Land transfer agreements set to be signed

Rouge Park Promise

NRU
March 26, 2014

The evolution of Rouge Park to a national urban park is taking another step forward with key agreements set for approval by York Region.

In February, York Region council agreed to sign a memorandum of agreement on the assembly of lands and to execute an agreement amongst Parks Canada and affected municipalities. This week, council will receive communications from other municipalities saying that they, too, have agreed to sign the agreement.

The creation of a 40,000 square metre (10,000 acres) national urban park - touted as Canada’s premier near-urban wilderness park -- requires an agreement between Parks Canada, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the City of Toronto, the City of Markham, the City of Pickering, York Region, and Durham Region.

In the mid-1990s, the Ontario government established Rouge Park in response to public concerns over protection of the river valley. In 2011, aft er years of lobbying by environmental and other groups, the federal government committed to the development of Rouge National Urban Park, the fi rst of its kind in Canada.

York Region manager of natural heritage and forestry Ian Buchanan says that while none of the region’s own lands will be transferred to the designated park, it is important that the region offer its services to the development of the urban park.

Buchanan expects York Region will sign off on its portion of the agreement within the next couple of weeks. He says York Region’s role will largely centre on supplemental agreements to be made in the future outlining operational needs for the park. The region will likely provide emergency services for park users if needed, as well as water supply and garbage pickup.

“This is principally about the land transfer, but it’s an opportunity to understand what other relationships or agreements would be needed to make the park function in an urban area.”

The park’s urban form sets it apart from other national parks throughout the country. The park will be the first Canadian national park to include agricultural uses in its design. Buchanan says that fits in well with the region’s needs.

“Significant steps were taken to ensure that agriculture will be part of that park. Parks Canada is well-aligned with the region’s interests.”

He says it was important to create a park that would make sense not in the current urban context, but in its future evolution as well.

“We wanted to ensure the lens wasn’t just what was needed today, but in the next 20-year or 30-year plan. We wanted to ensure that as the park develops, that it is a sustainable fi t with the urban context.”

The Memorandum of Agreement Respecting the Land Assembly for Rouge Park will permit the transfer of York Region lands “if a due diligence exercise identifies any candidate parcels,” according to a report to council.

Buchanan says there will be “a review of orphan spaces” in the region to see if any are a good fit for park lands moving forward.

“But [the region] is not a large land owner,” Buchanan points out.

There is a large portion of land in Markham, currently owned by Transport Canada, that will be transferred to Parks Canada. Parks Canada is working with each municipality to get the agreement signed. Buchanan says Toronto and Pickering have signed, and Markham is on its way.

“Everything appears to be aligning at a rapid pace,” he says.