Biodiversity Boreal Climate change Conservation planning Freshwater Indigenous partnerships Natural resource development Peatlands

The National Peatland Strategy: Implementation Opportunities for Ontario

Goodday, V., Tanguay, L., Radatus-Smith, N. & Harris, L

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To facilitate uptake of the National Peatland Strategy, opportunities for implementation at the federal level and in each province and territory have been identified. This document outlines opportunities for the province of Ontario.

Key points

• Canada’s peatlands are of global importance, storing over 150 billion tonnes of carbon.
• Canada's provinces and territories have the primary responsibility for properly stewarding these climate-critical ecosystems.
• Peatlands cover nearly a third of Ontario, including most of the Hudson Bay Lowlands, the second largest peatland in the world.
• Over 560 million tonnes or carbon are stored in the mining claim areas in the Ring of Fire alone, yet less than 10% of peatlands in the province are protected.
• Top opportunities for the Government of Ontario to achieve better outcomes for peatlands, and the communities and ecosystems that rely on them, include:
  • Establishing legislated protections and stewardship programs for peatlands in the north, with a leadership role for Indigenous communities and Land Guardians.
  • Strengthening inclusion of peatlands in the province’s wetland evaluation system and apply the evaluation system province-wide.
  • Ensuring that the essential and irreplaceable values and services of peatlands are factored into land-use planning and decision-making, including mining projects in the Ring of Fire.

The full strategy is available in both English and French.

Recommended citation

Goodday, V., Tanguay, L., Radatus-Smith, N. & Harris, L (2025). The National Peatland Strategy: Implementation Opportunities for Ontario. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]. https://doi.org/10.19121/2025.Report.52386.p11.en