Spring is here and parks across the province are getting ready to open for another camping season!
Once the weather starts getting warmer, you may want to visit your favourite park right away. But opening a park is more than just waiting for nice weather and unlocking the front gates.
Weather’s impact
Our staff are hard at work on many different tasks that need to get done before the park can open for the season.
Depending on winter and spring conditions, getting a park ready for opening day can be quite the challenge.
A heavy winter snowfall and a late snowmelt can have some parks plowing and shoveling snow even in late April!
Conversely, spring runoff combined with heavy rains can result in flooding. This can cause delays in opening the park and result in some temporary closures in areas of the park.
Please check for alerts on the alerts webpage before visiting and respect all closures.
As opening weekends for parks across the province approach, we’re excited for parks to open so we can share the beauty of an Ontario Parks spring with you!
Hiring and training staff
One of the earliest tasks that park staff do before opening a park is to hire staff!
This often starts as early as January, with job postings, like those for our summer student positions. (Pst! Did you know we’re still hiring for the 2026 season? Visit our careers page for more information.)
After being hired, new and returning staff begin their training. This includes site-specific and job-specific training (like how to use a chainsaw and how to register a camper) and other required training to ensure everyone has an amazing experience at Ontario Parks.
Every spring, park staff—new and returning—learn a LOT of new information in order to do their jobs safely and effectively. Some of our staff are new to Ontario Parks, some are new to their specific park, and some have changed to a new position!
When visiting a park – especially early in the season – please be patient and remember that many of our staff are still learning, but are still ready and willing to help you have a great experience!
Start-of-season maintenance
You may already know some of the work that goes into closing down a park for the winter. Well, for the park maintenance team, opening a park for the season is almost the same, but in reverse!
Instead of winterizing equipment, maintenance staff DE-winterize! Electrical power gets turned on for the campground and all park buildings; the water and sewage system gets tested and put into use.
Once water and power are available, park staff begin opening and cleaning vault toilets and comfort stations throughout the campground. Sometimes this involves fixing problems that cropped up over the winter – like a broken water heater coil.
Maintenance staff also check over their vehicles, tools, and other equipment, to make sure they have all the supplies they need.
Then the epic cleaning saga begins!
Offices, warehouses, staff houses, comfort stations, visitor centres, privies – they all need to be spring-cleaned before the park opens.
While the park is getting its spring cleaning, other maintenance staff are also performing any necessary hazardous tree removal, as well as clearing fallen branches from campsites, campground roads, and trails.
Depending on the recent winter weather, this can be quite a big task, and staff will be working to get all trails available as soon as possible.
Opening offices, park stores and visitor centres
Every spring, park administration and Discovery staff get many types of park buildings ready for visitors.
How do administration and Discovery staff get these buildings ready? They:
- sweep and mop floors
- update signage and information handouts
- restock office supplies
- order new merchandise
- create new interpretive displays
- restock stores with merchandise
Prepping for special events and Discovery presentations
A bonus spring task that park staff in all kinds of positions work on together is planning special events and Discovery presentations for the spring and summer.
Pro tip: always check your park’s event page before your visit so you don’t miss out on the fun this season. A link to the park’s event page is now included in your confirmation email.
Feeling extra keen? Visit the Ontario Parks events page to see where big park events are happening across the province!
Share some extra kindness
Phew! That’s a lot of work.
Not only is it a lot of work, but it’s also only a sample of some of the tasks that some staff members do every spring to open parks!
This season, take the time to share an extra thank you with our amazing, hardworking staff.
