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Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park Management Options Comment Card

1. Park Overview

Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park (QEII) is a 33,505 hectare (ha) natural environment class park located 18 kilometres (km) south-east of Gravenhurst, 28 km north-east of Orillia and 10 km west of Minden (See Figure 1). The park is situated in parts of the District Municipality of Muskoka (Ryde township), City of Kawartha Lakes (Dalton and Digby townships) and Haliburton County (Anson and Lutterworth townships).

The park was regulated as Dalton Digby Wildlands Provincial Park on May 8, 2002, as a product of the expansion of the province's protected areas through Ontario's Living Legacy Land Use Strategy (1999). The park was re-named Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park in 2003 in honour of Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee visit to Ontario. It is currently guided by a 2001 interim management statement.

The park is situated in Ecodistrict 5E-8, Ecoregion 5E (Georgian Bay Ecoregion). QEII represents one of the most ecologically diverse and intact landscapes in the region. The natural values of the park can be attributed to the variety of habitats present. The park is characterized by rolling rock barren ridges and troughs of shallow soil deposits, several lakes, and a rich variety of forested, non-forested and wetland vegetation types. It protects provincially rare species, significant natural areas, and has potential for sites of archaeological and cultural importance.

Wildlife corridor mapping shows that the park is an important intersection for animals migrating both east/west and north/south in Ontario which is increasingly valuable in light of urban development and climate change.

The park is an important recreational resource long used for backcountry camping, hunting and fishing. The open landscape, with rocky ridgelines, small lakes, and wetlands, is generally suited to backpacking trails. Campsites are available on several lakes within the park.


Figure 1. Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park Regional Setting Map.
2. Indigenous community involvement

The park is located within the traditional territories of the Chippewa Nations and the Michi Saagiig, the Mississauga Anishinaabe collectively known as the Williams Treaties First Nations. We recognize and respect the long history of the First Nation and Métis peoples in the province.

In the spirit of collaboration, mutual respect and reconciliation, Ontario Parks is committed to working with Indigenous communities to ensure that QEII is protected for the benefit of future generations and that cultural heritage and traditional knowledge shared by Indigenous communities are a key component of the management plan. Ontario Parks will engage all seven Williams Treaties First Nations (WTFN) communities including the Mississaugas (Alderville, Hiawatha, Scugog Island and Curve Lake First Nations) and Chippewas (Beausoleil, Georgina Island and Rama First Nations), and Kawartha Nishnawbe First Nation throughout the management planning process.
3. Management options

Management planning for QEII began in 2004 with the public release of the Terms of Reference, followed by the Background Information document in 2006. Planning resumed in 2014 after the project team was re‑established. Since then, Ontario Parks has completed the information analysis stage and prepared this document as part of the management options stage. Feedback received during this stage will inform site‑specific policy development for the preliminary management plan for QEII. The planning process will conclude with the approval of a final management plan, which will guide park management over a 20‑year period.

The Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 (PPCRA) has two principles that guide planning and management for Ontario’s system of provincial parks and conservation reserves, including QEII:
  1. Maintenance of ecological integrity shall be the first priority and the restoration of ecological integrity shall be considered.
  2. Opportunities for consultation shall be provided.
Ecosystems have integrity when they have all the parts (both living and non-living) that you would expect to find and natural functions and rates of change are happening normally. This management options document identifies topics requiring site‑specific policies and actions to maintain or, where feasible, restore ecological integrity at QEII.

The following sections provide an overview of the park’s key features, ecological values, and existing uses and presents management themes, topics, and potential approach for consideration. Input received will help inform the development of draft policies and proposed management actions. A comprehensive management plan is needed to manage growing visitation and recreational use, formalize camping opportunities and support the long-term protection of the park’s ecological, cultural, and diverse recreational values. Questions are included throughout the document to support review and feedback.