Celebrating the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards
Ontario Parks Partners Bursary Program Provides Awards to Summer Students
November 22, 2019
PETERBOROUGH —Ontario’s government is recognizing the excellence and leadership of student employees who worked in provincial parks this year and helped Ontario Parks deliver a world-class experience for its visitors.
Today, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks recognized this year’s winners of the Ontario Parks Partners Bursary Awards. Recipients were nominated by their peers, the public or supervisors based on customer service, leadership, initiative and overall dedication and promotion of the Ontario Parks system.
“I am pleased to congratulate this year’s recipients of the Ontario Parks Partners Bursary Awards,” said Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “It is remarkable to see the dedication these young students have to protecting and enhancing our parks so we and future generations can enjoy them. The expansion and promotion of access to provincial parks is an important part of our draft Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan, and the hard work of this next generation of environmental stewards will help us achieve this important commitment.”
For the past 20 years, the Ontario Parks Partners Bursary program has recognized the great work of students, their dedicated service and commitment to protecting the environment. The Amber Booth Award was also presented to a student whose efforts stand out in the areas of health, safety and wellness.
Ontario is committed to protecting natural areas, supporting conservation efforts and promoting the importance of healthy, natural spaces for future generations to use and enjoy, as outlined in our draft Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan.
- Ontario Parks employs more than 1,600 youth in the Ontario Public Service annually.
- Ontario Parks’ partner organizations provide a $500 Bursary to 40 students to use toward their postsecondary education. This year marks the 20th year of the bursary awards program.
- There are 340 provincial parks in Ontario, covering more than 8 million hectares — larger than the province of New Brunswick.
- In 2018, Ontario’s provincial parks received more than 10 million visits from people around the world and brought in close to $90 million in revenue, supporting jobs and businesses across the province.
Media Contacts
Gary Wheeler
Communications Branch
416-314-6666
Andrew Buttigieg
Minister’s Office
Andrew.Buttigieg@ontario.ca
437-224-4599
NT5
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