Rouge Urban National Park is getting some work done.

The federal government has awarded a $9.47-million contract to improve Rouge Beach and Rouge Marsh in the park. The work will help restore habitats, improve facilities for visitors and enhance accessibility in one of the most popular and ecologically significant areas.

The park spans 79-square kilometres across Pickering, Uxbridge, Toronto and Markham.

The project will focus on the following:

a new, accessible 2.3-kilometre formalized trail linking Rouge Beach to Mast Trail;
ecological restoration throughout Rouge Marsh;
improvements to the upper beach parking area, including a new permanent washroom facility;
an improved entrance with an accessible ramp to the new trailhead, beach and marsh; and,
the decommissioning and re-naturalizing of the lower beach parking lot.

The improvements to Rouge Beach will feature elevated boardwalks and bridges to protect sensitive wetlands while also providing safer access to the marsh and beach.

“Our government is committed to bringing nature closer to people, and Rouge National Urban Park is a perfect example of how nature can thrive right next to our cities,” said Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature. “This federal investment in the park’s Beach Improvements Project will restore vital habitats, enhance the visitor experience and accessibility, and ensure the long-term sustainability of Canada’s first national urban park – keeping it a vibrant, healthy space for both wildlife and people alike.”

“Rouge National Urban Park is a jewel of the Greater Toronto Area, and our government is committed to preserving its natural beauty and deep-rooted cultural heritage,” said Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. “Led by Parks Canada, this project will strengthen the park’s ecological integrity and offer visitors and local communities a new trail linking the Lake Ontario shoreline to the popular Mast Trail. With renewed facilities, this project will create welcoming spaces for all while safeguarding this treasured landscape for generations to come.”

Rouge National Urban Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America and is home to over 2,000 species of plants and animals, working farms, Indigenous heritage sites and some of the region’s most important watershed and wetlands.

File photo courtesy of Parks Canada