Grand River Parks -

On March 24, the Province of Ontario ordered the mandatory closure of all non-essential workplaces under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. On April 3, the province released an amended list of essential workplaces and ordered all businesses not covered by the amended emergency order to close. Recreational amenities and campgrounds were not listed as essential businesses and, as such, were required to be closed. The GRCA complied with these orders. On April 14, the province extended the Declaration of Emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act until May 12.

All GRCA conservation areas remain closed. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate any campers in our Grand River Parks at this time. We recognize this news is disappointing to outdoor recreationists; however, the safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers and minimizing the spread of COVID-19 remain our top priorities. These measures have been put in place to protect our employees and customers with respect to the risk of spreading the virus. The closure of non-essential public areas helps to limit travel between different regions. Every action to reduce physical contact between people helps to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The GRCA has suspended taking new overnight reservations for camping in 2020 or until such time as the program can be re-instated according to the Province of Ontario, and Conservation Areas can be made safe to open and operate. For general information about GRCA’s Covid-19 response, including information about cancelling existing bookings, please visit www.grandriver.ca/covid19.