MPP’s are back at Queen’s Park for the fall session and Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie is getting right down to work.
On Tuesday evening, Dowie will present Bill 26, the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Amendment Act.
The bill would amend and add two new classes of provincial parks: Urban Class Parks and Adventure Class Parks.
Urban parks would bring nature closer to cities, so people living in urban areas can enjoy outdoor activities nearby.
Speaking on AM800’s The Shift with Patty Handysides, Dowie said adventure parks are for more intenstive recreational activities.
“For example, rock climbing, mountain biking, snowmobiling, ATV’ing, or even tree-top trekking. You have to change the natural environment to have these recreational opportunities,” Dowie said.
Dowie said the legislation is not intended to reverse or change existing protections, but rather add potential parks into the system.
“For some of these higher intensity activities that involves motorized vehicles, and use of the land, what I’m saying here is, there is room for that in the provincial. We could create new parks over and above our existing parks,” he said.
Dowie pointed to urban areas like Hamilton that have trails and waterfalls that surround housing developments.
“Because it’s been built up around it doesn’t really fit your mould of provincial park, and so this bill is aiming to change that. There’s room for those caves and waterfalls even if they are in the middle of housing developments to be part of the provincial park system,” said Dowie.
If passed, Bill 26 will be referred to the standing committee further review and public input.