Rock climbing group wants province to scale back Ontario park restrictions

A group of rock climbers is pushing the Ontario government to loosen restrictions and allow more rock climbing in provincial parks. 

Under the current Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, rock climbing in many provincial parks is prohibited unless there is express permission from the park superintendent. 

"We would love to see Ontario move a little bit forward with the times and embrace climbing as something that is an accepted recreational use," said Mike Penney with the Ontario Alliance of Climbers, a volunteer group that promotes outdoor climbing, on CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.

Penney said rock climbing has grown in popularity over the past decade or so to the point where it made its official debut at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. 

Eyes on popular parks

The Ontario Alliance of Climbers is hoping to work with Ontario Parks to update management plans for different parks across the province that offer great climbing opportunities. 

The group is hoping to see the management plans of parks that have the heaviest current use tacked first, such as Devil's Glen, Lion's Head, Killarney and Algonquin parks. 

"There is a massive amount of climbing potential and recreation potential in Ontario Parks' lands. There's some very, very beautiful places," Penney said. 

Rock climbing has built up a reputation for being a dangerous sport, but Penney said that's usually not the case. 

"It is quite a safe sport and in fact if you're feeling adrenaline you're probably doing something very wrong," he said.

Climbing is also a great way to build community and create connections with nature, he added. 

Some parks might be worried about the environmental impacts of climbing, but Penney said there's many ways for climbers to mitigate any negative impacts.

In Bon Echo Provincial Park, for example, he said climbers regularly observe rolling closures to avoid disrupting the migratory patterns or nesting periods of peregrine falcons. 

In an emailed statement Thursday, a spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks says it wants to encourage recreation in these parks.

"Ontario Parks is currently engaged in collaborative discussions with the Ontario Alliance of Climbers (OAC) regarding rock climbing in provincial parks. The Minister hopes that rock climbers will be able to enjoy their sport in more Ontario Parks soon," the ministry said.