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Citizens for Crown Land Protection
Bill 26: Formal Reclassification of Crown Land and Its Legal Consequences
On May 26, 2025, the Government of Ontario introduced Bill 26, the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Amendment Act, 2025, which proposes to amend the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 (PPCRA). The bill introduces two new classes of provincial parks:
Adventure Class Parks: These are intended to accommodate outdoor recreational activities, including but not limited to mountain biking, snowmobiling, off-road vehicle use, rock climbing, and other similar pursuits. These activities may involve alterations to the natural environment.
Urban Class Parks: These parks aim to facilitate access to compatible nature-based recreation in or near urban centres, reflecting an effort to integrate greenspace with population hubs.
While the stated objectives suggest an expansion of recreational access, the legal framework triggered by such reclassification significantly alters land use governance. The practical consequences for existing Crown land users, resource-based industries, and volunteers is substantial!
Legal and Practical Implications of Reclassification Under Bill 26
If Crown land is reclassified as a provincial park, the land becomes subject to the full regulatory framework of the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006, which differs significantly from the framework currently applicable to Crown land under the Public Lands Act.
The following changes apply upon reclassification under the PPCRA:
1. Volunteer Trail Maintenance and Emergency Access
Trail maintenance, storm cleanup, and emergency rerouting may not occur without written authorization.
Use of chainsaws, power saws, or gasoline generators is restricted or prohibited without prior approval (see O. Reg. 347/07, s. 21).
Informal and volunteer-based trail stewardship, currently permitted on Crown land, is effectively prohibited without a formal agreement with Ontario Parks.
For example, the 2025 ice storm delayed trail openings into late spring. Volunteers arrived with chainsaws and fuel to clear debris. Under a provincial park framework, such actions would require formal authorization or be limited to Ontario Parks staff, potentially delaying access and increasing public costs.
2. Firewood Collection
Personal-use firewood harvesting, which is permitted on Crown land under MNRF guidelines, is prohibited in provincial parks.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/using-wood-crown-land-personal-use
3. Industrial and Economic Use
Logging, mineral exploration, and aggregate extraction are prohibited within provincial parks and conservation reserves. Reclassification therefore displaces existing or potential economic activity tied to resource use.
Section 16(1) of the PPCRA prohibits:
Commercial timber harvesting.
Generation of electricity.
Prospecting, staking mining claims, developing mineral interests, or operating mines.
Extracting aggregate, topsoil, or peat.
Other industrial uses.
Full text: PPCRA, Section 16 https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06p12#BK24
4. Public Access and Fee Structures
General access becomes conditional. The government may regulate or restrict entry points, close trails seasonally, impose use caps, or implement fee structures.
No statutory right to public consultation is required before implementing these restrictions.
Section 26 of the PPCRA authorizes Ontario Parks to impose:
Entry fees for persons, vehicles, boats, or aircraft.
Facility usage fees and service charges.
Rentals for permits, leases, and other approvals.
Source: PPCRA, Section 26 https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06p12
5. Recreational Camping
Dispersed or backcountry camping, commonly allowed on Crown land, is restricted in parks.
Regulations under O. Reg. 347/07 limit:
The number of nights allowed per site (s. 16).
Group size and party composition (s. 17).
Shelter equipment and trailer limits (s. 19).
Camping near portages or shorelines during winter (s. 20).
Full regulation: O. Reg. 347/07 https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070347
6. Trail and Infrastructure Repair
Under both the Public Lands Act and the PPCRA, certain trail and infrastructure repairs—such as culvert replacements, erosion control, or bridge stabilization—can require permits and may trigger environmental screening processes.
However, under the PPCRA, these activities are more strictly regulated. The use of mechanized tools (e.g., chainsaws, generators, ATVs) is expressly restricted under O. Reg. 347/07, section 21, and such repairs typically require formal approval from Ontario Parks. There is little to no flexibility for informal or volunteer-led maintenance, even in emergency situations.
This contrasts with Crown land under the Public Lands Act, where local MNRF offices have historically worked with communities and user groups to support responsible stewardship.
Use of mechanized tools (e.g., chainsaws or generators) is restricted under O. Reg. 347/07, s. 21.
7. Off-Road and Motorized Use
Although Bill 26 proposes the creation of Adventure Class Parks to accommodate activities such as off-road vehicle use, this does not guarantee continued access. Instead, motorized use will be subject to formal authorization under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 and its associated regulations.
This legislative change introduces not only stricter control but also the potential commercialization of access, moving away from public trust and user-driven maintenance toward a top-down, fee-based model with limited transparency or local input.
What the PPCRA permits Ontario Parks to do:
Prohibit all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) unless explicitly authorized (O. Reg. 347/07, s. 34)
Regulate or ban snowmobiles, boats, and aircraft (s. 23, 31–33)
Impose entry fees, use charges, permits, and rentals for vehicles, persons, and facilities (PPCRA, s. 26)
Close trails, impose use caps, restrict access by season or policy, all without public consultation.
Adventure Class = Park Rules, Not Public Access.
The Broader Impact
The effect of Bill 26 is to shift the governance of Crown land from a decentralized, multi-use framework to a centralized, regulated park model. This impacts:
Rural residents who depend on informal access.
Trail users and clubs maintaining networks through volunteer labour.
Outdoor tourism operators and outfitters.
Individuals reliant on Crown land for non-commercial use.
Individuals who rely on Crown land for commercial use, such as loggers.
While the legislation remains geared towards conservation, this amendment is not a conservation minded change. It is a statutory reclassification that imposes stricter rules, limits flexibility, and removes local autonomy from land management.
For trail riders, it is not hard to see how this change will significantly impact you.
As loggers or those that work in industries that rely on Crown land for resource, it is not hard to see how this will impact you, especially if off-road vehicle clubs sign up.
We encourage members of the public to:
Read the full text of Bill 26: https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-44/session-1/bill-26
Review the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06p12
Review the General Regulation under the Act: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070347
Contact your Member of Provincial Parliament: https://www.ola.org/en/members and urge them to reject Bill 26 in its entirety.
If you need assistance drafting a letter, send us an email to citizens@cclp.ca with how this would impact you and we will send you a draft you can use.
Sincerely, Citizens for Crown Land Protection
Your Access. Your Voice.
A Victory for Crown Land Users
Milburn Kendrick Proposal Cancelled - A Win for Crown Land Access
On April 14, 2025, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks confirmed what thousands of land users demanded: the Milburn Kendrick Conservation Reserve proposal will not proceed.
This is more than a win for Haliburton, it’s a message to all of Ontario and beyond: when people unite, speak up, and push back with facts, we can stop unjust land designations.
This outcome is a direct result of community action, led by residents and land users, who stood up for fair process, public consultation, and access to public land.
It happened because everyday Crown land users, hunters, riders, anglers, trappers, and trail supporters, did what big name organizations wouldn’t. We showed up. We got organized. We read the law. And we challenged the narrative.
Why We Fought Back
The Milburn Kendrick Area of Interest (MKAI) was just one piece of a sweeping plan to reclassify over 60,000 hectares of Crown land in the Highlands Corridor. It was sold as “protection,” but the fine print told a different story: locked gates, lost trails, and permanent restrictions.
Citizens for Crown Land Protection (CCLP) was founded as a grassroots organization to oppose restrictive conservation designations that risk shutting out traditional and recreational users. Our mandate is rooted in supporting fair, responsible, and sustainable access to Crown land, especially for snowmobilers, ATV riders, hunters, anglers, and trail users who depend on this land.
While Others Stayed Silent, You Took a Stand.
While individual land users spoke out and organized, many organizations that claim to represent outdoor recreation, including OFAH, KATVA, and others, chose not to oppose the Milburn Kendrick proposal. In fact, some even offered conditional support, despite the designation's permanence and the lack of any legal guarantees. They did so knowing full well there’s no mechanism to enforce those conditions once land is designated.
But users knew better. You knew this wasn’t just about Milburn Kendrick. You knew what was really at stake: the future of public access across Ontario and Canada.
This Is What Happens When People Speak Up
This win proves one thing: conservation designations can be stopped.