Issues of overcrowding and wildlife safety are being discussed in Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park after two black bear cubs were struck and killed by a vehicle along Highway 60 over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Cheryl Benstead, who witnessed the incident, wrote about it on Facebook. According to the post, Cheryl was driving back to her campsite in the park around dusk when she spotted a mother black bear with two cubs walking along the side of Highway 60 near Opeongo Road. A single car was pulled over to the side with its hazards on, warning other cars of the bears’ presence.
After driving past, Cheryl decided to turn back to get another glimpse of the bears. When she returned to the spot two minutes later, she found both bear cubs lying dead on the highway with an agitated mother trying to get to them. Cheryl said that at least 12 cars put their hazards on and attempted to block the road so that the mother could get to her cubs. This, however, was met by agitated drivers trying to get passed the roadblock. Eventually, the mother bear was able to drag her cubs off the road and traffic resumed as normal.
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Cheryl’s post was met with an overwhelming number of comments about the section of Highway 60 through Algonquin Park. Many of the commenters complained that too many vehicles were being allowed into the park with drivers going too fast—the speed limit is 80 km/h through this stretch. One commenter mentioned seeing a similar accident in the same area with a moose back in the summer.
To prevent these types of collisions, commenters suggested further limiting the number of visitors, lowering the highway’s speed limit to 60 km/h, building wildlife overpasses and fencing, introducing a road toll, and increasing police enforcement.
Part of the issue is that the collision occurred during one of Algonquin Park’s busiest weekends. Each fall, thousands flock to the area to take in the changing colours of the leaves. In fact, the Friends of Algonquin Park, a non-profit educational organization, puts out a fall colour report online where visitors can monitor the status of the trees.
Over the last four years, the park reported selling out of day passes for the late September and early October weekends. This includes 2024’s Thanksgiving weekend.
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Ontario Parks limits the number of people allowed to enter Algonquin Park through day use permits. In 2021, it began requiring visitors to buy the permits in advance online. The permits can be purchased up to five days before and are valid from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. A day use permit costs $21. You only need one per vehicle, and a vehicle can accommodate up to 14 people.
Ontario Parks does not release the number of day use permits to be sold on any given day, however, the park records more than a million visitors each year. (Algonquin issues 1,500 daily vehicle permits for the Highway 60 corridor during the fall colours season, and 900 daily vehicle permits the rest of the year.)
Balancing visitor numbers with protecting wildlife has been an ongoing issue in Algonquin Park. A spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP)—Ontario Parks’ governing body—said that collisions with large animals, such as bear, moose, deer, and wolves, are common along Highway 60. Bears are particularly vulnerable in the spring and fall during low periods of light as they prepare for or wake from hibernation.
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The MECP also clarified that Algonquin Park has no authority over Highway 60. It’s a provincial highway that falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). This means Algonquin Park can’t limit the number of vehicles on the highway. In fact, vehicles don’t need a permit to enter the park if they’re using Highway 60. They only need a day use permit if they stop and use a park facility, such as a bathroom, picnic ground, trail, or the visitor centre.
The Ontario Provincial Police are responsible for monitoring driver behaviour along Highway 60. Although, Algonquin Park does warn drivers about the risk of wildlife collisions through its social media posts and the park radio station. The MTO has also posted wildlife crossing signs along the highway.
Beyond this, neither the MECP or the MTO have any future initiatives in the works to prevent further wildlife collisions along Highway 60. Instead, the MECP advises visitors to the park to be vigilant at all times when driving. “Wildlife can appear any time, especially at dawn, dusk, and dark. Drive according to the speed limit and conditions, turn on head lights, and ensure a clean windshield for visibility. In addition to wildlife, drivers should be aware of other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians on or near the highway.”
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