ontario’s Bigwind Lake Provincial Park remains an untouched sliver of wilderness.
In June 2023, the province’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP) announced that it would be changing Bigwind Lake from a non-operating provincial park to an all-season, full-service provincial park, the first one created in more than 40 years.
The MECP made the decision after many of Ontario’s provincial parks reached capacity in peak season during the pandemic. According to Ontario Parks, in 2021, it saw 12.4 million visitors, a 29 per cent increase over 2012.
As part of the change, Bigwind Lake Provincial Park, which is currently unstaffed, would receive a full-time operations team, along with approximately 250 campsites, 25 roofed accommodations, 25 backcountry campsites, a visitor services hub, a recreational trail system, support facilities (including an access road), comfort stations, water and waste treatment facilities, and maintenance facilities, as well as infrastructure for recreational activities, such as hiking, paddling, and cross-country skiing.
During the announcement, David Piccini, MECP Minister at the time, said that the park was projected to open to the public by 2026. But as the deadline draws closer, there has been almost no development in the park.
“The Bigwind Lake Provincial Park project is in the early planning and design stage. We are reviewing ideas for new facilities, park layout, and design concepts using public feedback and expert studies to guide the process. Once planning is complete, we will share more details about construction and the anticipated park opening,” said an MECP spokesperson.
Glamp at one of Ontario Parks’ many roofed accommodations
However, back in March 2024, the MECP said that it planned to start the park’s design phase that year. The MECP did not elaborate on why it was still in the same phase a year and a half later.
It’s unlikely the delays have been caused by opposition to the park as it has received favourable feedback. In 2024, the MECP opened its plan to add 775 acres of Crown land to the park’s existing 4,860 acres, as well as an updated management plan to public comment. The plan received 150 public comments, 95 of which were in support of the idea, nine of which were opposed, and 28 of which were deemed unclear.
The Town of Bracebridge, which is approximately 40 kilometres east of the park, has also been a dedicated proponent of the park’s changes. At the time of the announcement, Bracebridge Mayor Rick Maloney said: “We are thrilled that the new park will add new amenities.”
According to the MECP, the updates to Bigwind Lake Provincial Park have the potential to generate $16 million annually in Bracebridge and the surrounding area.
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Yet, despite its proximity to the park, Bracebridge hasn’t received any information about a projected opening. A spokesperson for the town said that Bracebridge has been involved in the development of road design standards to provide access to the park, but not in the park’s actual development plans.
Currently, Bigwind Lake is open to the public but as a non-operating provincial park, meaning there are no onsite facilities and can only accommodate low-intensity, self-guided activities, such as paddling and nature appreciation.
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