Devil’s Glen: ground zero for regulated rock climbing in Ontario Parks

Editor:

Current proposed amendments to the Devil’s Glen Provincial Park management plan under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, representing a regulatory overhaul of Devil’s Glen, essentially seek to resolve the ongoing tension created by the impacts of rock climbing on the park’s sensitive ecology. Effectively, this makes Devil’s Glen ‘ground zero’ for regulated rock climbing on public lands in Ontario — what happens here, happens in Lion’s Head, Killarney, Algonquin Park, and more.

Some amendments, such as the change in classification of the park from ‘recreation’ to ‘natural environment’, and the notable re-zoning of a portion of the Mad River watershed a ‘nature reserve’, recognize the significant and rare ecological values within the park. Other changes, such as including rock climbing as a permitted activity—albeit only in areas designated by the park superintendent, would deliver a landmark victory to the climbing community seeking to legitimize their historically unauthorized use of public parks.

If clashes with private property owners, as described by the Ontario Association of Climbers (OAC) in their AGM of 2022, are any indication, we the public should be prepared for conflicts to arise increasingly with the climbing community as the upward trend of their activities continues in our provincial parks.

Rock climbing, which the OAC self-describes as “tolerated”, has already had an observed impact on areas surveyed by park ecologists.

The brief appearance and subsequent unexplained disappearance of Ontario Parks signage in 2023 in Devil’s Glen that closed a mere 23 of 140-plus climbing routes that were known to interact with rare and precious ecological values identified through a years-long assessment may foreshadow what could become a long and protracted conflict with a highly organized and influential hobby lobby—depending on how this new management plan works…or doesn’t.

Public input is open on the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO number 019-8238). Ontario climbers are organizing to flood the comments. Who will speak for the 270 metres of cliff length identified to contain old growth cedars, regionally rare cliff ferns, highvegetation abundance and texture, as well as special feature locations such as a seasonal turkey vulture and bat roosts? Who will stand up for species at risk such as Canada warbler, Louisiana waterthrush, wood thrush, eastern wood peewee, butternut and hart’s- tongue fern?

Nick Clayton,

Blue Mountains.