June 13, 2006 – To Mr. Bob Delaney MPP
Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly
Room 1405, Whitney Block
Queen’s Park
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A2

Re. Bill 11 – Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act (“the Act”) and bicycle use in Ontario provincial parks

Mr. Delaney: The Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC) is a national trade association whose mission is to promote cycling in Canada. BTAC is comprised of the 110 leading manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and their retailers of cycling equipment. These retailers represent thousands independent business owners across Canada and employee approx. 2,000 full and part-time staff in Ontario alone. BTAC is involved in a wide range of activities directed at promoting cycling as a healthier and more environmentally friendly means of transportation and recreation. We are writing to you with regard to a specific amendment in the Act that would effectively prohibit the use of bicycles within provincial parks in Ontario.

The amendment in question relates to Section 7(2) which currently reads as, “(2) The objective of wilderness class parks is to protect large areas where the forces of nature can exist freely and visitors travel primarily by non-motorized (emphasis added) means while engaging in low-impact recreation to experience solitude, challenge and integration with nature.” It has been proposed that the word non-motorized be changed to non-mechanized. While their rationale for advocating this amendment is unclear the effect of such an amendment is — to preclude the use of bicycles in Ontario provincial parks (bicycles though un-motorized and muscle-powered are nonetheless mechanical).We believe that such an amendment to preclude bicycle use will undermine the intent of the legislation — S. 1 The purpose of this Act is to permanently protect a system of provincial parks and conservation reserves that includes ecosystems that are representative of all of Ontario’s natural regions, protects provincially significant elements of Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage, maintains biodiversity and provides opportunities for compatible, ecologically sustainable recreation.

As you know effective laws are intended to change behavior in such a manner as to further a given public policy objective — in this case protecting our system of provincial parks.

Scientific evidence from numerous jurisdictions that have undertaken systematic assessments of various land-use activities shows that mountain bikes ridden on designated trails have no more significant ecological impact than hikers. Simply stated, riding bicycles on designated trails within provincial parks does nothing to diminish the purpose of the Act. Conversely, and as we allude to above, banning mountain-bikes from provincial parks will be highly counter-productive to the purposes of the Act.

In the case of this particular amendment we contend that the result will be to eject a most enthusiastic, supportive and active segment of Ontario provincial park users. The effect will be to thus disenfranchising a highly motivated demographic group of advocates that have been actively engaged in protecting green spaces throughout North America.
Access to Ontario provincial parks for cycling builds a sense of pride and ownership in those parks. We want Ontarians to interact with the natural environment because through their interaction they gain a sense of the inherent value of the natural environment and the need for its conservation and preservation. Cycling is a healthy, environmentally friendly and sustainable way for that interaction to occur.
We strongly urge the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly to retain the original wording of S. 7(2) thus keeping Ontario’s provincial parks open to the cyclists that enjoy and cherish them.

Sincerely,
Janet O’Connell
Executive Director

Cc.
The Honourable The Honourable David Ramsay , Minister of Natural Resources & Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs
The Honourable Jim Bradley, Minister of Tourism and Government House Leader
The Honourable Laurel Broten, Minister of the Environment
The Honourable Joe Cordiano, Minister of Economic Development and Trade
The Honourable Jim Watson, Minister of Health Promotion
Mr. Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario