APRIL 2016
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business elite canada
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berg said. Weather, an unavoidable natural
phenomenon, is the biggest influencer of
how many people visit parks over the year.
Another test of nature comes in the form
of forest fires, but there is an entire branch
of the Ministry that works with Ontario
Parks to manage wildfires to protect peo-
ple, property and natural resources. As
frightening as they may seem, “fire is a
natural part of many of the ecosystems in
Ontario … they play an important ecologi-
cal,” Steinberg said. Unlike Canada’s west-
ern provinces, Ontario has had cooler and
wetter summers for the last two years, and
this has led to a lower number of wildfires.
Fires can play another beneficial role too;
“Having areas that are set aside to protect biodiversity — it’s a great way to
build resilience in Ontario in the wake of climate change.”
