No, it is not my birthday, although there are some days when I may feel close to this age (I think).
No, May 5 is the birthday of Rondeau Provincial Park. It was on this day in 1894 when an Act to establish a Provincial Park at Rondeau was assented. And technically, Rondeau is the oldest provincial park in Ontario. While Algonquin normally gets credit as being the oldest provincial park, it was originally established in 1893 as a
National Park under The Algonquin
National Park Act. It was superseded by the Provincial Parks Act in 1913, so has been a legislated national/provincial park since 1893. But Rondeau has been a provincial park since 1894.
If one really wants to get technical, the first provincial park in Ontario was Queen Victoria Provincial Park, established at Niagara in 1885. However it was transferred to the Niagara Parks Commission a number of decades ago. So Rondeau is technically the longest lived provincial park in Ontario.
So here is to Rondeau....the grand old lady of the Ontario Provincial Park system!
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| East Beach |
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| Rondeau Road south (now the South Point Trail) |
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| Harrison Trail |
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| Rondeau Road |
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| Tuliptrees |
Rondeau is quite an historic place. How time flies! I remember when it was 100 years old (seems not too long ago). I still have a poster saved from it.
ReplyDeleteTime flies indeed! All the hoopla with the Ontario Parks centennial in 1993 and the Rondeau centennial the following year doesn't seem all that long ago, but so much has happened since then.
DeleteFabulous images Al!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ron....I presume you are camping at Rondeau this weekend, or is it next? Hope to see you.
DeleteNow those pictures bring back Rondeau ro me! Great scenery.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stew....glad you enjoyed them.
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