FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario Condemns Closure of TDSB Outdoor Education Centres

Toronto, May 15, 2026. The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario is calling on the Ontario Government, Ontario’s Minister of Education Paul Calandra, and the provincially appointed supervisors overseeing the Toronto District School Board to immediately reverse devastating cuts to the Board’s outdoor education programs and facilities.

Under the recently announced restructuring plan, nearly all of the TDSB’s outdoor education centres, including both day-use and overnight sites, will be closed, with only two centres remaining operational. These remaining sites appear to be little more than symbolic placeholders, with significant concerns that they too may eventually face closure.

The TDSB has described these cuts as “right sizing” its outdoor education programming. In reality, this decision represents a dramatic dismantling of one of Canada’s largest and most important public outdoor education systems. Once these closures take effect, the TDSB, despite serving more students than Peel, Dufferin, Halton, and many other Ontario boards combined, will operate fewer outdoor education centres than those much smaller districts.

“These cuts are not modernization. They are abandonment,” said The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario. “Outdoor education is not an extra or a luxury. It is an essential part of a healthy, equitable, and future-focused public education system. It enhances learning for students and brings to life curriculum in ways not experienced through the four walls of a classroom.”

The Council emphasizes that these closures are not simply a local board decision. They are taking place under the authority of the Ontario government, which has assumed direct control over the governance and operations of the TDSB.

Research consistently demonstrates that outdoor and experiential education improves student mental health, physical well-being, academic engagement, leadership development, teamwork, and environmental literacy. Outdoor learning helps students build confidence, resilience, problem-solving skills, and meaningful relationships with the natural world; outcomes that cannot be replicated through screens or classroom walls alone. Outdoor, land-based learning helps build connection to the land as an act of Indigenous reconciliation.

For students in Toronto, these opportunities are especially critical.

Many TDSB students live in highly urbanized neighbourhoods with limited access to natural spaces, green infrastructure, or overnight outdoor experiences. For thousands of children, school-based outdoor education programs provide their only opportunity to paddle a canoe, hike a forest trail, learn around a campfire, study ecosystems firsthand, or spend meaningful time immersed in nature.

Eliminating these programs will disproportionately affect students from lower-income families and communities who cannot independently access camps, cottages, private outdoor programs, or travel opportunities.

“Spending time in nature should not become something available only to families who can afford it,” the Council stated. “Public education has a responsibility to ensure that every child, regardless of postal code or socio-economic status, has access to safe, high-quality outdoor and experiential learning.”

At a time when youth mental health challenges, climate anxiety, disconnection from nature, and sedentary lifestyles are increasing, Ontario should be expanding outdoor education opportunities, not dismantling them.

The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario urges the Province and the TDSB to:

• Immediately halt the closure of outdoor education centres;
• Restore stable funding for outdoor and experiential education programs;
• Recognize outdoor education as an essential educational service;
• Commit to equitable access for all Ontario students, particularly those in urban communities.

The Council is also encouraging educators, families, students, environmental organizations, and community leaders to speak out publicly and loudly in support of outdoor education and demand the preservation of these vital learning spaces.

Media Contact

Peggy Cheng, President

The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario

info@coeo.org

Dear (MPP’s name), May 22 2026

I am writing to urge the Ontario government to reverse the planned closures of Toronto District School Board (TDSB) outdoor education centres and to properly fund outdoor and experiential education for all students.

Under the direction of provincially appointed supervisors, the TDSB is closing nearly all of its outdoor education centres, leaving only two sites remaining. These decisions were made without meaningful public consultation with families, educators, students, or communities.

These closures are happening in the broader context of ongoing cuts and underfunding in public education. Outdoor education is not a luxury or an “extra.” It is an essential part of a healthy, equitable, and future-focused education system.

Research consistently shows that outdoor and experiential education improves student mental health, physical well-being, academic engagement, leadership skills, teamwork, environmental literacy, and connection to learning. Land-based and outdoor learning also supports Indigenous reconciliation by helping students build meaningful relationships with the land.

For many Toronto students, these programs provide their only opportunity to experience forests, lakes, trails, overnight learning, and hands-on environmental education. Without school programs, these experiences become accessible only to families who can afford camps, cottages, and private programs.

At a time when young people are facing rising mental health challenges, climate anxiety, and increasing disconnection from nature, Ontario should be expanding outdoor education opportunities, not dismantling them.

I urge you to:

• Halt the closure of TDSB outdoor education centres;
• Restore stable and adequate education funding;
• Recognize outdoor education as an essential public education service;
• Ensure equitable access to outdoor learning opportunities for all students.

Toronto students deserve better. Please act now to preserve these vital public learning spaces. I will continue to be in touch until changes are made. Thank you for your support and understanding that outdoor education is a key investment in the future of our local students and earth. 

Sincerely,[NAME]
[POSTAL CODE]

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