Ontario gives up Rouge Park claim
Agreement transferring land to federal government will help create one of world’s largest urban parks
A classic green and white Parks Canada sign now welcomes visitors to Rouge National Urban Park at a Markham entrance after the provincial government signed over its portion of the parklands to the federal government and paved the way for other public bodies to do the same.
“This has been a priority for our government since the very beginning,” said federal Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott, who represents the riding of Markham-Stouffville.
“We’re celebrating a very significant milestone in the completion of Canada’s first national urban park,” she added.
The agreement announced this weekend transfers 6.5 square kilometres of land from the province to Parks Canada. Ontario has also relinquished its interest in 15.2 square km managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and 1.1 square km of land managed by the City of Markham, paving the way for those bodies to also transfer manage- ment to Parks Canada.
Once that happens, the federal government will manage 80 per cent of the 79.1 square kms identified for the Rouge National Urban Park. The remaining 20 per cent of land is expected to be transferred to Parks Canada by other municipal governments in the coming months.
Ontario’s Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid thanked the various groups and people who’ve spent decades fighting to protect the area, offering a special thanks to Lois James, 94, who is often called the “mother of the Rouge,” and Jim Robb, whom he jokingly called a “pain in the butt.”
Rouge National Urban Park covers the traditional territories of several First Nations, including the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, who never surrendered their rights to the lands.
“It’s good to have this park so that they can renew themselves with the creator’s beauty,” said Mississaugas of the New Credit elder Garry Sault.
While decades ago the establishment of parks excluded First Nations, Louis Le- sage, who spoke on behalf of HuronWendat Nation Grand Chief Konrad H. Sioui, said things are different today thanks to examples such as Rouge National Urban Park.
He encouraged parents to bring their children to the park and to teach them the history of the lands, which were once home to the largest First Nations villages in Canada. Some, though, are still concerned about the level of environmental protections in the park.
“Part of the character of this national urban park is that you have this mix of urban and forest,” said Anna Baggio, director of conservation planning for CPAWS Wildlands League.
“Obviously there needs to be restoration but I think we can work with the farmers to get there, they want to see this land well-managed and so do we,” she said.