Bill C-40 (Historical)

Rouge National Urban Park Act

An Act respecting the Rouge National Urban Park

This enactment establishes the Rouge National Urban Park, a new type of federal protected area, and provides for the protection and presentation of its natural and cultural resources and the encouragement of sustainable farming practices within the Park. The enactment confers a broad range of regulatory powers for the management and administration of the Park. It also makes consequential amendments to the Canada Lands Surveys Act, the Parks Canada Agency Act, the Species at Risk Act and the Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penalties Act.

Rouge National Urban Park Act

[Bal Gosal, Conservative, Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON]

moved that Bill C-40, An Act respecting the Rouge National Urban Park, be read the third time and passed.

The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-40, An Act respecting the Rouge National Urban Park, as reported (without amendment) from the committee.

Business of the House

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the NDP House leader for his usual Thursday question, his optimism, and his hope. We are happy to see optimism and hope over there. I can assure members that on this side of the House we share some of that optimism and hope, and we look forward to better days for the NDP.

I also want to thank him for his program of daily concurrence motions this autumn. It has meant that practically every day we have had a chance to have a say on the hard work our committees do and specifically on the report the NDP tabled between the throne speech and the summer adjournment. In just the last five sittings since my last Thursday statement, this House has considered and adopted reports prepared by the Canadian heritage committee, the veterans affairs committee, the finance committee, and even the procedure and House affairs committee.

As a former international trade minister, I took great joy in seeing our debate and vote on the agriculture committee's report on the Canada-Europe free trade agreement. The NDP's concurrence motion allowed my colleague, the agriculture minister's parliamentary secretary, to bring forward his own motion reflecting the developments that followed the committee's work calling on the House of Commons to endorse this free trade agreement. In the past, the committee and the NDP had expressed concerns that they could not commit to a position until the agreement's text was available. Now that the agreement's text is available, they had an opportunity to endorse it right here in this House. Having seen the text of that agreement, I was disappointed that the NDP voted against it. It would be the single largest boost to the Canadian economy in a generation, one that would produce billions of dollars annually to the economy.

That being said, we have other business to attend to in this House.

With respect to the business of the House, let me acknowledge the co-operative and productive conversations we and our teams have had this week with the other parties. This afternoon and tomorrow, we will debate Bill C-26, the Tougher Penalties for Child Predators Act, at second reading. Monday, we will have the third reading debate on Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act.

Tuesday morning we will consider Bill C-40, the Rouge national urban park act, at report stage and third reading. In the afternoon, we will switch to the third reading debate on Bill C-27, the veterans hiring act, which I hope will be passed quickly given the apparent support for it.

On Wednesday, we will start the second reading debate on Bill C-42, the common sense firearms licensing act.

Next Thursday will be the sixth allotted day when the NDP will bring forward a proposal for debate.

Wrapping up next week, on Friday we will have the fourth day of second reading debate on Bill C-35, the justice for animals in service act, which is known more affectionately as Quanto's law.

Finally, for the benefit of all of the committees of this House and their planning, following some consultation with my counterparts, I am currently looking at Wednesday, December 3, for the final allotted day. However, I will formally confirm that sometime next week, I expect.

Environment and Sustainable Development

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in relation to Bill C-40, an act respecting the Rouge national urban park. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

We are amending clause 10, to replace lines 2 and 3 with lines talking about public participation. If we look at the Canada National Parks Act, we see more opportunity for public consultation than in Bill C-40, which is interesting but also problematic.

We'd like to see clause 10 amended to ensure that it's closer to the public consultation standards in the National Parks Act.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

Thank you.

Mr. Hyer and committee, I have a ruling here.

In relation to Bill C-40, which seeks to establish a Rouge national urban park, the amendment proposes the establishment of a scientific committee to advise the minister on the management of the park.

House of Commons Procedure and Practice, second edition, states on pages 767 and 768:

Since an amendment may not infringe upon the financial initiative of the Crown, it is inadmissible if it imposes a charge on the public treasury, or if it extends the objects or purposes or relaxes the conditions and qualifications specified in the royal recommendation.

In the opinion of the chair, the amendment proposes a new entity that would impose a new charge on the public treasury; therefore, I rule the amendment inadmissible, as well as amendments NDP-5, PV-12, and PV-12a, as they are consequential to this amendment.

I'm ruling this particular amendment inadmissible.

Since those amendments are inadmissible, we now go to clause 8 as printed.

(Clause 8 agreed to on division)

(On clause 9—Management plan)

We have amendment NDP-6. This amendment involves a line in conflict with amendment PV-6a, so if amendment NDP-6 is adopted, the question cannot be put on PV-6a.

We are on amendment NDP-6.

[Dr. Faisal Moola]

Sure.

We believe it's in everyone's interest to ensure better protection for nature, which is currently under the existing management frameworks that apply to the Rouge. Regretfully, we don't believe this is the case either under Bill C-40 or the management plan. Our concern is exactly the same as what I mentioned earlier, which is that there's the absence of any explicit language in the bill to clearly define and prioritize ecological health as the overarching management goal for the park.

The prioritization of nature is within the existing provincial policy regime pertaining to the Rouge, such as the Rouge park management plan, the Rouge north management plan, and the greenbelt active plan.

[Dr. Faisal Moola, Director General, Ontario and Northern Canada, David Suzuki Foundation]

Yes, hello. Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to share with the committee recommendations by the David Suzuki Foundation for Bill C-40, An Act respecting the Rouge National Urban Park.

My name is Faisal Moola. I'm the director general for Ontario and Northern Canada with the David Suzuki Foundation and a professor of forestry at the University of Toronto. I'm terribly sorry that I'm unable to provide my comments to the committee in person, and I'm very appreciative of the opportunity to participate by phone.

Mr. Chair and honourable members, three years ago almost to the day, in 2011, I had the honour of joining the then-environment minister Peter Kent at the historic Miller Lash House near Old Kingston Road in the Rouge at the first stakeholders' meeting held following the government's announcement of its intention to create a national park in the Rouge. In addition to Minister Kent, we were joined by members of the Conservative caucus, such as MPs Michael Chong, Paul Calandra, Corneliu Chisu; elected members of the opposition; local municipal leaders; senior executives of Parks Canada; representatives from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the York Region Federation of Agriculture; and, of course, local advocates who have fought for over 30 years to protect the forests, fields, and farmland that are at the heart of the Rouge national urban park.

We rolled up our proverbial sleeves and sharpened our pencils and by the end of the day we had banged out 10 consensus principles to guide the establishment and management of the Rouge Urban National Park. These principles address a diverse set of issues, ensuring inclusive, progressive governance led by Parks Canada to foster a culture of community engagement and respect and partnership. However, one principle has stood out consistently for the many years of subsequent public consultation and planning that have followed the inaugural meeting of government leaders and stakeholders originally tasked with drafting a vision for the park. To quote from the guiding principles for Rouge national urban park, drafted by the stakeholders at Parks Canada's visioning workshop, held on November 9, 2011, principle 6 is to “Maintain and improve ecological health and scientific integrity” of the park.

For several years now, Parks Canada has expressed a preference for managing the Rouge national urban park under an ecosystem health framework rather than an ecological integrity framework to distinguish national urban parks from other national parks. Indeed, maximizing ecological health features prominently in both Parks Canada's original discussion paper and the Rouge national urban park concept. To quote:

Past and current stewards of Rouge Park have made great strides in protecting and improving its ecological health. In order to continue to protect the variety of habitats within the park for generations to come, Parks Canada will adopt a conservation approach that fosters the interaction of people and nature while also maintaining and restoring species and habitat diversity.

Past and current stewards of Rouge Park have made great strides in protecting and improving its ecological health. In order to continue to protect the ecological health of the Rouge Park for generations to come, Parks Canada will need to adopt a conservation approach based on international best practice that is focused on maintaining, conserving, and restoring species and habitat, within a landscape context that emphasizes the interaction of humans and nature and that gives Rouge Park its distinct ecological, cultural, scenic, and community values.

Maximizing ecological health was even referenced by the government when it introduced Bill C-40 to the House this past June.

My point in going to these earlier references to ecological health is to argue that since the initiation of the planning process to establish a national park in the Rouge, the government has made considerable progress in advancing ecological health as an overarching management objective for the park. However, in the drafting of Bill C-40, this earlier explicit reference to maximizing ecological health has been dropped. There is no reference to ecological health in the bill, nor to ecological integrity for that matter. Instead, clause 6 of the bill offers a highly discretionary approach for the protection and restoration of nature or the benefits that are provided to humans, such as the provision of clean air, clean water, and healthy food, attributes that we believe are at the heart of sustaining ecological health in the park.

To quote from clause 6 of the bill:

The Minister must, in the management of the Park, take into consideration the protection of its natural ecosystems and cultural landscapes and the maintenance of its native wildlife and of the health of those ecosystems.

The David Suzuki Foundation believes that the government should adopt the earlier approach that Parks Canada had advanced and make maximizing ecological health an overarching priority for managing the park. While there are a number of elements of Bill C-40 that we support, such as the strong prohibitions against resource development in the park, we believe that the bill must be improved with surgical amendments to properly define and prioritize ecological health in the management of the park. By doing so, the government will create a strong legislative and policy framework for the park that protects core ecological values, such as the habitat of endangered species, while allowing for human land use, such as agriculture, to continue within a broader sustainability context.

Indeed, we do not believe that maximizing ecological health and support for agriculture are mutually exclusive objectives in the park. The David Suzuki Foundation supports sustainable farming in the park. Several years ago we published a major study documenting the contribution that farming, if well managed, can make to producing not just market wealth, but non-market economic benefits as well, something commonly referred to as “ecosystem services”. A summary of this study was provided to committee members earlier. We found, for example, that croplands, conservatively, produce an additional $380 per hectare in non-market benefits, such as agricultural pollination and the sequestration and storage of greenhouse gas emissions by agricultural soils, the point being that these non-market benefits are over and above the market benefits that farming generates.

There are numerous examples from other jurisdictions where sustainable farming and the protection and restoration of nature are happening in a coordinated and complementary fashion, often guided by a strong legislative and policy regime that prioritizes ecological health and its constituent attributes, such as the protection and restoration of ecosystems. For example, in Cuyahoga Valley National Park a number of private farms are in operation under long-term leases despite the fact that the legislative and policy regime governing Cuyahoga Park is subject to the National Park Service Organic Act, which clearly prioritizes the conservation of nature. Eleven working farms were operating in Cuyahoga in 2009. The number of farms in the park is set to expand to 14 by 2015.

Closer to home, Parks Canada is already working closely with local ranchers who are grazing their cattle herds within Grasslands National Park. The fact that this program even exists is a reflection of the willingness on the part of Parks Canada to work with the agricultural community to support farming within a management regime that continues to prioritize nature. The David Suzuki Foundation would like to see the same in the Rouge, as well.

We believe that Bill C-40 captures many of the core values that motivated stakeholders and local communities to come together to advocate for a national park in the Rouge in the first place. We're nearly there. But the David Suzuki Foundation believes that Bill C-40 requires surgical amendments to explicitly define and prioritize ecological health if those values are to be effectively protected and stewarded well into the future.

Thank you very much.

[Ian Buchanan]

They are aligned with those objectives. Certainly, there are a number of things already in place and in motion, and Bill C-40 reinforces many of those things to achieve the same objectives. I know York Region, for example, has a forest-cover target of 25%. I'm not sure what the current target is for the Rouge watershed itself. “How Much Habitat is Enough?” talks about having about 30% forest cover. We're all in alignment, and that is what's important here: working towards the same objectives.

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

We've learned from some of the farmers who did come in that they are engaging in environmental practices. I forget what it's called...environmental plan. There you go—it's the environmental farm plan. I had two of the three words. They told us that they are being environmental activists through their agriculture. That's what they're doing in their work.

A 2013 report by Environment Canada called “How Much Habitat is Enough?” mentions what is needed to improve the health of the Great Lakes area as a whole. Are the federal park proposals we're seeing through Bill C-40 consistent with the plans to improve Great Lakes water quality and health as a whole? Do they ensure that the headwaters are protected and important for the entire ecosystem?

Mr. Wells, could you begin?

[Ian Buchanan]

I think we have to be careful in talking about legislation to legislation, and policy to legislation. I look at the package of Bill C-40 and the policy framework and I believe that package is stronger as a whole than anything previously on the table.

In addition, I have 15 years of environmental enforcement background at three different levels of government, and what was sadly lacking among all of the framework of legislation in the past was that there was no one window for environmental protection. There were multiple layers and people didn't know who to turn to about what activities were taking place. The one window is a blessing for the Rouge Park.

[Larry Noonan, Chair, Altona Forest Stewardship Committee]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My name is Larry Noonan, and I am honoured to be here today to talk about Bill C-40.

I am the chair of the Altona Forest Community Stewardship Committee. Altona Forest is a preserve in Pickering that has provincially significant status. Our committee has designed more than six kilometres of interpretation trails in the forest, along with guides and maps. Among other projects, we have restored one wetland and created another wetland, which has resulted in the natural return of five species of amphibians into the forest. Altona Forest is very close to the Rouge and has a connection to the Rouge Park Orchard Trail via a hydro corridor.

I have contributed to the City of Toronto and Pickering environmental initiatives, served on the Rouge national urban park trails committee, and I am presently researching aboriginal connections to the Rouge and interviewing residents of the Rouge watershed. Some of these families have been there for over 150 years. Some arrived in Conestoga covered wagons. The purpose of these interviews is to preserve their stories as part of the cultural heritage and farming tradition of the Rouge watershed and the new national urban park. I am very happy to see that both the cultural heritage and the farming communities of the new park are encouraged and supported by Bill C-40.

My connection to the Rouge started around 40 years ago, while visiting to see fall colours and skiing at Caper Valley. About 30 years ago I started hiking in the Rouge, and over the last several years I have made it a point to hike at least once a week on one of the Rouge trails. I lead adult groups and school classes into the Rouge Valley for enjoyment and studying the environment. The latest group of hikers consisted of 55 students in grade 7, on October 22 of this year.

The previous stewards of the area have done a fine job in preserving much of the environment of the Rouge while restoring sections and assembling watershed land to include in the park. However, the time has come to place an additional level of protection on the Rouge watershed, along with new stewards who have the experience and funding to make a great positive impact on the park. I have been involved in planning processes of parks, trails, and other environmental initiatives, but rarely have I seen such extensive consultations with the public and stakeholders and regular visitors to the Rouge as I have seen done by Parks Canada. The legislation reflects this thorough consultation process.

Some people have questioned why we need a different act for the Rouge. The Canada National Parks Act covers wilderness and near wilderness parks, such as Bruce Peninsula and Banff, which have small settlements inside a large park and little fragmentation and urban infrastructure. The Rouge national urban park’s wilderness sections are fragmented by many things, from highways to villages to gas pipelines to the largest former garbage dump in the greater Toronto area. When examined in this way, it is clear that a new act is needed for urban national parks, one which contains sections such as definitions, strategies, and timelines that are appropriate for this unique position as a park inside an urban setting.

Some people have asked why the term ecological integrity is not in the act. The Canada National Parks Act states that “ecological integrity” includes “supporting processes”. As a further clarification of part of this definition, Parks Canada defines “ecosystem processes” as “the engines that make ecosystems work; e.g. fire, flooding...”.

Ecological integrity cannot be applied to an urban national park. We cannot allow fires and flooding in the Toronto, Markham, and Pickering urban environment. The Rouge national urban park act cannot have this term included, or there would have to be a list of exceptions to the definition which could serve to lessen its impact in the Canada National Parks Act. Instead, Bill C-40 refers to “the maintenance of its native wildlife and of the health of those ecosystems”. The Rouge national urban park and the management plan lay out strategies for attaining the highest possible level of health for the park's ecosystems.

The Province of Ontario has asked that the new legislation meet or exceed existing legislation or other protections. Bill C-40 does this. For example, in the protection and recovery strategies for species at risk, the Rouge Park management plan of 1994 states that “rare species will be monitored. Specific protection or recovery programs to ensure their continued presence in the park may be undertaken as necessary”. This is moderate protection at best.

Clause 60 of Bill C-40 amends the Species at Risk Act, subsection 58(2), to include the Rouge National urban park and, by this, gives the plants, animals and ecosystems of the Rouge National urban park the full protection of the Species at Risk Act.

Section 6 of that act states:

The purposes of this Act are to prevent wildlife species from being extirpated or becoming extinct, to provide for the recovery of wildlife species that are extirpated, endangered or threatened...and to manage species of special concern to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.

Paragraph 7(2)(a) states that the appropriate ministers must provide the preparation and implementation of action plans.

Through the connection with the Species at Risk Act, Bill C-40 requires immediate action to identify species at risk and implementation of recovery strategies, and not just monitoring, or action may be taken. As an example of how this will work in the future, on June 30, 2014 Parks Canada, along with the Toronto Zoo, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and the environmental group called Earth Rangers, took action and reintroduced 10 Blanding's turtles—a provincially and nationally threatened species—into the Rouge.

A common concern about the Rouge Park as it is now is that policing and enforcing of rules is not practical under the existing management. Clause 23 of Bill C-40 provides for policing, and wardens have already been hired and are making themselves familiar with the park. However, they have no authority until Bill C-40 is passed. Then policing will be visible and active in the park every day. This, along with consequences outlined in Bill C-40, makes policing far better than exists now. It is clear that the legislation in Bill C-40 exceeds safeguards developed to protect the park.

Another concern raised in the local newspaper was the place of farming in the Rouge. One quote that particularly upset many farmers was that the interests of a few people are being put above the interest of the public.

Bill C-40 supports the farming community, and so, it appears, does the Ontario government. In reply to an e-mail to Brad Duguid, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, about farming in the Rouge, I received the following reply from his office: “We also want to ensure the Rouge Park acknowledges the important role of agriculture in the development of southern Ontario and that agriculture remains an on-going activity in the park.”

For the protection of the Rouge Park, I hope that Bill C-40 is passed sooner rather than later.

Thank you

[Ian Buchanan, Manager, Natural Heritage and Forestry, Environmental Promotion and Protection, Regional Municipality of York]

Mr. Chair and members, thank you for the opportunity to provide a municipal York region perspective on Bill C-40, an act respecting the Rouge national urban park.

My name is Ian Buchanan. I manage the natural heritage and forestry programs for the Regional Municipality of York in the environmental promotion and protection branch of environmental services.

I would first like to commend the Government of Canada for their vision, strong leadership, and innovation in the commitment to Bill C-40 and advancing the management of a unique park, the first of its kind, Rouge national urban park.

To tell you a bit about myself first, I worked as a professional ecologist in the Rouge watershed and surrounding area for more than 25 years. I worked with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in York and Durham regions as ecologist, supervisor, and provincial lead for fish and wildlife management in the greater Toronto area. I worked restoring the Rouge watershed for decades, and have been involved with the Rouge Park since its inception. With the Regional Municipality of York, I chaired the Rouge Park natural heritage committee for seven years and participated on the Rouge Park Alliance as an alternate. I'm York region's current designate at the Rouge national urban park landholders table.

Having been actively involved with environmental decision-making in this urbanizing landscape, I have well-grounded experience with the challenges and the complex realities, but I am also aware of the significant opportunities for the protection and restoration of our rich natural heritage

York Regional Council is a long-time supporter of Rouge Park, and is very encouraged by Bill C-40 and the steps taken by Parks Canada to advance park management on a collaborative and integrated platform.

Regional council has stated four priorities of paramount concern. The first is growth management, ensuring sustainable growth with livable communities, viable businesses, and economic development opportunities. The second is infrastructure delivery, protecting existing and future infrastructure, providing critical services for communities, and supporting sustainable growth. The third is agriculture: 38% of lands in York region are devoted to farming. Protecting agriculture and the agriculture industry, and providing new opportunities for near urban markets, is a priority. The fourth is sustainable natural environments: 69% of all lands in York region fall under either greenbelt or Oak Ridges Moraine designation. Protecting and restoring habitats and linkages, as reflected in our proactive official plan for natural environment policies and aligned with our greening strategy on-the-ground action, is a priority.

I will now focus specifically on the importance of growth management and infrastructure. The GTA is the fastest-growing region in Ontario, with a projected population of 8.9 million people by 2036. York region, with our nine local municipal partners, is part of a broader economic region where over six million people live, work, and play. York region is called home by 1.1 million people; I'm one of them. In accordance with the province's Places to Grow Act, our population will increase to 1.8 million by 2041. Today almost one third of our residents reside in the city of Markham, on the park's doorstep.

Rouge national urban park is being established within an existing urban area: 68% of the park is in York region. The park represents 16% of the city of Markham. The park stretches from Lake Ontario northwards as a wide band along the eastern margin of the city of Toronto and up into York region, to the southern edge of the town of Whitchurch-Stouffville at the base of the Oak Ridges Moraine. This area is strategically important for wildlife habitat and connectivity, but it is also strategically important for urban areas and supporting above- and below-ground infrastructure. The region has invested billions of dollars in critical infrastructure supporting those communities. This includes transportation corridors and water and waste water infrastructure, among other things. These assets support healthy communities, economic vitality, and environmental sustainability.

We are very pleased that provisions for supporting growth and protecting existing and future infrastructure are clear in Bill C-40 and are captured in the Rouge national urban park concept plan 2012, land transfer memorandums of agreement, and current draft management plan policy framework.

It is encouraging that Bill C-40 presents clear direction in key areas, specifically clauses 4 and 6 dealing with the park's establishment and management; recognizes the unique setting; and reflects a multi-purpose focus, including natural and cultural heritage, farming, and an emphasis on healthy ecosystems, which we feel is the right balance. Parks Canada, municipalities, and partners have demonstrated a commitment to protecting and restoring the natural environment. York Region has recently invested $6.5 million in the park, creating wetlands, grasslands, forests, and trails connecting people with nature.

Clauses 8 to 11, dealing with the advisory committee and the management plan, support collaborative decision-making. Clauses 12 and 16 allow for clearing of lands and disposition of lands in support of maintenance activities and the installation of future infrastructure.

ln closing, Bill C-40 provides clear direction and a strong legislative framework and foundation for the park, including providing more protection than has ever existed in the Rouge's history. lt enables environmental protection and restoration, and supports farming while providing for growth management and infrastructure delivery. The legislation is sensitive to the urban context and promotes a collaborative and integrated approach.

The Rouge national urban park is a unique opportunity. People and healthy communities are an integral part of this ecosystem. The overall balancing of interests is part of the success and future of this one-of-a-kind park.

Thank you.

[Alan Wells, Chair, Rouge Park Alliance]

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to your committee today.

Rouge Park is a beautiful river valley, but back in 2008 when I joined the board the alliance had its problems. We carried out a review of all the aspects of responsibilities managed by the alliance. The issues faced by Rouge Park Alliance are best summarized by StrategyCorp, the consulting firm that assisted the board in carrying out this review. They said we needed a consolidated and well-defined land base, a comprehensive master plan, a funded implementation strategy, a functional governance model, and a known park brand.

The study focused mainly on governance and funding. The review team concluded that the alliance needed about $100 million over the next 10 years for both capital and operating expenditures. This was about 10 times its current level of funding.

The review evaluated eight park models, including a municipal park, a not-for-profit corporation, a branch of the conservation authority, a provincial park, or a national park, against the following criteria: funding, control of lands, authority, and expertise. The recommendation approved by the board of directors included support to create a national park. That report was circulated to each member municipality and the directors of each agency. They all supported the recommendations to transfer responsibilities to Parks Canada. The Province of Ontario, through a letter from the Minister of Natural Resources, also supported that recommendation.

It has now been over two years since the federal government included Rouge national urban park in its policy statements and budget. Over the last two years, Parks Canada has been involved in the transition planning to create Rouge national urban park. We can review how Parks Canada has addressed the major concerns experienced by the Rouge Park Alliance.

First, the federal budget now includes a 10-year plan with total expenditures of $143 million to manage the park, thus addressing our concerns.

Second, the federal government through Parks Canada has submitted clearly mapped boundaries. The proposed area also includes an expansion of approximately 4,800 additional acres known as the federal airport lands. This brings the total park area to over 14,500 acres.

Third, Parks Canada has shown its experience and expertise to operate Canada's first national urban park by placing a planning team on site, the members of which have been working with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the park's manager, community groups, and stakeholders to produce a draft management plan for consultation.

Parks Canada has recognized the complicated and sensitive issues of agriculture policy and plans. Building on the work done in 2010 by the Rouge Park Alliance, they have added agriculture to the park objectives. Until 2010 agriculture use was reflected only in park maps and never shown along with natural heritage, cultural heritage, and recreation as a key purpose of the park.

Parks Canada has continued to recognize agriculture as an important part of the park. The work has gained the confidence of the farming community both in the park and through regional farm organizations. Parks Canada has proposed plans that reflect the need to improve the trail system in the park. Draft trail plans included in the draft management plan build on the planning work recently done by the Rouge Park Alliance. The number of volunteer hike leaders has increased significantly over the last two years to 50 in total, and there is strong support for recreational users.

Over the last 20 years, cultural heritage through the preservation of historic buildings has been neglected due to a lack of funding and commitment. Parks Canada has the mandate, experience, and resources to address this issue and has included cultural heritage in Bill C-40.

My experience in seeing the work of Parks Canada in Dawson City, North Battleford, Halifax, and Fort William gives me the confidence to know that the protection of the cultural heritage of the park will be addressed.

Parks Canada is regulated by 10 different agencies responsible for such things as protecting against abusers of the park rules, as well as for regulations and firearms offences by illegal hunters and poachers. In the past, there were constant complaints by park users, and funders denied requests for additional staff. Since Parks Canada has been involved, there are now three uniformed park wardens on duty and ready to enforce the provisions of the act once it is passed.

Most importantly, Parks Canada understands how complicated it is to preserve and protect the natural heritage system in Rouge Park. This is a difficult task because the park also accommodates municipal infrastructure, private utilities, hydro lines, provincial highways, and federal railways. There are also private homes and businesses in Rouge Park. Despite these barriers, it is beautiful, meaningful, and a national treasure. It is appreciated by its neighbours and users. A national urban park will be appreciated by millions of potential park users in the GTA.

I am confident that Parks Canada will meet these challenges and carry on with its long history as one of the best park systems in the world. Our first national urban park will develop and maintain a healthy park that will still be “wild in the city”.

In closing, I would like to comment on two sections of Bill C-40. Under clause 6, I would recommend that the act be amended to clearly identify maximizing ecosystem health to the greatest degree possible. Under clause 8, I would like to recommend that the wording be changed to “the minister shall” from “the minister may establish a committee” to advise the minister. This change would ensure the continuation of the long tradition of full community participation in Rouge Park.

I hope that the government finds these to be friendly amendments and gives them consideration.

I thank you for your time today.

[The Chair, Conservative, Harold Albrecht]

This is meeting number 35 of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. We are continuing our study of Bill C-40, an act respecting the Rouge National Urban Park.

Our witnesses today are, from the Regional Municipality of York, Mr. Ian Buchanan, manager; from the Altona Forest Stewardship Committee, Larry Noonan, chair; and from Rouge Park Alliance, Mr. Alan Wells.

We are going to proceed with seven-minute opening statements, following the order of Mr. Alan Wells, Mr. Buchanan, and then Mr. Noonan.

Following the three opening statements of seven minutes each, we'll proceed to questions from our committee members.

Mr. Wells, go ahead for seven minutes, please.