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Our Letter Campaign is LIVE!

By Access

In response to the recent climbing closures by Ontario Parks, we’re asking you to take 5 minutes of your time to write a letter to government officials to help save climbing in Ontario.

We’re asking you to write David Piccini, Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, as well as your local MPP.

Tell them to allow Ontarians to rock climb in our provincial parks! By doing so, they will help boost tourism, expand recreational opportunities, and collaboratively conserve and care for nature with the community.

Use our pre-written forms found at the campaign site, or copy and paste to send it directly from your own email for a greater impact.

We need EVERYONE on board for this. Fill it out, get everyone you know who climbs to fill it out, and then ask your friends and family to speak up on your behalf! We’ve made it as easy as possible for them to send a letter in just a few minutes.

Make sure you CC climbinparks@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca on your email if you send it on your own! It’ll help us keep track of how many letters go out. We’ll also be raffling off prizes to campaign participants, and your CC’ed email will be your proof of participation!

Don’t wait, send an email now!

Devil’s Glen Update

By Access, News
Allow Climbing at Devil's Glen graphic depicting a raised fist holding a quickdraw. designed by Michelle Ang.
Graphic design credit goes to @michyllica ❤️

IMPORTANT ACCESS UPDATE ⚠️

There have been 10 signs posted at Devil’s Glen (6 at the top of the cliff, and 4 at the bottom of the cliff). The signs state ‘Protection Area / No Rock Climbing Here to Next Sign’, and were first noticed on Thursday May 11.

The signs span the climbs between Morning Star and the easy way down on climbers’ right, only on Ontario Parks managed land. Routes from Nutcracker to the west are not affected and not in park boundaries.

The Ontario Parks signs appeared without warning. Late Friday May 12, the OAC received both voicemail and email responses from our inquiries to Ontario Parks confirming that the new signage at Devil’s Glen is official, and was placed by their regional ecologist.

This is extremely disappointing. The OAC has been in regular meetings with Ontario Parks. We have repeatedly requested science-based evidence supporting any potential closures, and were informed by OP that a list of affected routes would be provided to us prior to any changes. We have received no such information.

Ontario Parks has repeatedly stated that they wish to work “collaboratively with the ON climbing community” — but these recent events run to the contrary. We are taking this violation of the terms of our proposed communications framework very seriously. Unilateral action of this nature is deeply concerning for the climbing community, and should be of grave concern for ALL recreation-based user groups.

We’re in the process of building a strategy to counter the recent closure by Ontario Parks of climbing routes at Devil’s Glen. We’ve requested the results of the environmental survey which Ontario Parks based their decision off of, and they have told us we can expect to receive the results before the end of the month.

Here’s what you can expect from us over the next two weeks:

  • We’ll be sending out a survey on the economic impact of climbing in Ontario. Keep an eye open for it and be sure to fill it out!
  • Patagonia Toronto will be hosting a screening of Stone Locals on May 25th — and we’ll be there! Come visit our table and talk to us in person.
  • We’ll be holding a town hall in early June (date TBD). This will be an important meeting for everyone concerned about the future of climbing at Devil’s Glen.

What can YOU do right NOW?

Stay up to date as we share news. Join the OAC if you’re not a member yet! And help us SPREAD THE WORD. Repost and share our messages to your socials. Tell your friends. Make sure *everyone* you climb with is aware of what’s going on.

Because this goes beyond Devil’s Glen. This has the potential to affect climbing access throughout all of Ontario.

#AllowClimbingAtDG

2025 Ontario Crags Calendars & End-of-Year Wrap Up

By Community, Fundraisers, News

As 2024 comes to an end, it’s almost time to switch out your 2024 calendar with the newest 2025 Ontario Crags Calendar!

Or, visit Ontario Gear Co. or Climb Smart Shop to pick one up in person!

If you subscribe to our newsletter, you should have received our 2024 Winter Occasional recently, with a recap of the year. Did you miss it? Here’s what happened!

2024 Climber Survey

Every year we put out a survey to learn about the everchanging climbing community. We launched our annual survey at the end of November, and we’re keeping it open until January 3rd. Help us get to know you better, so we can represent you better!

Click here to fill out the survey now. You could be a winner!

Ewan W. and Taryn K. were the lucky respondents randomly selected to win $50 MEC gift cards for filling out the survey. We will have another prize drawing on January 3rd for some OAC t-shirts, so make sure you fill it out now if you haven’t yet! It only takes 5 minutes =)

2024 OAC Annual General Meeting

This year’s AGM was held in November, and saw us elect Tori Silvera and Tyler Coffin as the OAC’s newest Directors. Congratulations, and welcome to the Board!

Portraits of Tori Silvera and Tyler Coffin
Welcome our newest Directors, Tori and Tyler!

Please join us in extending a big thank you to Randy Kielbasiewicz and Mike Makischuk for their many years of service on the Board. Keep an eye out for them on the wall!

We had 36 attendees for our virtual meeting, and covered highlights from crags across Ontario. Some notable news items include:

– The release times for Turtle Crag permit booking will move to 7pm in 2025 to better serve the majority of users.
– A reminder that NO topouts at the Niagara Glen are permitted on any boulder, in order to preserve vegetation with increased climber traffic.
– The OAC is working with the Alpine Club of Canada on options to improve access at Eagle’s Nest in Bancroft.
– There has been a TON of new development in the Ottawa Region, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. Put these places on your list for next year!

You can watch the full recording of the AGM on our YouTube channel by clicking here.

Volunteer with us!

Are you passionate about helping us secure access to climbing in Ontario? We’re always looking for more volunteers to help out! Right now we’re looking to fill a few specific volunteer roles:

Newsletter Author

Perma-potties Project Manager

Beaver Valley Climbing Festival Organizer

Message Jeremy at jeremy.fortier@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca if you’d like to get involved!

Submit your photos for the 2025 Ontario Crags Calendar NOW!

By Uncategorized

It’s that time of year again!  Our call for photo submissions for the 2025 OAC Ontario Crags Calendar is now OPEN!!

The Ontario Crags Calendar aims to celebrate and highlight the wide variety of climbing that Ontario has to offer. We want to showcase everything from as many different crags, seasons, and climbers as possible — ICE, SPORT, TRAD and BOULDERING are all honoured here.  Let’s celebrate the diversity of our province and our community!  Valid photo submissions must have LANDSCAPE orientation (i.e. horizontal), and be of climbers at Ontario crags only (of course!).  In order to meet print standards, full size images must be clear and at least 8.5″x11″ at 300 dpi.

Submissions do not need to be dated from this year, but they DO need to showcase your love for Ontario climbing.  So make the most of this tail end of the season, or take some time to venture down memory lane and rediscover some forgotten gems!

The Crags Calendar helps us raise awareness and funds in support of Ontario access.  Please consider donating a photo!  Send your best shots to submissions@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca by SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13TH for a chance to be featured.  Chosen entrants will receive a free copy of the calendar, credit complete with name and website, and a little slice of local fame 😉

Please see additional rules of submission here:

Get your 2024 Ontario Crags Calendar NOW!

By Community, Fundraisers

Just in time for the holidays, our 2024 Ontario Crags Calendar has arrived!

Featuring local climbers shot by local photographers, the OAC calendar is a tribute to everything Ontario climbing has to offer.  With a mix of climbers, crags, and disciplines featured, there’s no better way to celebrate the growing Ontario climbing scene.

Calendars are available for a $25 donation each, plus shipping via Canada Post*.  All proceeds from calendar sales go toward promoting, advocating for, and maintaining open access all across the province. Calendars are shipped in an untracked cardboard envelope for protection.

** Online sales are now SOLD OUT. Pick up a copy at a gym or retailer near you! They can be found at:

Fall News: AGM Announcement & Calendar Submissions

By Access, Community, Events, Fundraisers

Save the Date: The OAC Annual General Meeting will be held Tuesday, November 7th, at 7PM! We will once again be holding our AGM virtually.

This is a great opportunity to ask questions about our organization and to share input on our future direction. We’ll also be holding the election for board membership, talking about recent developments, and speaking about what’s on the horizon.

Details for the virtual meeting will be announced October 24 via official email to all OAC members.

If you would like to run as a candidate for the board of directors, please submit your bio to info@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca by end of day October 22 in order to have your bio included with the formal meeting announcement. You may also submit your name for the election during the meeting on November 7th.

Hope to see you all there!

Also, it’s that time of year again!

Photo submissions for the 2024 Ontario Crags Calendar are now OPEN!!

We’re looking for a variety of photos showcasing the diversity of Ontario climbing: different crags, different people, different seasons, different disciplines (ice, trad, sport, AND bouldering!). Show us what you got!

Submissions are open until the end of the month, closing at midnight on October 31. Send your photos to submissions@ontarioallianceofclimbers.ca. All entered photos will be subject to the full Terms of Submission, found below:

Register for the Virtual Town Hall Now!

By Access, Events

Registration for our Virtual Town Hall is now open!

Join us this Wednesday, June 7th, at 7pm to hear all about the current state of affairs at Devil’s Glen, and about our campaign to #SaveClimbingAtDG.

We’ll present some preliminary findings from our Economic Impact of Climbers survey. We received a total of 1644 responses — a phenomenal result, thank you everyone! We’ll also share the bigger plan, which will involve more action from YOU ❤️

Other Recent Updates:

Last week, on May 31, the OAC met with Ontario Parks.

We voiced our concerns regarding the lack of communication or consultation concerning climbing at Devil’s Glen, and emphasized that we maintain SIGNIFICANT concerns regarding access, including the basis for their recent decisions.

Ontario Parks has not yet provided the requested scientific information supporting the closure.

We provided them with the latest ecological studies regarding climbing on the Niagara Escarpment which support rock climbing as a recreational activity. These studies propose that climbing can be supported sustainably by land managers while achieving preservation goals.

Study 1: Kuntz, Larson — Influences of microhabitat constraints and rock-climbing disturbance on cliff-face vegetation communities

Study 2: Sommer — Rock Climbing and Talus Vegetation on the Niagara Escarpment: Impacts and Management Implementations

We also raised concerns about mountain bike trail closures in neighbouring Pretty Valley as additional evidence of Ontario Park “limiting recreational resources” to specific user groups.

Emphasizing that a restrictive approach to climbing is misaligned with approaches taken by their Canadian, U.S. and European conservation and management peers, we maintained that the current policy will not lead to their desired conservation outcomes.

Ontario Parks has agreed to review the signage and consider possible alternatives to achieving their ecological goals, and to discuss these with the OAC.

They have confirmed their desire to work with the climbing community towards achieving a balance that includes climbing in some form within Devil’s Glen.

Ontario Parks recognizes that the current situation at Devil’s Glen and their lack of communication with the OAC did not benefit either party. Both Ontario Parks and the OAC are committed to working together in an open and transparent manner going forward.

Save the Date: Virtual Town Hall June 7th

By Access, Community, Events

SAVE THE DATE: We’ll be holding a virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, June 7th, at 7pm!

This is your opportunity to hear from us about the latest news concerning Devil’s Glen, and to learn about what’s to come. As with previous Town Halls, registration will open closer to the date, but it will be held online so as to be as accessible as possible.

Also, if you haven’t yet filled out our Economic Impact of Climbing survey, please do so NOW! The survey window is only open until Wednesday May 31st. Your responses will help us advocate for the importance climbing has on our greater community.

Complete the survey NOW!

Fill out the 2023 Economic Impact of Climbers Survey!

By Access

The 2023 Economic Impact of Climbers in Ontario survey was live until May 31. Thanks to the 1645 people who responded! We’re looking to better understand the impact of climbers on the local economy.

Click here to fill it out now!

✅ It will take only 3 minutes to complete.
✅ Share the link with friends, get everyone you know who’s climbed in Ontario to fill it out!
✅ Survey closes Wednesday May 31. Once closed, we’ll share the results.

More to come, this is just the start. We’ll still need your help in the coming weeks!