Ontario Parks To Receive Funding In 2020 Ontario Budget
The Government of Ontario highlighted $6 Million in funding for Ontario Parks in their just announced 2020 Ontario Budget. With COVID-19 impacting every aspect of people’s lives, the government pitched the budget as support for 2021 as being the “year of the Ontario staycation”.
The tourism sector has been especially negatively impacted by COVID-19. The outdoor tourism sector has increased in importance as people look for more opportunities to safely enjoy the outdoors. Demand to visit provincial parks increased as a direct result of COVID-19 and the disruptions to the travel sector. Upgrades to Ontario Parks facilities and services will support increased visitation and provide an additional boost to the recovery of the outdoor tourism sector. Visitors to Ontario Parks create spin-off benefits to local communities, especially in regions across Southern Ontario and in the North. The government is supporting economic recovery of these communities and tourism businesses to increase visitation and improve fiscal resilience by:
Investing one-time funding of $6 million to electrify more campsites, and revitalize and expand the number of roofed accommodations;
Providing online delivery to supplement Discovery Education programs; and
Amending the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 to increase fiscal
sustainability.
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