• Rouge Park ranked in Top 10 Toronto greenspaces
• Planning for the Little Rouge Corridor
• Rouge Park proud recipient of Ontario Parks Association Award
• Rouge Park Recognized as Important Part of Provincial Greenbelt in Toronto Area
• New Chair to Lead Rouge Park Alliance, 17 March 2005

The Top 10 Toronto (2005 ed.) of the popular DK Eyewitness Travel series has listed Rouge Park first in its "Top 10 Greenspaces" in the Greater Toronto Area. The well-known British travel guide points out the size and quality of Rouge Park's natural areas which make it a prime destination for exploring nature by walking our trails.

If you're one of the thousands of visitors to Rouge Park each year, you already know we're among the best places to experience nature in the Toronto area! If you haven't visited us yet, explore Rouge Park and see if we make it on your "Top 10" list!

The valley and lands adjacent to Little Rouge Creek provide an important functional ecological corridor for Rouge Park. The Little Rouge Corridor will provide the Park's natural link from the Oak Ridges Moraine to Lake Ontario. The need for a comprehensive management plan for the public lands in this important part of Rouge Park was identified early in the Park's development.

The Little Rouge Corridor Management Plan will guide long-term decision-making for this important area of Rouge Park. Park zoning for this area will likely be similar to the zoning approved for Park lands as identified in the Rouge Park Management Plan (1994).

We are now in the process of preparing a management plan, evaluating a wide range of options for future land use planning in this area of Rouge Park. We value the input of stakeholders and the local community.

Rouge Park proudly received the Ontario Parks Association’s 2005 “Protecting Tomorrow Today” award. OPA represents parks and related organizations and is committed to “Protecting Tomorrow Today” through the beautification and conservation of parks, open space and the natural environment.

Rouge Park was recognized for the staff’s vital role in ensuring that a large reservoir of biodiversity in the GTA was included in the Ontario Greenbelt Plan and major contributions to enhancing natural environment goals in “Our Common Grounds”, the City of Toronto’s new strategic plan for parks, forestry and recreation, both significant initiatives which help to Protect Tomorrow Today.

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The Ontario Greenbelt Plan specifically identifies Rouge Park, and the watershed which is its home, as being of particular significance within the Protected Countryside. The Greenbelt Plan solidifies the Park’s important natural habitats by recognizing them as a reservoir of biodiversity and a valuable natural link between the Oak Ridges Moraine and Lake Ontario, with an ecological corridor 600 metres wide, centred on Little Rouge Creek. This special consideration builds on the Rouge North Management Plan and the Town of Markham’s Official Plan Amendment to protect such a corridor by establishing this as a Provincial requirement.

“The Province of Ontario has once again shown its support for the core values of Rouge Park,” observed Gord Weeden, Chair of the Park’s board of directors, the Rouge Park Alliance. “Significant public investment has been made in Rouge Park and now the Greenbelt regulations offer a new level of protection for this natural asset.”

“Most importantly, the Greenbelt Plan requires that land use planning and resource management within the Rouge River watershed part of the Protected Countryside comply not only with the Greenbelt Plan, but also with the Rouge North Management Plan,” noted Lewis Yeager, the Park’s general manager. “The more restrictive policies between the two plans will apply, and we will work with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to define a process for determining which policies are more restrictive.”

Outside of the Protected Countryside area, the Province has clearly stated that the Rouge North Management Plan criteria for determining ecologically-significant park lands, along with supporting Park plans, will be the guiding land planning and resource management documents in the York Region area of the Rouge River watershed. South of Steeles Avenue, the Rouge Park Management Plan will be the guiding document.

The accompanying regulations under the Greenbelt Act 2005 also help to protect the Park. Regulation 58/05 defines the boundary of the Greenbelt area. Regulation 61/05 is important to Rouge Park since it is a retroactive transition regulation that applies to the Rouge River watershed municipalities. Unapproved planning applications in the Rouge River watershed within the Greenbelt area, regardless of when they were filed, must comply with all policies of the Greenbelt Plan.

Gordon Weeden has been selected by the Province of Ontario as the new Chair to lead the management board of Rouge Park, one of North America’s largest natural environment parks in an urban setting.

Honourable David Ramsay, Minister of Natural Resources observed that “Rouge Park began as a vision of wilderness in an urban setting and will soon celebrate 10 years as a protected area. I am pleased to announce that Gord Weeden has been appointed the new Chair of the Rouge Park Alliance, a community partnership that is working to ensure this special area is preserved for the benefit of future generations.”

Rouge Park was launched in 1995 and the Alliance established as the decision-making body for the Park. This voluntary partnership is comprised of 12 public sector organizations, including the Province of Ontario, and one not-for-profit group. Mr. Weeden served as Rouge Park’s general manager from 1995 until 2001 when he retired. In 2004 he was the recipient of a Rouge Park Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions above and beyond his role as park staff.

“Rouge Park protects important natural features and biodiversity and provides a critical connection between the Oak Ridges Moraine and Lake Ontario,” said Brad Duguid, MPP (Scarborough Centre), the Province’s representative on the Rouge Park Alliance. “As the Rouge Park Alliance Chair for the next three years, Gordon Weeden will provide leadership in preserving this area for the enjoyment of the community.”

“ I look forward to working with the dedicated partners of the Rouge Park Alliance,” said Mr. Weeden. “This is an exciting time for Rouge Park given the recent announcement of the Province’s Greenbelt Plan. In addition to our management plans, we now have an increased level of protection for the significant natural and cultural features which will be our legacy for the health and enjoyment of future generations.”

Mr. Weeden replaces Ron Christie, who served as Chair since 1995 and was involved with Rouge Park planning since the early 1990s. During his time with the Rouge Park Alliance, Mr. Christie also participated in the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan process and is active with other conservation organizations.