Environment committee  We have looked at each of those plans for what we would do as we go forward. We have looked at each of the plans very carefully. As we look towards the future, we're building on the best practices of the past and looking at how that sits within the federal framework.

Environment committee  On that front, we have been working with everybody from Metrolinx on being able to bring different types of public transport into the park and looking for access points for metro for GO trains—for those who aren't as familiar with Metrolinx and everything they own.... We've looked at that.

Environment committee  When you look at the study area, one of the pieces that you also have to look at is what the land assembly process would be. The land assembly process also has a certain amount of...give-and-take. I'm sorry: I realize that you want to get this quickly.

Environment committee  Yes, sorry. It has a lot of give-and-take. You need both parties to be in agreement on what would be in that land assembly agreement. What we have tried to do within the study areas is look at the highest likelihood areas that have no encumbrances that we could create in a land assembly agreement.

Environment committee  I would be glad to.Thank you for the question. I couldn't agree more with what Dr. Moola had said on the long history and on the benefit that has come from sustainable agriculture in the area. The other thing is that we have a heritage of sustainable agriculture; for 200 years, agricultural practices have gone on within the boundaries of the proposed study area.

Environment committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members, for this additional opportunity to participate in the standing committee's study of urban conservation practices in Canada. My remarks today will focus on a true Canadian first: the Rouge national urban park. The Rouge Park owes its current existence as one of North America's largest urban parks to the foresight, dedication, and engagement of a diversity of local visionaries and stewards who, for over more than 30 years, have supported the park.

Environment committee  One of the ones that also surprised us was people's general knowledge around geography. That's why we've partnered a lot with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. In the Jane-Finch corridor in Toronto, about 80% of the kids didn't know their city is on a lake. You start to look at that and how it just leads back....

Environment committee  Yes, certainly. We run a number of those programs out of different national parks across the country. Most notable is the one out of the Palisades. We've brought at-risk aboriginal youth together with rural youth and city youth from Vancouver in a number of different fora. We've brought them out of Edmonton.

Environment committee  The development of it came from our needing to look at who the main groups are who aren't connected to nature. We came up with three. It's youth in Canada, urban Canadians, and new Canadians. From the groups who are most disconnected to nature, those would be the three largest groups.

Environment committee  Yes. I think the largest learning that we've had—and in fact we have begun to reorient our education toward this—is by using partners who are already in and who have a big reach within the classroom. We've started to move with other types of programs, with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and we've started with the World Wildlife Fund.

Environment committee  It's a program that came out of the previous minister's round table, so under Minister Prentice, and was launched, in fact, by the Prime Minister a little over two years ago. It's a joint venture between Parks Canada, Nature Canada, The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and the Historica-Dominion Institute.

Environment committee  It's actually a family-based program. I would like to say that in a number of these programs, for example, the learn to camp program that we have done in Calgary, about 90% of the people who participated were new Canadians. We're seeing a huge uptake in new Canadians, because this is one of the ways that new urban Canadians are seeing that they can overcome a barrier.

Environment committee  Interpretative guides and non-personal interpretation have had a role in Parks Canada sites for a long period. When people think of personal guides and non-personal interpretation, they also have to think of some of the new technologies that are available and not think that, as in the past, it can only be panels or people.

Environment committee  At this point it would be that a definition of ecological health be put in legislation and in fact be the way forward with the Rouge national urban park.

Environment committee  Yes.