Local group protests outside MPPs office in Owen Sound, wants outdoor programs restored

Local parents, children, educators, and community members recently gathered outside the office of Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound MPP Paul Vickers to protest cuts to outdoor education programs. This past Thursday, a group of local protestors joined a province-wide day of action to protest the cuts. Demonstrators in Owen Sound arrived with signs and a canoe, calling on [...]

Article content Local parents, children, educators, and community members recently gathered outside the office of Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound MPP Paul Vickers to protest cuts to outdoor education programs. This past Thursday, a group of local protestors joined a province-wide day of action to protest the cuts. Recommended Videos Demonstrators in Owen Sound arrived with signs and a canoe, calling on the provincial government to halt the closure of Toronto District School Board (TDSB) outdoor education centres and secure stable funding for experiential learning across Ontario.

In an e-mail to Vickers, shared with the Sun Times, local protest organizer Hilary Coburn thanked Vickers for meeting with some of the group last month, and said: “In a time of climate crisis, we need students everywhere (especially in the urban jungle) to connect with local natural spaces so they can grow as young leaders to help protect our fragile planet.” The rally was part of a coordinated effort across the province reacting to the provincial government’s moves to downsize Toronto’s day-use and overnight outdoor education centres, leaving only two remaining.

In May, the TDSB announced it would close outdoor education programs at five centres, noting they require tens of millions of dollars in maintenance and repairs. Organizers said that while the current closures target Toronto, the precedent threatens the survival of outdoor education programs in rural and regional boards like Grey-Bruce. Among those rallying in Grey-Bruce were local advocates Harrison and Thomas, who both attended TDSB outdoor education centres as students, Hillside and the Island School, respectively.

Organizers said the pair shared firsthand accounts of how these immersive programs served as formative milestones, providing a critical pathway for them to connect deeply with nature despite growing up in a major urban center. “Access to nature is a right, not a luxury,” said Coburn, past President of The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario (COEO) and a resident of the region. “If cuts of this magnitude can happen within Canada’s largest public school board, every district in Ontario is at risk.

Once these facilities are closed and potentially sold off, rebuilding them becomes nearly impossible. Our MPPs have the direct power to intervene and reverse these cuts.” According to statements issued by COEO President Peggy Cheng and previous COEO President Grant Linney, extensive research shows that teacher-led experiences in the outdoors significantly improve youth mental health, build resilience, enhance capacity for literacy and numeracy learning and foster environmental literacy.

Demonstrators argued that in an era dominated by excessive screen time and climate anxiety, students need a direct, physical connection to the natural world more than ever. The group presented a list of demands for Vickers to take back to Queen’s Park: - Halt the closures of all TDSB outdoor education centres immediately. - Restore stable provincial funding for outdoor and experiential learning across all Ontario school boards.

- Protect local environmental education, ensuring regional conservation authorities and school programs remain fully funded and operational. The group is now urging local residents to continue the momentum by writing letters to and booking meetings with Vickers, as well as writing directly to and calling Ontario Minister of Education Paul Calandra.