August 6, 2021 Toronto, ON Parks Canada Agency
Urban parks help protect biodiversity, support climate resilience, connect people to nature, improve mental health and wellness, and increase social inclusion. Located within a one hour’s drive of 20 per cent of Canada’s population and accessible by public transit, Rouge National Urban Park provides unprecedented opportunities for Canadians to connect with nature.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the members of the Minister’s Multi-Stakeholder and Public Advisory Committee for Rouge National Urban Park.
The Advisory Committee is established to provide recommendations, knowledge, guidance and wisdom to the Minister regarding the responsible management of the park and the implementation of its Management Plan. The committee also provides a forum for ongoing collaboration and strong relationships between Parks Canada and Indigenous and other partners, local governments and jurisdictions, and the public.
The Advisory Committee includes members from the Rouge National Urban Park First Nations Advisory Circle, the City of Toronto, the City of Markham, the City of Pickering, the Regional Municipality of York, the Regional Municipality of Durham, the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, the Township of Uxbridge, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and the Province of Ontario.
The Committee’s six public members have been confirmed as: Dr. Marc Cadotte, Kim Empringham, Sumaira Munir, Larry Noonan, Janet Sumner (chair), and Mark Yearwood. Each member will serve a four-year term and represents a plurality of communities, interests and knowledge areas including park ecology and restoration, species at risk, Indigenous perspectives, agricultural heritage, nature-based education, volunteerism, conservation, cultural heritage, and diversity and equity.
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