A total of 950 hectares of land in the City of Toronto and Town of Ajax are considered protected areas, it was announced Monday, as part of a push to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and water by 2025.
In a press release, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) announced the lands would be added to the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database.
“While this is part of an international initiative, we are showing that efforts at the municipal level can make an important contribution to a larger natural system,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said in a statement.
During the 2019 federal election campaign, the Liberal Party promised to protect a quarter of Canada’s land and marine areas. The plan included a pledge to create 10 new national parks and 10 national marine conservation areas.
The Government of Canada’s website says protected areas include national, provincial and territorial parks. National wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries are also protected areas. They “safeguard biodiversity … by reducing stresses from human activities,” the website says.
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The new protected lands in Ajax and Toronto will be managed by TRCA and the two municipalities.
Ten city parks in Toronto totalling around 888 hectares are now designated as protected areas, while 62 hectares of Ajax’s Carruthers Creek wetland are also protected.
“Carruthers Creek is a small and sensitive watershed that Ajax Council has been continuously advocating for the protection of for many years,” Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier said.
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