Mr. Speaker, budget 2012 contains excellent news for all of us who are working toward Canada's newest national park in the greater Toronto area.
As promised by the Conservatives in last May's election and reconfirmed in the Speech from the Throne last June, yesterday's budget reaffirmed the Government of Canada's commitment to establish this new national park in the Rouge Valley.
The Rouge Park Alliance has been the body responsible for this initiative over the last 15 years and has worked tirelessly toward the establishment of this park. I want to thank and recognize the members of the alliance whose hard work and commitment to the environment has made this happen.
This new national park will be easily accessible by more than a quarter of Canada's population. For the more than eight million Canadians, many of them new Canadians, who live in the Golden Horseshoe, it will be a wonderful opportunity to experience the great outdoors and connect for the first time with Canada's national park system.