Government of Canada celebrates reopening of Twyn Rivers Day Use Area in Rouge National Urban Park Français
Federal investment of $2.6 million enhances visitor experience with renewed facilities and infrastructure
TORONTO, July 14, 2023 /CNW/ - Nature is central to Canada's identity. For millions of people living in the Greater Toronto Area, Rouge National Urban Park puts nature within reach. Parks Canada is dedicated to improving access to greenspace for those living in cities while conserving and sharing the country's natural and cultural heritage.
Today, Gary Anandasangaree, Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge Park and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, on behalf of Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the reopening of the Twyn Rivers Day Use Area in Rouge National Urban Park. Located in Canada's largest metropolitan area, this $2.6 million federally funded project features enhancements to visitor facilities and park infrastructure.
Visitors can now enjoy an experience that includes:
- Significant improvements to existing trails and a new accessible trail section;
- Two new pedestrian bridges over the Little Rouge Creek;
- A renewed and expanded parking area with 83 vehicle parking spaces;
- An enhanced recreation and day use area with a larger greenspace, gardens, accessible furnishings (e.g., change tables, picnic tables) and solar lights; and,
- A year-round accessible washroom facility.
In addition, the renewal of this site will guide visitors through various trails to a single crosswalk on Twyn Rivers Drive, greatly reducing the number of on-road pedestrians. In collaboration with the City of Toronto, a controlled pedestrian crosswalk light will be installed for even greater visitor safety.
With input from Rouge National Urban Park First Nations Advisory Circle members, the Twyn Rivers Day Use Area parking lot has also been reoriented to create a greater natural buffer between the parking area and Little Rouge Creek. The area now features a "bioswale garden," which traps toxins and prevents them from flowing into the creek. Newly planted native trees and shrubs, alongside existing mature trees, will provide shade and habitat around the parking lot.
To preserve the cultural heritage in the area, the below-ground foundations of the historic Rouge Valley Inn, dating back to the early 1900s, have been kept, and a portion of the Inn's former dam has been repurposed and incorporated into the design. Visitors can view the heritage structure at the base of the fencing near the creek.
Through infrastructure investments like this, the Government of Canada is helping visitors foster meaningful connections with nature in Rouge National Urban Park, while protecting biodiversity for future generations.
"Our Government is committed to protecting biodiversity while helping Canadians and visitors to Canada foster meaningful connections to nature. This federal investment revitalizes the popular Twyn Rivers Day Use Area in Rouge National Urban Park, benefitting residents of the Greater Toronto Area as well as visitors to the region and ensuring meaningful experiences for years to come. Parks Canada will help visitors discover and connect with nature, all within the boundaries of Canada's largest urban centre."
Gary Anandasangaree
Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge Park and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
- Spanning 79.1 km2, Rouge National Urban Park is among the largest urban parks in the world and the first national urban park in Canada.
- A rich assembly of natural, cultural and agricultural landscapes, Rouge National Urban Park is home to nearly 2,000 species of plants and animals, some of the last remaining working farms in the Greater Toronto Area, and human history dating back over 10,000 years.
- Rouge National Urban Park is within a one hour's drive of a large proportion of Canada's population and accessible by public transit, providing unprecedented opportunities for Canadians to connect with nature.
- Parks Canada worked with a range of partners and stakeholders on design elements for the Twyn Rivers Day Use Area, including the ten Nations that comprise the Rouge National Urban Park First Nations Advisory Circle.
SOURCE Parks Canada
Sarah Simpson, Public Relations and Communications Officer, Rouge National Urban Park, Parks Canada Agency, 289-776-8489, [email protected]; Media Relations, Parks Canada, 855-862-1812, [email protected]
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