Islands of Hope: Ontario's Parks and Wilderness

IntroductionLori Labatt and Bruce LitteljohnAlready home to Algonkian and Iroquoian native people, Ontario was first visited by European newcomers early in the seventeenth century. These newcomers viewed the wilderness as a challenge: an enemy to be conquered, and a source of wealth to be exploited. As their numbers swelled and their economic system penetrated deeper and deeper into the area, fur-bearing animals, forests, minerals, and soils were rapidly turned into commodities, and wilderness steadily diminished. Not until about the turn of the twentieth century was there any appreciable concern about this process, any conservationist questioning of the myth of unlimited abundance. Those early expressions of concern led, in part, to the establishment of Algonquin Park in 1893.Much has changed since then. Informed people no longer accept the notion of unlimited abundance. They see instead the rapid destruction of nature in the face of exploding populations, pollutants, and the insatiable appetites of consumer societies. Their perception, however, is by no means universal, for many continue to view nature simply as a pool of resources for employment, the generation of goods and wealth, and recreational pleasure.One can only wish that back in 1893 there had been a widespread land ethic -- a general humility that saw humans as but one element among others of equal value in the natural order, and a serious attempt at restrained and sustainable development. Had that been the case, we would not now have to struggle to protect remnants of nature in the form of parks and resist resource extraction within their boundaries. Even as we celebrate the centenary of our parks, we should realize that they are often under siege. Our society has yet to recognize that parks should exist first and foremost as sanctuaries for non-human forms of life and for the physical landscape that surrounds and sustains them.The attitudes and actions of Ontarians in the past have made it imperative that those who care for nature must strive to protect it. A measure of their success is the system of 261 provincial parks administered by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as several important parks ceded to the national government by the province. Taken together, they provide considerable protection to many -- but not all -- of our natural regions. Compared to many political jurisdictions, we have done well; and we owe a debt of thanks to many, both within and outside of government, who have worked hard to bring us this far.The Provincial Parks and Natural Heritage Policy Branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources is the primary voice within the Government of Ontario for the protection of natural areas. To its credit, it has done much to extend services and interpretive information to a growing number of park users, despite severe fiscal restraints. More important, it has identified many natural areas that deserve protection and has devised mechanisms to provide that protection. Part of our centenary celebration should therefore include strong support for the Provincial Parks and Natural Heritage Policy Branch.We have made this book to celebrate in words and photographs what has been achieved by our parks system. We wish to emphasize that system's great significance especially from the ecological/environmental perspective. Yet we wish as well to draw attention to the importance of natural areas not yet protected, and we consequently include some photographs of areas outside of parks to remind us how universal is the nature we would appreciate and safeguard. At the same time we intend this book to provoke thought and encourage action to make our system of protected areas better and more comprehensive. This is not a guidebook to the parks and their recreational opportunities: other publicLittlejohn, Bruce is the author of 'Islands of Hope: Ontario's Parks and Wilderness' with ISBN 9781895565102 and ISBN 1895565103.