On March 11, 2024, Canada and Ontario announced a federal investment of nearly $10 million over 3 years to support the expansion of protected areas including provincial parks and conservation reserves across Ontario. The investment will be made through the Enhanced Nature Legacy program.
For Awenda Provincial Park, that means the park will expand by approximately 265 acres (nearly 110 hectares). This includes the mainland portion of Awenda and parts of Giants Tomb Island. The park was established in 1975 and currently has an area of 7,203 acres (2,915 hectares).
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What is the Enhanced Nature Legacy program?
The Canada Nature Fund represents a commitment by the Canadian government to conserve its natural landscapes and biodiversity for future generations. Launched as part of a broader initiative to combat climate change and preserve the country’s vast ecosystems, the program involves a significant investment, aiming to protect 25% of Canada’s land and 25% of its oceans by 2025, with the goal to increase this to 30% by 2030. This ambitious undertaking includes the establishment and expansion of protected areas, the restoration of degraded ecosystems, and the support of Indigenous-led conservation efforts. The Enhanced Nature Legacy is pivotal in Canada’s strategy to meet its biodiversity targets under the global Convention on Biological Diversity, demonstrating a commitment to sustainable development, wildlife preservation, and the acknowledgment of Indigenous peoples’ roles in conservation. Through this program, Canada seeks not only to safeguard its natural beauty and wildlife but also to ensure a healthier planet for future generations.
For more information on the Canada Nature Fund, go to https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/nature-legacy/fund.html
Quotes
As residents of Ontario know well, this province is home to picturesque wilderness, scenic provincial parks, and important habitats for endangered plants and animals. That is why we, working together, are protecting vital wildlife habitats and places for people to connect with nature. Through Canada’s Enhanced Nature Legacy, we are helping Ontario make progress in response to climate change and biodiversity loss. Our investments support Canada’s efforts to conserve 30 percent of land and inland water and 30 percent of oceans by 2030.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada
Ontario has been a champion for preserving nature by forging strong partnerships with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Ontario Land Trust Alliance. Collectively, they have protected 420,833 acres and counting, which is equal to two and a half times the size of the City of Toronto. This new collaboration between the provincial and federal governments will help us accelerate the process of protecting even more areas of ecological importance, especially those deemed a priority for Ontario.
The Honourable Andrea Khanji
Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Quick Facts
- The Government of Canada has committed to conserving 30 percent of land and water in Canada by 2030 through the Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Ontario has invested $38 million to protect 420,833 acres (170,305 hectares) through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership since 2020.
- Ontario’s system of protected areas covers about 29 million acres (more than 11.7 million hectares), which is more than three times bigger than Vancouver Island.
- To date, the Government of Canada has invested more than $470 million in the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, which has been matched with more than $982 million in contributions raised by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and the country’s land trust community, leading to the protection and conservation of nearly 800,000 hectares (almost two million acres) of ecologically sensitive land.
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