PARKS BRANCH 



THE responsibilities and functions of the Parks Branch are briefly stated as 

 follows: 



Provision, operation and maintenance of provincial parks as public 

 recreational lands; 



Examination of potential park areas and presentation of proposals to the 

 Ontario Parks Integration Board; 



Production of detailed master plans for provincial parks; 



Development of provincial parks in accordance with the master plan; 



Design and construction of provincial park structures and buildings; 



Establishment, operation and maintenance of interpretive programmes and 

 exhibits in provincial parks of natural and/or historical significance; 



Research and interpret the present long range recreational demands of society; 



Collection, compilation, assessment and interpretation of park user surveys 

 and park use statistics. 



The Parks Branch was re-organized in 1965 into three sections, a Recreational 

 Land Use Planning Section, a Park Planning and Development Section and a Park 

 Management Section. D. R. Wilson was appointed Chief of the Branch. 



Eighty-nine provincial parks were in operation during 1965 providing an area 

 of approximately 3 3 4 million acres for public recreational use. In addition, there 

 were some 500,000 acres of crown land reserved for future park development. 



Three new parks were opened in 1965 Mara, Point Farms and Wheatley. 



Park fees underwent a complete revision in 1965 in order to meet the stated 

 objective of the government to have revenues meet operating and maintenance 

 expenditures. 



The annual vehicle entry permit was increased from $3.00 to $5.00, the daily 

 vehicle entry permit from 500 to $1.00 and the daily campsite permit fee from 

 $1.00 to $1.50 or $9.00 per week. Park revenue increased from $1,335,214 in 

 1964 to $1,884,935 in 1965 despite a decrease of 2.9% in visitation from 1964 

 The decrease was attributed primarily to the poor weather conditions experienced 

 in August. However, interior use of waterways in Algonquin and Quetico increased 

 by 9% and 10% respectively over interior travel in 1964. 



An appropriation of $1,500,000 was made available for major development 

 projects in the Districts. Camping units were increased to 15,815, seven new 

 comfort stations were established and 13 water pressure systems were among the 

 major improvements. 



Wnter sports activities in Pinery, Darlington and Kakabeka Falls were again 

 well received by the public. 



Public hunting of pheasants on a put-and-take basis increased an average of 

 1 1 % in Darlington, Presqu'ile, Earl Rowe and Sibbald Point Parks this year. Some 

 2500 persons took part in the hunt. Waterfowl hunting was again provided in 

 Presqu'ile, Darlington, Holiday Beach, Long Point and Rondeau Provincial Parks 

 with some 8,000 hunter-days recorded. 



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