Tourism Group complains about access to Crown Land

A northern Ontario recreational group says the Ministry of Natural Resources is blocking local access to lakes and rivers in favour of foreign-based tourist outfitters.

The Ontario Outdoors Recreational Alliance complains the ministry closes logging roads to prevent residents and local tour companies from driving into remote areas to hunt, fish or canoe.

Alliance president Tom Brason says the government is keeping locals out at the request of remote tourist operators who fly customers into camps on Crown lands.

Brason says a select group of remote-based outfitters is controlling vast areas of Crown land.