Since I last appeared before this committee to discuss this particular issue, Parks Canada has committed the long-term stable funding of $143.7 million over 10 years and $7.6 million a year thereafter to manage, protect, and operate the park's largest financial investment in the Rouge's history. That investment will allow Parks Canada to protect the Rouge at a higher level than ever before. The Rouge will now have year-round dedicated enforcement officers, a level of protection that the province does not currently provide.
The bill was developed after consulting with at least...the last count anyway, nearly 15,000 Canadians and 150 groups and organizations. The legislation is crafted to go well beyond the existing provincial laws and policies that govern the patchwork of land that makes up the future park.
The Rouge National Urban Park shows our government's strong commitment to conserve Canada's natural spaces and to connect Canadians to nature in their backyards, as highlighted in our government's national conservation plan.