In the news
What Torontonians are saying
Voices from across the region are calling for a bold, green future for the Pickering Federal Lands.
For Toronto, more sprawl or a green future?
Read the storyWe have a once-in-a-generation chance to make Toronto’s only national park better — but only if we resist paving over this chunk of land
Read the storyHelping to create North America’s largest urban park
Read the storyMarkham backs plan to add former Pickering airport lands to Rouge National Urban Park
Read the storyCommunity voices
Why The New Rouge matters
Residents are sharing what these lands, forests, farms, and trails mean to them.
“As a Scarborough resident who has spent the last 40 years fighting to protect the Rouge National Urban Park... we will never have this opportunity again. Ever.”
“I am an avid hiker at Rouge National Urban Park and an even more avid admirer and lover of nature. Please release this land to the park so that it may be enjoyed by everyone rather than a few.”
“I remember spending time in my yard, swinging from an apple tree, while regularly spotting wildlife that many people would never expect to see so close to a major city... my experience has taught me that once natural spaces are diminished, they are incredibly difficult to restore.”
“This land has been loved and farmed and cared for, even after expropriation, by six generations of families. It belongs to all of us. People need a place to explore and immerse themselves in nature. It is mentally, emotionally and spiritually necessary to our well-beings.”
“As a professional forester, I fully understand the significance and importance of maintaining forest and natural spaces near urban environments. Besides the positive effects upon the ecosystem, the health benefits to people are far ranging, both physically and mentally.”
“I have spent time in the Rouge Valley and have come to appreciate how unique and important it is to have a national park within Canada's largest urban region.”