TORONTO – The federal government plans to give Toronto a special gift by turning the city’s Rouge Valley into the country’s first near-urban national park.
The proposal was included in the budget announced on Thursday with a promise to turn the parkland into an ecological gem.
“Parks Canada can bring the expertise of large parks and the financial resources of the government because the cost of keeping the park up and building the infrastructure is greater than our budget,” said Alan Wells, Chair of the Rouge Park Alliance, the organization responsible for managing the area.
The 47-square-kilometre green space stretches north from Lake Ontario and is bordered by Toronto and Markham in the west and Pickering in the east.
In addition to offering activities like hiking, cycling, camping, swimming and canoeing, the area also supports a burgeoning ecosystem filled with local wildlife.
“It’s going to be a great draw for the Greater Toronto Area to have a national park,” said Wells. “Not everyone can afford to go to Gros Morne National Park, Banff National Park, or indeed Point Pelee.”
The park is unique because of its size compared to other notable sites like Stanley Park in Vancouver, Mont Royal Park in Montreal, Nose Hill Park in Calgary.
Rouge Valley is also home to the Toronto Zoo which attracts thousands of visitors a year.
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Scarborough Centre City Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker was thrilled to hear the news because he was part of a conservation group which helped preserve the land back in 1987.
“This is a national wildlife treasure,” he said. “It was by historical fluke the valley was protected because developers found the cost of building in the area too expensive.”
Giving it “National Park” status allows Parks Canada to step in, manage the area and protect it from redevelopment.
If the plan is approved, Rouge Valley administrators say it can take up to two years to complete the transition process.
“Parks Canada will engage in public consultation to find out from public what activities they want to see in the park, develop park plan and write and pass legislation to create a new urban national park,” said Wells.
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