Less than a year after Bigwind Lake became Ontario’s newest provincial park, Ontario Parks has new details for the public about the government’s plan to make the park fully operational.
In March, Ontario Parks released a detailed preliminary management report that outlined its plans for implementing parks facilities and staffing.
The proposal would see the development of around 250 campsites in the park, including tent, trailer, and RV camping, roofed accommodations (such as rustic cabins), hike-in and canoe-in sites, and backcountry camping. Ontario Parks also intends to develop an integrated trail network for hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.
While the park currently offers self-guided activities such as hiking and paddling, it does not house any facilities or staff. The implementation of the government’s plan would officially make Bigwind Lake Ontario’s first new operating provincial park in 40 years.
Other proposed facilities include a visitor centre, washrooms, showers, dishwashing and laundry facilities, along with water equipment rentals such as canoes and kayaks.
New facilities, campgrounds are expected to bring tourism to the area
In the plan, Ontario Parks said that the government intends for the local economy to benefit from “park visitor-associated spending.”
The park is located about 20 km east of Bracebridge, and is less than a two hour drive from both Arrowhead and Algonquin provincial parks.
“Having the luxury of being in proximity to two other provincial parks in the area, we’ve seen firsthand how these parks create a tourist destination,” says Jennifer Clancy, the manager of economic development for Bracebridge.
Clancy says that the town has been engaging with Ontario Parks throughout the planning stages. As the park continues to develop its operations, Bracebridge plans to work closely with local businesses on tourism destination planning and developing tourist itineraries.
“While it’s still early days, it can be transformative for a community to be in close proximity to a provincial park,” she says. “We’re excited about the prospect of Bigwind Lake’s tourism.”
Ontario Parks is also proposing expanding the boundary of the park by an additional 314 hectares of Crown land.
Hunting is not permitted in Bigwind Lake Provincial Park, but is allowed in nearby regions that would fall under the expansion. In the plan, Ontario Parks notes that if the expansion is approved then the organization plans to allow hunting to continue in the specific areas.
Photo Courtesy of Ontario Parks
The plan outlined proposed zoning for the park, including development zones, nature reserve zones, and natural environment zones. In line with Ontario Parks’ overarching goal to “prioritize environmental design,” nature reserve zones and natural environment zones are designed to protect the sensitive species and habitat within the park. Campgrounds are not permitted within the nature reserve zones, and only backcountry campsites will be allowed in natural environment zones.
Throughout 2023, Ontario Parks conducted studies on environmental and cultural values, and engaged with stakeholders including environmental groups and local Indigenous communities. The feedback was intended to inform the direction of their recent plan.
Concerns about the development harming the natural environment
Corina Brdar, the conservation and policy manager with the environmental organization Ontario Nature, has provided feedback to Ontario Parks over the last year and says that she has “mixed thoughts” about the plan. While she supports more opportunities for people to get outside and enjoy nature, she’s concerned about developing a natural environment that was previously undisturbed by humans.
“There is already so much development of natural areas being eaten up south of Sudbury,” says Brdar, who notes that Ontario already has an extensive system of protected areas and conservation land for people to experience. “We can’t have development creeping up into these last little parcels of parks.”
Implementing facilities, campgrounds, and a road in an undisturbed park such as Bigwind Lake will disrupt the natural environment, says Brdar. The plan would see a main road go through protected wetlands, the creation of a drive-in campground in an area of mature Eastern hemlock trees, and the introduction of tourists to Eastern wolves, a native species that avoids areas of human disturbance.
However, Brdar is hopeful that the government will continue to incorporate this feedback into their plans and integrate practices for ecologically sensitive development. She says that there are ways to lessen any negative impact on the natural environment, for example, installing low-light pollution lighting that doesn’t disturb the local wildlife.
“I hope that they really invest in this project,” she says. “Treat it like an investment for the park and for the people using it.”
The second phase of public consultations for the park’s preliminary management plan wrapped up on May 4. According to Ontario Parks, the detailed design phase of the project will begin this year.
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