Ontario Government Pledges $20 Million for Public Trail Access Expansion

The Ontario government announced on June 9, 2025, that it will invest $20 million over four years to expand free public access to hiking trails across the province. According to the province, 15 projects planned for 2024/25 will open more than 1,650 acres of land to the public, including new trails and expanded access near the Bruce Trail.

The provincial funds will be distributed through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program. This program requires funding recipients to match every dollar provided by the province with at least two dollars from other conservation partners, including individual donors, foundations, or other government sources, as stated by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Project selection for this program is managed by the Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA), which chooses projects through a competitive process. According to the province, three of the funded projects for 2024/25 are located along the Bruce Trail. The Bruce Trail Conservancy reports that the support will enable the organization to secure and protect over 150 acres in the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO World Biosphere region. The Conservancy states that some of this land will be added as new sections of the Bruce Trail, described by the organization as Canada's oldest and longest marked footpath. The province reports that more than 70 percent of the Bruce Trail is currently on permanently protected land.

Since 2020, the province states the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program has supported the protection of over 430,000 acres of land in Ontario. The province also states it has invested $58 million in the program since its launch. According to OLTA, it and its 51 member organizations maintain more than 2,000 natural areas and greenspaces across the province.