New at Ontario Parks in 2016

 

Families love the luxurious feel of Pine Shores Cottage at Bonnechere Provincial Park in Eastern Ontario. This lakeside retreat has recently been refurbished. Three bedrooms include a master with a Queen-sized bed. The living room has a fireplace and a flat screen TV. The kitchen is fully-equipped and the bathroom has a whirlpool tub and shower. A yard backs on to Round Lake. It has a furnished patio, a swimming area and a firepit for evening campfires. You can take a paddle too. Pine Shores even has its own canoe, paddles and lifejackets. 

 

New beach access mats make popular beach parks more manageable for visitors who use walkers, wheelchairs or strollers. Port Bruce Provincial Park on Lake Erie is the latest to roll out the new mats. Similar to existing ones at Wasaga Beach, Sandbanks and Long Point Provincial Parks, the new Port Bruce mats will allow everyone to enjoy a day at the beach.

With Earth Day just around the corner, this is a good time to share news of Ontario Parks’ ecopassages. Recent research shows that these mini corridors greatly benefit park wildlife. Presqu’ile and The Pinery Provincial Parks are the latest parks to construct new ecopassages. You’ll also find them in Algonquin, Long Point and Killbear Provincial Parks. More on these unique wildlife routes is found on the Parks Blog.

 

The Pinery Provincial Park has a new app. ”Explore Pinery” gives visitors quick access to weather forecasts, nature programs and activities at the popular Lake Huron park. It also links to Ontario Parks’ Fall Colour and Ski Reports and to the park’s social media channels. Users can record park sounds and wildlife sightings or even use the app as a step-counter. Developed by volunteers and park staff, “Explore Pinery” is available through iTunes, Google Play, and Blackberry World.
 

This is an extension of a pilot project that began in November 2015 when group camping at 12 parks was added to the call centre service. New in April 2016, campers will be able to book group campsites online at these same 12 provincial parks: Bronte Creek, Earl Rowe, Inverhuron, MacGregor Point, Point Farms, Port Burwell, Rock Point, Sauble Falls, Selkirk, The Pinery, Turkey Point and Wheatley. This Parks Blog post offers some group booking tips and takes a look at three of the parks and their group campsites,