Ban hunting in Ontario's provincial parks

by Melissa Tkachyk, Earthroots

Now is the best opportunity to voice your opposition to hunting in Ontario's Provincial Parks and protected areas! Public comment period ends November 8th.

The Ontario government is currently reviewing the Provincial Parks Act -an act that has not been substantially revised since 1954. New legislation is long overdue that recognizes the growing popularity of these wilderness areas and the new and increased threats to their integrity.

This is the public's best opportunity to voice their concerns over the allowance of sport hunting in 428 Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves across the province. Quite simply, the wildlife are not protected in our parks if it is permissible to shoot them. Earthroots has been asking for a ban on sport hunting in all parks to protect the wildlife and the safety of park visitors.

The government has released a discussion paper, outlining their key legislative proposals to strengthen protected area legislation. The paper is available online for public review at: www.OntarioParks.com. The most significant proposal is the government's commitment to ensure that the protection and maintenance of ecological integrity is the overriding principle guiding park management decisions. The government should also be applauded for proposing a ban on industrial activities such as mineral exploration, mining, aggregate and peat extraction and power generation in parks. However the government's unwillingness to consider the impacts of hunting on the preservation of ecological integrity is a contradiction to any of their other commitments to strengthen the legislation.

The public is invited to submit comments on revisions to the Parks Act until November 8th. Here's how you can participate in the public consultation process:

1. Submit your comments on the MNR's Discussion Paper through Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights Registry (EBR). To view the full posting on the EBR, visit: www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/023597ea.htm

Comments can be addressed to: Bob Moos, Strategic Planning Officer, Protected Areas Legislation Review, P.O. Box 7000, 300 Water Street, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 8M5 PHONE: (705) 755-1731 FAX: (705) 755-1701.

*Remember to include the EBR Registry Number: AB04E6001 so that your comments are officially recorded.

2. Complete the MNR's online questionnaire at: www.ontarioparks.com

For more information about threats to Ontario's Parks, visit Earthroots' Park Alert! Website at www.parkalert.org or call us at 416-599-0152

The issue is getting significant media attention, we just need to generate enough letters to show how Ontarians feel about hunting in parks. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) are already mobilizing their members to oppose further hunting restrictions. Below is an op-ed that was printed in the Sudbury Star, Sault Star, Kitchener-Waterloo Record and discussed on CBC Radio. Please look for the OFAH's reactions to these articles and support the protection of wildlife in our parks by submitting your own letters to the editor. Feel free to use any of the arguments below

Time to ban shooting in Ontario parks: Ontario's protected areas should bewildlife sanctuaries not hunting grounds

The Sudbury Star
Friday, October 22, 2004 Page: A9
Byline: Melissa Tkachyk

If you plan on visiting one of Ontario's many Provincial Parks or Conservation Reserves to enjoy the fall colours, be sure to bring a bright orange safety vest because sport hunting is allowed in 428 Protected Areas across the province.

Allowing hunting in these popular recreation areas flies in the face of common sense and public responsibility.

Ontario has the opportunity to boast one of the most cherished protected area systems in the world with 316 Provincial Parks and 249 Conservation Reserves in the province attracting more than 10 million visitors a year.

Many people don't realize that sport hunting is allowed in the vast majority of these areas because the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) makes little effort to alert visitors of this dangerous and often conflicting park activity.

Instead, they actively encourage people to visit parks year-round, stating in the Ontario Parks Guide that they never really close, "And because, many of our hiking trails are designed to be enjoyed year-round, there's no such thing as hiking off-season."

Unfortunately, many people are first made aware of the fact that hunting is allowed in their favourite park when they hear the shots, not ever envisioning that their quiet recreational retreat would be disrupted by the sounds of gunfire and revved up all-terrain vehicles. So much for leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind.

With over 90 per cent of the public land in Ontario already available for hunting, it is intolerable that 'Protected' Areas be open to this activity as well.

Nature-based tourism is a growing industry that spans all seasons and is a vital component of the shifting economies in Northern communities. Imagine the promotional opportunities if we could invite people from all over the world to explore and observe natural processes in more than 600 Protected Areas where hunting is not permitted?

Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves comprise just nine per cent of Ontario. This would be a very small gun-free area to set aside for the preservation of wildlife and natural features. Is it not reasonable to preserve a fraction of the landscape for hiking, nature photography and wildlife viewing as well; activities that many see as being incompatible with sport hunting?

Province-wide polling has repeatedly shown that the vast majority of Ontarians oppose sport hunting in Protected Areas.

A survey conducted by Sudbury based, Oraclepoll in March 2004 revealed that 88 per cent of Ontarians strongly opposed hunting in parks, including 84.4 per cent of people who live in Northern Ontario and 66.7 per cent of people who have a hunting licence in their household. The survey also revealed that the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat was seen as the primary purpose for Ontario's parks.

Why then, is the government a proponent of hunting in protected areas knowing this contravenes the will of the majority of Ontarians?

It's time the province starts listening to the vast majority of people in Ontario who oppose hunting in Protected Areas and to recognize the important role parks play in protecting wildlife and biodiversity.

According to the MNR, close to 200 of the animals found in our parks are considered rare or endangered species at risk. Each year, the number of species threatened with extinction increases as a result of habitat loss, hunting and trapping pressures and a shamefully slow and incomplete protection process.

As Ontario's population approaches 12 million, our cities continue to sprawl and our air and watersheds become more polluted -- the need to fully protect wilderness areas from these disturbances becomes all the more critical.

Earthroots is asking the government to ban high-impact activities like sport hunting in Protected Areas. Until that legislative amendment is made, hikers, canoeists, photographers and campers should wear a bright orange safety vest if they plan on visiting a park during hunting season.

Unfortunately, the migratory birds, moose, rabbits and other game species that can be hunted in some of our parks do not have this option.

The public now has an opportunity to voice their opinion of what should and should not be allowed in Ontario's Protected Areas as the government is currently reviewing its Provincial Parks Act -- an Act that has not been substantially revised since 1954, when there were only 8 parks in Ontario. New legislation that recognizes the growing popularity of these wilderness areas and the new and increased threats to their ecological integrity is long overdue.

For more information about the government's proposal to revise the Parks Act, visit: www.ontarioparks.com. The public has until Nov. 8 to submit written comments

- Melissa Tkachyk is a wilderness campaigner with Earthroots, a grassroots conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of wilderness, wildlife and watersheds in Canada, with a focus on Ontario.