Drinking Anywhere In Ontario Parks

Ontario just opened the door to drinking throughout provincial parks, not only at your own campsite, and we can’t stop thinking about what that changes on the ground. We’re Pamela and Tim from Supergoodcamping.com, and while we understand the appeal of relaxing outdoors, we’re worried the new Ontario Parks alcohol rules will bring more than “summer vibes.” When alcohol shows up on trails, at busy beaches, and around launch points, it can shift a park from peaceful to unpredictable, especially for families who come for quiet, nature, and a sense of shared respect. 

We dig into the government’s stated reasons like boosting tourism and supporting the economy, then pressure-test that logic against a reality most campers know well: Ontario Parks reservations are already hard to get and many parks are sold out months ahead. We also talk about what the old campsite restriction meant in practice, what “responsible consumption” looks like in a provincial park setting, and why permission structures matter even if many people already bend the rules. 

From broken glass and litter to swimming and paddling while impaired, we lay out the safety risks that can show up fast in day-use areas. Then we get into the part that really worries us: enforcement and emergency response. Park rangers are already stretched, some park offices are closing, and rural EMS and hospitals can be far away. If drinking expands but resources don’t, who keeps people safe and who cleans up the mess? 

Listen through, then tell us where you land on this change. Subscribe, share the episode with a camping friend, and leave a review so more Canadians who love provincial parks can join the conversation.

Transcript

Welcome And Why We Camp

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello and good day. Welcome to the Super Good Camping Podcast. My name is Pamela.

SPEAKER_01 0:04

I'm Tim.

SPEAKER_00 0:04

And we are from Supergoodcamping.com. We're here because on a mission to inspire other people to get outside and enjoy camping adventures as a family as we have. Just a second rant of our last couple of episodes.

Ontario Expands Alcohol Allowed Areas

SPEAKER_00 0:18

There's some new news out of the government of Ontario allowing people to drink wherever they feel like drinking in Ontario Parks. And Tim has some thoughts.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

I have some thoughts. I'm going to start with the uh the announcement from uh Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. So this is a quote. This is a quote. Just in time for summer, the Ontario government is making it easier for people to enjoy the great outdoors with family and friends by allowing adults to responsibly consume their favorite alcoholic beverages throughout provincial parks. As part of the government's plan to protect Ontario by building a more competitive, resilient, and self-reliant economy, this change means alcohol will no longer be restricted to individual campsites, making it easier for people to relax and spend time with family and friends, while supporting a strong, stronger tourism industry that creates jobs and drives economic growth across the province.

What The Old Rule Really Meant

SPEAKER_01 1:17

So here are my here are some of my thoughts. I have many thoughts on this. Previously, you were allowed to drink on your own campsite. Um I can't say that it necessarily stopped people from going over to your friend's campsite and having a beer there, and I'm not sure that that's I think the traveling part is that you're not allowed to, but once you're on their site, it's okay. I'm not positive, not positive. Nonetheless, people were or sneaking a drink.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

I'm sure people were sneaking a drink on a hike.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Yeah, I'm sure that I'm sure that there were, yes, Stanley's full of sippy stuff. But responsibly, like I can't, I can't think of a time where I saw somebody staggering on a hike. I mean hike hiking's hard to do at the best of times, right? Or stumbling around. There there are always there are always people that do things other than how I would do them. I might call them idiots uh or something like that. Where you know they're they stay up late playing their guitars and and singing or or what have you. Not fun, but not the worst thing in the world. Oh, where it's so many things. So I I have have grave concerns.

Tourism Claims Versus Sold Out Parks

SPEAKER_01 2:24

One, to to say that this is about making it be more what they robust or or more competitive, like to basically it's to say that you know, more they can drive more tourism into the parks. Um, have you tried to get an Ontario Parks reservation? Like, seriously, but it it they're sold out all the time, everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Five months ahead, seven o'clock in the morning.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

Click the button fast before somebody else does, and and have four backups because when you click that and it goes, nope, you lose.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

It's like winning the lottery.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

Yeah, unless you're in the far north or or something like that. Like it's just it's not.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

We don't need to draw more.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

So I call BS. Yeah. I think I think this I my understanding is they're they're if they aren't already, they're going to sell local artesian or craft beers at some of the Ontario parks. Um, I I'm I'm all for that. That's that's great, you know. Good, good, especially I I'm I'm all down with like local period, right? Why why do we have to build a drink everywhere with for that? There there are there are places where we're gonna run into craziness, day use places where there's literally more day

Litter Glass And Water Safety Risks

SPEAKER_01 3:32

users than there are people in the park camping. So whatever that beach is will be we're we're now gonna have recycling and collection issues. We're gonna have broken glass because they don't say anything about you can't take glass. Um, there are specific parks that do say you can't have in the backcountry. They don't, I don't think they say it about the front country. Again, it could be wrong. Uh you're you're going to have problems. You're gonna have you're gonna have injuries from broken glass, you're gonna have injuries from drunk people trying to trying to swim, or you know, try their first time on a on a stand-up paddle board, or or whatever. Uh or canoeing drunk or driving drunk, too. Which which are all illegal things

Enforcement Limits And Backcountry Concerns

SPEAKER_01 4:18

and and the this is gonna veer off, and all the so the uh Ontario Park Rangers have uh in certainly in those instances have the same powers as the Ontario Provincial Police do. That's all fine and dandy. There aren't any more park rangers, they already are strapped for trying to do the job that they do. How are they going to police all of this as well? And it's going to require policing, it's going to happen. And we're just and we're just talking about front country here because I think backcountry people are still going to be well. There are places where they it will turn into a kegger because they can get it one portage in, which is makes me sad, because it's not that's not about appreciating nature, it's not about enjoying enjoying peace and quiet and and animals and stuff. Who's gonna set up all the roadblocks? Because there will be more drunk drivers. It's not that they aren't happening now, because they do set up the uh ride programs and do catch them, but it's going to be more. Uh driving on the roads in a provincial park is the same same highway act uh plays out as it does out on the road outside of the park. Again, who's

Impaired Driving Inside Park Roads

SPEAKER_01 5:33

going to be policing that? Who's going to be enforcing that? You know, we've got situations where they're they're closing down um kiosks uh like like ranger stations in I think they're closing three in Algonquin this year. Yeah. Um so they're yanking funding, anyhow. That's less people to be able to patrol things because three kiosks mean there's there's nobody there. Somebody's gonna be up cliff diving, had a couple of wobbly pops, shouldn't have had a couple of wobbly pops. I like I just the potential who the the the EMS response is gonna be overwhelmed. I I swear to god, this is how it's gonna play out, man.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

When hospitals are in those areas are are already underfunded or closing.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

Yeah, if it closes at five o'clock on a Friday night, well, that's gonna play out well. I don't I'm I'm at such a loss. I I this is this is just so terribly irresponsible. That even even on the light side of like more litter or you know, waste diversion or or however that plays out, too, uh we will see deaths. I'm positive. We we will see all kinds of injuries,

Injuries EMS Strain And Rural Hospitals

SPEAKER_01 6:45

and and yeah, as Pamela points out, that the we don't have the resources, especially as you get farther and farther north. We have less and less resources and they're being chronically underfunded more and more. Um which more sounds like it's you're getting exactly you're not. It's literally the opposite. Uh yeah, there's it so Algonquin announced they're closing three of the busiest park offices to save money. So it's not like we're going to get more officers. They certainly haven't announced more officers. I don't see the good out of this at all.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Where's the demand? Like, is there really a demand for this? Like I'm sitting in your can't around your campfire, having a glass of wine is lovely. But is there a big demand to be able to wander around on the trails while drinking? Certainly not amongst the hardcore people that we know. I don't think any of them.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Not even amongst the softcore people that we know. Like it's seriously, like I yes, I want would I have no issue having a beer and wandering over to Randy's site, right? Like that's cool. Um, and I I might have to, you know, wander along the edge of the road or through a trail to get there. I could see that being a thing. I I I there I don't I don't there's there's

Is There Demand Or Is It Politics

SPEAKER_01 7:57

nothing. This is a like getting votes or look like we're doing things, and they're all they're in the entirety of their list of reasons is full. Like it's just not.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

Is this maybe attention diversion from something else he's got going on? Oh, we have scandals going on in the turn.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

Oh my god. We should do one of those at some point that has nothing to do with campaign, but does have to do with destroying nature for sure. And there would be a lot of bad words. So the editing for that would take me about a week and a half.

Share Your Thoughts And Closing

SPEAKER_01 8:29

You know what? Share your thoughts. Uh there's there must be, I feel like I've got to be missing something. Like it's just it this is just too insane, too, too crazy.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

Too unnecessary, too, if nothing.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

And what a waste of of resources that we don't have. Like, share your thoughts. I'd love to I'd love to hear from you.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

That's it for us for today. Thank you so much for listening, and thank you so much for your thoughts. Please do leave any comments in the comments and so like, subscribe, share, follow, do all the things. And if you would like to talk to us, we are at high at supergoodcamping.com. That's H I at Supergoodcamping.com, and we will talk to you again soon. Bye. Bye.