MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan Introduces Private Member’s Bill to Fix the Flawed Rouge National Urban Park Act (RNUP Act)

Over the last year, the Federal Government has pushed through critically flawed legislation for Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP), ignoring the advice of several thousand Canadians, 106 Members of Parliament, the Ontario Government, and several of Canada’s top environmental organizations.
Even the Former Chief Scientist for Parks Canada, Stephen Woodley, publicly stated that the Rouge National Urban Park Act “falls considerably short” of the accepted environmental standards for protected areas, urban or wilderness.

The RNUP Act fails to honour the written federal commitment to “meet or exceed” existing provincial policies and the Ontario Government has therefore refused to transfer its substantial Rouge Park lands to the Federal Government until the RNUP Act is amended. Without the provincial public parklands, the Federal Government is creating a small “paper” park with virtually no Rouge Valley lands and no public access.

Scarborough Rouge River MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan has shown leadership and vision by tabling a Private Member’s Bill in Canada’s House of Commons which would fix the serious flaws in the existing RNUP Act by:prioritizing the protection and restoration of ecological integrity and watershed health;especting provincial Greenbelt, Rouge Park, Rouge Watershed , Oak Ridges Moraine and Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement objectives and policies;requiring good public consultation and scientifically sound park management;supporting healthy and sustainable farming in the park.

Hopefully Canada’s Parliament will adopt the above amendments to the Rouge National Urban Park Act and thereby meet the environmental standards Canadians enjoy and expect within our protected areas and national parks.