Naturalist David Lindsay (Vice Chair of the Parks Ontario Board) will be giving an online lecture entitled “Birds of Ontario: An Introduction to Birdwatching” on Friday, September 17th at 7PM. The lecture is free of charge and all are welcome. For more information, and to register, visit www.YPSpeakersSeries.com.
The next Friends of Rondeau Board meeting will take place at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Due to Covid-19 safety protocols, this meeting will be held online. Any member in good standing of the Friends of Rondeau organization is welcome to attend. Please contact rondeauprovincialpark@gmail.com for more information.
The Carolinian Corner Gift Shop is now open daily from 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM. Located within the Rondeau Park Visitor Centre, and run by the Friends of Rondeau, the Carolinian Corner Gift Shop offers numerous nature publications, gifts, clothing, toys and more.
Please note that due to Covid-19 safety protocols, only two patrons are allowed inside the store at one time. The remainder of the Visitor Centre, including the display areas, remains closed at this time. Additional members of your group beyond the current two person capacity for the store will need to wait outside the building (and enjoy the beautiful natural splendour of Rondeau Park) while you shop.
An aquatic herbicide application for control of the invasive European Common Reed (Phragmites australis) is planned for September 8 – October 31, 2020 in Rondeau Provincial Park. For more information about this project, please see the links below.
The Friends of Rondeau Board of Directors is currently accepting applications for election to the Board. Applicants must be a member in good standing of the Friends of Rondeau prior to submitting their name. Applications may be made to info@rondeauprovincialpark.ca
The applications will be voted on at the Friends AGM in August. Please note that the format of the AGM is likely to change this year due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19. More information will be shared regarding the AGM soon.
Rondeau Park is re-opening to the public for limited recreational use beginning on Friday, May 15. Park roads and trails will be open at this time for hiking, biking, bird-watching, etc.
Please note: no buildings within the park will be open to the public at this time. Washroom facilities remain CLOSED. The campground, beaches, playground, and boat launch will also remain closed at this time. Please plan your visit accordingly.
People are encouraged to get outside and enjoy the wonderful natural environment that Rondeau has to offer, but are asked to please do so safely and responsibly. Remember to practise safe physical distancing while in the park and to continue to follow all other rules set out by healthcare officials to help stop the spread of Covid-19.
Entry to Rondeau Park will be FREE from May 15-31, 2020.
Read the full press release regarding the limited re-opening of Ontario Parks below:
May 9, 2020
Access for Limited Recreational Activities at Ontario Parks Permitted While Maintaining Physical Distancing
TORONTO — The Ontario government is opening provincial parks and conservation reserves for limited day-use access. The first areas will open on Monday May 11, 2020, with the remaining areas (including Rondeau) opening on Friday May 15, 2020. At this time, recreational activities will be limited to walking, hiking, biking and birdwatching. Day visitors will also be able to access all parks and conservation reserves for free until the end of the month.
The announcement was made today (May 9) by Premier Doug Ford, Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.
“As we continue to make progress in our fight to stop the spread of COVID-19, we are carefully and cautiously reopening the province, starting with certain businesses and retailers, and now our provincial parks and conservation reserves,” said Premier Ford. “I encourage people to get out and enjoy the outdoors, but please do so in a responsible way. Practise physical distancing and follow the rules set out by health care officials to stop the spread of this virus.”
On Monday, 520 provincial parks and conservation reserves across the province will open, and the remaining 115 will open on the following Friday for limited day-use activities. At this time, camping and other activities are not permitted at any provincial park or conservation reserve. All buildings and facilities including washrooms, water taps, campgrounds, backcountry campsites, roofed accommodations, playgrounds, and beaches continue to be closed.
“People are eager to enjoy the warmer weather, stretch their legs and reconnect with nature,” said Minister Yurek. “In consultation with our health experts, we’re working to slowly phase-in the opening of Ontario Parks in a measured way to ensure the health and safety of visitors and staff. People should take note that not all amenities will be open and plan accordingly.”
Over the next several weeks, Ontario Parks’ staff will be conducting critical maintenance and other parks start-up procedures, so that more recreational activities and facilities will be available when it is safe to do so.
Before planning your trip, please visit www.ontarioparks.com/park-locator to check the status of your local provincial park.
On April 25, 2020, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, issued the following statement on Ontario Parks operations in response to COVID-19:
“In order to keep Ontarians safe during this COVID-19 outbreak, our government is extending the closure of Ontario’s provincial parks and conservation reserves to May 31, 2020. This includes car camping, backcountry camping, roofed accommodations, day use opportunities, access points and all public buildings.
Provincial parks and conservation reserves will continue to remain fully closed to all recreational activities.
Reservations for arrivals up to, and including, any further closure extension date will be automatically cancelled and reservation holders will receive a full refund with no penalty. We are also providing penalty-free refunds to reservation holders who wish to change or cancel their 2020 camping reservation, regardless of arrival date.
Please continue to visit OntarioParks.com and Ontario Parks social media channels for the most up-to-date information.
We understand this extension may impact many Ontarians’ plans during the month of May. However, the health and well-being of Ontarians is our government’s number one priority. Although we are making progress to stop the spread, the virus has not yet been contained. As a result, all but essential services workers must continue to stay at home and practice physical distancing.”
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Friends of Rondeau board has made the difficult decision to cancel Rondeau’s Festival of Flight programming for May 2020. The Friends will not be hosting Birders’ Breakfasts at the Visitor Centre or providing guided Bird Hikes this year.
Public health and safety remains a top priority of Rondeau Provincial Park and the Friends of Rondeau. With the continuing uncertainty regarding when Ontario Parks will re-open to the public and programming will be able to safely resume, the Friends of Rondeau board was forced to make this decision to give everyone sufficient notice of the cancellation.
On March 18, 2020, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, issued the following update on Ontario Parks operations in response to COVID-19 developments:
“As COVID-19 continues to quickly evolve, we want to ensure public safety and the well-being of our visitors and staff in Ontario’s provincial parks. In order to assist the province with its efforts to keep Ontarians safe during this time, all provincial parks will be closed to the public from March 19, 2020 until April 30, 2020. This includes car camping, backcountry camping, roofed accommodations, day use opportunities and all public buildings.
Current visitors to provincial parks will be required to vacate by March 19, 2020. Any person or group with a reservation for arrival up to April 30, 2020 will automatically be provided a full refund with no penalty.
Ontario Parks continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation carefully. Please visit OntarioParks.com for the most up-to-date information.”