Nov. 29, 2022 - PARKS CANADA’S TECHNICAL RESPONSE TO THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF GREENBELT

29, 2022 PARKS CANADA’S TECHNICAL RESPONSE TO THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF GREENBELT LANDS ADJACENT TO ROUGE NATIONAL URBAN PARK Parks Canada herein presents considerations for the Government of Ontario in regards to the proposal to remove 7,400 acres of protected lands from the Greenbelt in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), particularly lands in and around Rouge National Urban Park (see Figure 1). [...] As the Provincial Government is well aware, the Greenbelt lands, along with Rouge National Urban Park, together contribute to the ecological connection between the Oak Ridges Moraine and Lake Ontario – the only intact, contiguous connection between the two in the entire Greater Golden Horseshoe. [...] All of these potential impacts to Rouge National Urban Park are of concern to Parks Canada as they have the potential to significantly compromise the viability of park ecosystems and farmland, and the Wetland in particular. [...] The proposed development may negatively impact the maintenance of a vibrant and viable agricultural community within the Rouge National Urban Park and in this part of the Greenbelt. [...] Along with the local farming community, the government of Ontario was one of the most significant contributors to the agricultural vision for Rouge National Urban Park and identified that a vibrant farming community requires dedicated agricultural land inside and outside of the park in order to be economically viable.