Restoration projects announced at opening of new welcome area for Canada’s first national urban park
July 28, 2015 – Markham, Ontario - Parks Canada
Paul Calandra, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs and Member of Parliament for Oak Ridges—Markham, and Corneliu Chisu, Member of Parliament for Pickering—Scarborough East, on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, today announced a $15-million investment in conservation for Rouge National Urban Park. The announcement was made in Markham, Ontario, at the official opening of the new welcome area for Canada’s first national urban park.
The Harper Government, in collaboration with farmers, the community, First Nations, and conservation groups, will begin the 15 ecosystem restoration projects on lands in Markham that are part of the new urban park.
This significant investment by the Government of Canada demonstrates its conservation leadership and supports Canada’s National Conservation Plan by conserving and restoring the urban park’s natural, cultural and agricultural heritage. These funds will be used to protect and recover endangered species, restore native forests, wetlands and meadows, enhance the health and productivity of park farmland, measure the park’s biodiversity, and inventory and protect the Rouge’s archaeological and cultural heritage sites, among other activities.
The Rouge National Urban Park is being afforded the strongest protections of any urban park in the world, with unique legislation – the historic Rouge National Urban Park Act and multi-million dollar investments to conserve and restore it, and ensure year-round enforcement.
Jonathan Lefebvre
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
Media Relations
Parks Canada
1-855-862-1812
www.twitter.com/parkscanada
