Ontario Parks Celebrates Algoma-Manitoulin Summer Student

Written by Ontario Newsroom on 29 November 2016

Bursary Awards Program Provides Educational Support to Exceptional Summer Staff

Lina Vermeer of Massey has earned an educational bursary award for her outstanding work as an Ontario Parks summer employee.

“I would like to thank Lina Vermeer for her outstanding contribution to Ontario Parks this past summer. Lina’s dedicated efforts ensured that families and outdoor enthusiasts from Ontario and around the world who visited Algonquin Provincial Park were able to enjoy a very high quality and enjoyable experience. Her enthusiasm and leadership are greatly appreciated. I wish her the very best in her future studies.” Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha

Ontario and Ontario Parks’ corporate partners are recognizing outstanding student employees working at provincial parks with bursary awards to support their post secondary education.

Forty students will be celebrated for their hard work, unparalleled service and leadership in natural resources management through the Ontario Parks Partners’ Bursary Awards. Corporate partners will present top summer staff with $500 bursaries to apply toward their college or university tuition.

“I would like to thank our partners for their ongoing support and congratulate the 40 students who are receiving bursary awards this year. Ontario Parks’ summer students do an exceptional job protecting nature and providing a memorable experience for our visitors. These awards recognize recipients for their leadership, hard work and commitment this past summer and I want to congratulate them on their success.” Kathryn McGarry, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry

“A warm congratulations to the outstanding students who won the 2016 Ontario Parks Partners’ Bursary Awards. Through the Ontario Youth Job Strategy, more than 1,600 students worked in Ontario parks this summer, developing important skills that will help build Ontario’s highly skilled workforce up and grow our economy. I applaud our corporate partners for generously funding this program and supporting the development of our young Ontarians.” Deborah Matthews, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development

Ontario continues to support employers and businesses across the province and help create good jobs for youth. Through Ontario Parks’ summer employment program, the province provides more than 1,600 students with jobs in provincial parks every year. The program offers training and valuable work experience to help youth build a solid foundation for their future success.

Creating summer employment opportunities for students is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

QUICK FACTS

The annual Ontario Parks Partners’ Bursary Award is now in its 17^th year.
The awards are presented by the province, Ontario Parks and corporate partners.
Ontario is investing $250 million over the next two years in the renewed Youth Jobs Strategy to serve up to 150,000 more youth.
Ontario is implementing an integrated Ontario Highly Skilled Workforce Strategy, which will build on the strength of the province’s skills, education and training systems to prepare Ontario’s current and future workforce for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
With over 50 types of jobs available in over 100 operating parks, there are many career opportunities waiting to be explored in Ontario Parks.
There are over 330 provincial parks in Ontario, covering more than 8-million hectares — larger than Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island combined.
In 2015, Ontario’s provincial parks received more than 9.8 million visits from people around the world and brought in over $80 million in revenue, which supports jobs and businesses across the province.

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