Evolution of agriculture

Modern farming

Since the mid-1900s, urban development has reshaped agriculture in the Rouge Valley. Farmland was converted to low-density suburban neighbourhoods to meet the demand for housing after the Depression and Second World War. The rise of suburban communities around farmland marked a shift away from city living. The 1954 opening of the Yonge Street subway line and construction of highways also supported this transition to suburban life. 

Despite the challenges of urbanization in the Greater Toronto Area, Rouge National Urban Park safeguards extensive farmland ensuring the survival of working farms within the City of Toronto. 
With two-thirds of its lands dedicated to agriculture, the park remains a source of locally-grown food, like wheat, soy and corn, and home to dairy farms and market gardens. Some of the original families who settled in the 1800s continue to farm here today, underscoring the enduring role of farming in the Rouge Valley’s history and the importance of its protection within Rouge National Urban Park.

Apple orchards

In the mid-1800s, apple orchards were a common sight in the Rouge Valley. Mennonite settlers who came to the area in the early 1800s brought apple seeds with them, and by the 1860s, almost every farm cultivated apples. Apple processing became focused around central locations such as the Lapp Brothers Cider and Vinegar Mill, established by Harry and George Lapp in 1872. Still standing today in Cedar Grove around 7645 Reesor Road, local apple growers brought their harvests here to be pressed into cider or apple butter.

The Rouge Valley was also home to the large Maplewood Orchards, which boasted thousands of trees in the early 20th century. Joseph Burr Tyrrell founded the orchard with his son George, and produced apples of varieties like McIntosh, northern spy and Cortland that were then sold in local groceries around the region. 
Before planting roots in the Rouge, Tyrrell worked as a mining consultant and famously uncovered the first Albertosaurus skull in 1884 in the badlands of Alberta, near present-day Drumheller. This important discovery led to the establishment of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, located near one of the world’s largest dinosaur graveyards.

Tyrrell’s legacy lives on through his contributions that continue to shape the stories of Rouge National Urban Park.