The Government of Canada Celebrates Parks Day with the Great Canadian Campout in the future Rouge National Urban Park

The Canadian Wildlife Federation and Parks Canada are encouraging One Million Canadians to camp by Canada's 150th birthday in 2017

TORONTO, July 19, 2014 /CNW/ - To commemorate Parks Day, on Saturday, July 19, Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation are planning special "Great Canadian Campout" programming at the Glen Rouge Campground in the soon to be created Rouge National Urban Park in the Greater Toronto Area.

The event – which includes hiking, cooking and wilderness survival workshops – is part of a Canada-wide effort to encourage one million Canadians to pledge to go camping by Canada's 150th birthday in 2017. Canadians are encouraged to pledge to camp by visiting www.greatcanadiancampout.ca.

First celebrated in 1990, Parks Day is a national event showcasing the very best of Canada's protected areas with dozens of unique and fun events taking place in parks and historic sites in every province and territory in Canada.

With the pending establishment of Rouge National Urban Park, the Government of Canada is directly supporting Canada's National Conservation Plan by providing 20% of Canada's population who live within one hour of the park the opportunity to connect with Canada's natural, cultural and – unique among Canadian protected areas – agricultural heritage.

Parks Canada is supporting Canada's National Conservation Plan (NCP) in the three priority areas of conserving Canada's lands and waters, restoring Canada's ecosystems, and connecting Canadians to nature. Through initiatives like special Parks Day programming, Parks Canada is fostering an appreciation for nature, building a "community of stewards" among Canadians of all ages and contributing to NCP goals of encouraging local initiatives and partnerships that lead to tangible results.

Quick Facts

• Glen Rouge Campground in the future Rouge National Urban Park is the City of Toronto's only campground.
  
  
• The Rouge is a biodiversity hotspot that is home to nearly 1,700 species of plants and animals.
  
  
• Rouge National Urban Park will be 16 times larger than Central Park in New York.
  
  
• On June 21, Parks Canada released a draft management plan for Rouge National Urban Park. A formal public engagement process on the draft plan is now underway and will continue throughout July, August and September, with open house meetings planned for the cities of Toronto, Markham and Pickering.
  
  

Quotes

"I encourage all Canadians to celebrate Canada's Parks Day by participating in the Great Canadian Campout. Camping is truly one of Canada's most beloved summer activities, allowing us the opportunity to connect with nature in a meaningful way while in the company of our closest friends and loved ones. I am honoured to be associated with Parks Day activities in Rouge National Urban Park, a place very dear to my heart. Protecting the Rouge in perpetuity reinforces our Government's strong commitment to connecting families to Canada's treasured natural, cultural and agricultural heritage."

Corneliu Chisu, Member of Parliament for Pickering—Scarborough East

Associated Links

• Canadian Wildlife Federation Great Canadian Campout Press Release
• Parks Canada's Learn to Camp App for Smartphones
• Rouge National Urban Park draft management plan public involvement page

SOURCE: Parks Canada

Contacts: Omar McDadi, Parks Canada - Rouge National Urban Park, 289-221-9169, [email protected]