Energy and Natural Resources

This page offers links to a variety of services and information related to energy and natural resources.

• Natural Resources - Water and Lakes
  Learn about Ontario's many Natural Resources here.
• Mineral Exploration and Mining Information Ontario
  Mineral Exploration and Mining Information Ontario is a centralized location providing access to information and services related to the start-up of a mining industry project.
• Hydro One
  Hydro One is a government-owned commercial enterprise with an independent Board of Directors, providing safe, reliable and cost-effective transmission and distribution of electricity to Ontario electricity users.
• Ontario's Forests
  Ontario's landscape is characterized by its vast and diverse forests. They range from the deciduous forest of southern Ontario, through the mixed forest of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region in central and northwestern Ontario, to the conifer-dominated boreal forests of the north.
• Forest Fires in Ontario
  The Ministry of Natural Resources uses aviation, forest fire management and emergency response expertise and resources to protect the people of Ontario and our natural resources.
• National Marine Conservation Areas of Canada
  National Marine Conservation Areas, or NMCA for short, are marine areas managed for sustainable use and containing smaller zones of high protection. They include the seabed, the water above it and any species which occur there. They may also take in wetlands, estuaries, islands and other coastal lands.
• Wind Energy
  Common questions typically asked about the development of wind farms in Ontario.
• Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
  The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is responsible for promoting the development of an affordable, safe, reliable, secure and environmentally sustainable energy supply. This is the foundation for a strong economy and a healthier, cleaner environment in Ontario.
• Ontario Power Authority (OPA)
  The Ontario Power Authority plans and procures electricity supply from diverse resources and facilitates the measures needed to achieve ambitious conservation targets, ensuring that electricity needs are met for the benefit of Ontario both now and in the future.
• Ontario Power Generation (OPG)
  Ontario Power Generation is an Ontario-based electricity generation company whose principal business is the generation and sale of electricity in Ontario. OPG's prescribed generating facilities are the nuclear generating stations (Pickering A, Pickering B and Darlington), the Niagara Plant Group and R.H. Saunders hydroelectric generating station.
• Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry
  The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry serves Northern Ontario and the province’s minerals industry. We deliver provincial government programs and services in Northern Ontario. We also represent northern and mining interests at Queen’s Park.
• Environmental Industries in Ontario
  Ontario’s 2,467 flourishing environmental companies have a well deserved reputation for innovative technologies and services across a broad range of sub sectors.
• Fish Ontario
  Few outdoor experiences can compare with fishing in Ontario’s 250,000 lakes and the thousands of rivers and streams. It is a favourite activity that Ontario residents and visitors enjoy year-round.
• Acquiring Crown Land
  The Ministry of Natural Resources has focused its efforts on working with northern Ontario communities, to make Crown land available at market value to support local economic development, rather than directly selling individual Crown land parcels to prospective buyers.
• Independent Electricity System Operator
  The Independent Electricity System Operator is a not-for-profit corporate entity established in 1998 by the Electricity Act of Ontario. It is governed by an independent Board whose Chair and Directors are appointed by the Government of Ontario. Its fees and licences to operate are set by the Ontario Energy Board and it operates independently of all other participants in the electricity market.
• Wind Resource Atlas
  The Ontario Wind Resource Atlas lets you view colour-coded maps of many wind statistics for any one-square-kilometre area in the province. This mapping tool shows Ontario's wind energy potential and identifies promising sites for future wind energy development.
• Ontario Power Generation
  Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is an Ontario-based electricity generation company whose principal business is the generation and sale of electricity in Ontario.
• Ontario Power Authority
  The Ontario Power Authority contributes to the development of a reliable and sustainable electricity system for the benefit of Ontario customers. In doing so, we plan for the long term and procure and coordinate conservation and electricity supply from diverse resources.
• Drinking Water Ontario
  Welcome to Drinking Water Ontario, your source for information on Ontario's drinking water.
• Reserve a campsite
  Ontario Parks is a branch within the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
• Bear Wise
  The Ministry of Natural Resources is committed to reducing preventable causes of human-bear conflict in Ontario. The Bear Wise Program teaches people about black bears as well as things they must do to keep bears away from urban and semi urban areas.
• Biodiversity
  Biodiversity is all around us – it's the variety of life on Earth, from the tiniest insect to a vast northern forest. Biodiversity is also about being connected – no one species lives without other species that provide its food and habitat.
• Ontario's Plant A Tree Challenge
  Climate change is affecting every part of our world. Ontario’s Plant A Tree Challenge encourages people to plant trees to fight climate change.
• Crown Land Management
  The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for managing Ontario’s Crown land resources.
• Forest Resource Inventory
  The Forest Resource Inventory (FRI) is an extensive survey of the forest resources of Ontario. It was originally designed in 1946 to locate merchantable timber species for supplying mills.
• Forest Management Planning
  The primary objective of forest management on Crown land in Ontario is to ensure the long-term health of forest ecosystems.
• Forest Sustainability
  Ontario is a world leader in sustainable forestry and is committed to balancing environmental protection with sustainable forest management.
• Forest Science
  The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is a science-based ministry, and its applied research and science units have been making important new discoveries about Ontario’s natural resources for more than 60 years.
• Tourism & Forestry
  The resource-based tourism industry is an important component of Ontario’s forest-based economy. Ensuring that the needs of the resource-based tourism industry are effectively addressed is a key part of a forest management plan.
• Silviculture in Ontario
  Silvicultural systems are described by the harvest method used. The systems consist of a “planned series of treatments for tending, harvesting and re-establishing a stand” (Helms, 1998).
• Ontario Tree Seed Plant
  The Ontario Tree Seed Facility offers custom seed extraction, cleaning, testing, and storage services. The facility makes available a seed catalogue listing the various species that can be purchased.
• Private Forests
  The Ontario government, along with other public agencies and private firms, fosters ecologically sound forest management on private lands through a variety of measures.
• Forest Health (insects, disease)
  Forest health management includes control programs, research, expert advice, education and transfer, development of pest control methods and products, policy development and implementation, development of best practices and their inclusion in forest management activities and interagency collaboration.
• Ontario's Forest Industry
  A report on the forest industry in Ontario.
• Waterpower
  MNR’s waterpower site release policy and procedure together with the waterpower site application process guide the development of waterpower projects.
• Species at Risk
  A species at risk is any native plant or animal that is at risk of extinction or of disappearing from the province.
• Watersheds
  A watershed, also known as a catchment basin or area, includes all of the land that is drained by a watercourse and its tributaries. It is a dynamic and complex web of natural resources - soil, water, plants and animals - where we live, work and play.
• Water Levels and Flows
  Water level is the height of the water surface, in metres, above an established datum plane where the stage is zero. The zero level is arbitrary, but is often close to the streambed.Streamflow, or discharge, is the volume of water flowing past a fixed point in a fixed period of time. For water flow in rivers or streams, the value is recorded in cubic metres per second (m3/s).
• Check low water levels in your area
  The MNR Surface Water Monitoring Centre staff notify and confer with conservation authorities, the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Foods and Rural Affairs, Municipal Affairs and housing and local MNR staff when streamflow and weather data indicate that an area may be in a Level I, II or III low water condition.
• Water Resources
  The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) plays a significant role in ensuring that Ontario's precious water resources can support the needs of Ontarians and support a healthy natural environment now and into the future.
• Water Resources Information
  The Water Resources Information Program (WRIP) ensures that information about Ontario’s water resources is accessible, accurate and useable.
• Ministry of Natural Resources
  In partnership with you, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) manages and protects Ontario's natural resources for wise use across the province. Together we all contribute to the environmental, social and economic well-being of Ontario.
• Fish and Wildlife
  Wildlife, such as mammals (large and small), birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and fish, is important to Ontario. These natural resources are an important part of the province's biodiversity that provide us with ecological, social and economic benefits.
• Ontario's Landscape
  Ontario is Canada’s second-largest province, covering more than one million square kilometres (415,000 square miles). Of that surface area, land makes up 894,639 square kilometres (344,092 square miles). The land and the resources it contains, such as aggregates, oil, salt, gas and sources of renewable energy, are vital to all residents of the province.
• Public Protection & Safety
  Forest fires, floods, dam failures, power outages and drought are just some of the possible threats to public safety. To protect our natural resources and ensure public safety, we need a proactive and coordinated approach to manage emergencies and reduce the risks of natural hazards.
• Clean Water Agency
  OCWA is an agency of the Province of Ontariomandated to provide safe, reliable and cost effective clean water services to the people of Ontario.
• Ontario Energy Board
  The Ontario Energy Board regulates the province’s electricity and natural gas sectors in the public interest.
• Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation
  The Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation (OEFC) is one of five corporations established by the Electricity Act, 1998. Under the Electricity Act, the former Ontario Hydro was restructured into Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG), Hydro One Inc. (Hydro One), the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) and the OEFC. The OEFC retains the services of the Ontario Financing Authority (OFA) and the Ministry of Revenue to carry out its daily operations on a cost-recovery basis. The OFA is the agency of the Province of Ontario responsible for provincial borrowing and debt management.
• Shop for maps, clothing and other products online
  The Ontario Ministry or Natural Resources Store.