Toronto 
Ontario veterans and active Canadian Armed Forces members can now visit provincial parks for free every day of the week, including statutory holidays and long weekends.
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The expanded program applies to eligible service members who live in Ontario and covers more than 340 provincial parks. Friends and family travelling in the same vehicle are also included in the free day-use entry.
Environment Minister Todd McCarthy described the change as a gesture of appreciation for those who have served Canada.
“We are immensely grateful for the courage and sacrifices” of military members, McCarthy said, adding that he hopes veterans and active personnel can enjoy everything Ontario Parks offers.
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Visitors can reserve in advance through the Ontario Parks Reservation Service. They may also present valid military identification and photo identification showing Ontario residency when they arrive.
Accepted documents include a Veteran’s Service Card, Canadian Forces Identification Card, Record of Service Card or Temporary National Defence Identification Card.
There is no limit on how often eligible visitors can use the program, although reservations are recommended during busy periods.
Ontario first introduced free weekday park access for veterans and active service members in 2019. Since then, the province has recorded more than 228,000 weekday visits involving military personnel, veterans, family members and friends.
Ontario is home to nearly 150,000 veterans, while about 9,000 Canadian Armed Forces members leave military service each year.
The provincial park network protects about 9.8 million hectares and includes more than 300 conservation reserves. The province noted that the protected area is larger than the total landmass of New Brunswick.
