Most of the time, rock climbing isn’t allowed in provincial parks
A group of rock climbers is trying to get the Ontario government to loosen rules and let more rock climbing happen in provincial parks.
Under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, it is against the law to climb rocks in many provincial parks unless the park superintendent gives you permission.
Mike Penney of the Ontario Alliance of Climbers, a volunteer group that promotes outdoor climbing, said on CBC Radio’s “The Current”: “We would love to see Ontario catch up with the times and accept climbing as a legitimate form of recreation.”Ottawa Morning.
Penney said that rock climbing has become more popular over the past ten years or so, and that it will make its official Olympic debut in 2021 in Tokyo.
Eyes on popular park
The Ontario Alliance of Climbers wants to work with Ontario Parks to update management plans for some of the best climbing spots in parks across the province.
The group wants the management plans of parks that are used the most, like Devil’s Glen, Lion Head’s, Killarney, and Algonquin, to be worked on first.
“Ontario Parks has a huge amount of land that can be used for climbing and other activities. Penney said, “There are some very, very beautiful places.”
Rock climbing has a reputation for being dangerous, but Penney said that’s usually not the case.
He said, “It’s a pretty safe sport, and if you’re getting nervous, you’re probably doing something very wrong.”
He also said that climbing is a great way to meet new people and connect with nature.
Some parks might worry about how climbing affects the environment, but Penney said there are many things climbers can do to make up for any bad effects.
In Bon Echo Provincial Park, for example, climbers must follow rolling closures so they don’t mess up the peregrine falcons’ nesting or migration patterns.
In an email sent Thursday, a spokeswoman for Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks said that the province wants to encourage people to go to these parks for recreation.
“Ontario Parks and the Ontario Alliance of Climbers (OAC) are currently talking together about rock climbing in provincial parks. The Minister hopes that rock climbers will soon be able to do their sport in more Ontario parks,” the ministry said.