Careers at Ontario Parks

Park Wardens - Introduction

Park wardens play a vital role in protecting Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage. These officers are responsible for ensuring that our provincial parks are protected and peaceful places where visitors, both present and future, can come and enjoy the benefits of nature.

Park warden positions are typically short-term contracts that are seasonal in nature, coinciding with the peak summer operating season. Longer contracts or full-time positions may become available with career advancement. Many park wardens work evening/night shifts and weekends throughout the summer. Park wardens patrol their parks in a variety of ways, depending on the location, including by foot, vehicle, ATV, boat, canoe, or aircraft. Learn all about working as a Park Warden on the Ontario Parks blog.

Gain valuable experience working outdoors in law enforcement and compliance. Build natural resource management, problem solving, leadership, and communication skills while applying policies and legislation. Create a foundation for a successful and rewarding career with Ontario Parks.

A park warden’s responsibilities are as diverse as the parks they work in. Some common responsibilities include:

• Protecting park resources and ensuring public safety
• Engaging with park visitors while providing professional customer service
• Supporting park operations in a variety of ways, including general maintenance and cleaning, visitor registration, or assisting with water system operations

Mandatory qualifications include:

• minimum 19 years of age
• valid class “G” Ontario driver’s licence or equivalent
• ability to obtain security clearance through a criminal background check
• successful completion of multi-week Provincial Park Warden Course (provided)

Above and beyond the basic requirements, park wardens have a challenging job and require specific skill sets in order to be successful including:

• written and oral communication skills: the ability to effectively resolve customer conflicts/complaints, convey important information, document observations and activities, and write clear and concise reports
• problem-solving and decision-making skills: the ability to make difficult decisions related to public safety, emergency response, and officer safety
• leadership and initiative capabilities: the ability to work independently without direct supervision, and the initiative to remain productive and support other park programs when needed
• experience or education working in/with law enforcement
• experience or education managing natural or cultural resources
• knowledge and understanding of Ontario Parks and the objectives of our organization