2023 Year in Review

In 2023, Parks Canada launched a ground-breaking seed collection initiative to forecast and collect seeds from native trees and shrubs within the park. Staff completed training to become certified seed collectors and successfully harvested seeds from black walnut and bitternut hickory trees.

In collaboration with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, seeds are then transported to a nursery for processing, storage and germination. In the future, the saplings will be planted in the park!

The Bumble Bee Citizen Science Program took flight in 2023 in partnership with Wildlife Preservation Canada and was a buzzing success. Armed with curiosity and passion, 19 volunteers completed 53 surveys, clocking 325 hours. The common eastern bumble bee stole the spotlight, constituting 54% of all sightings, while endangered species like the American bumble bee and yellow-banded bumble bee made special appearances. Notably, three locally rare yellow bumble bees were spotted, adding some thrilling moments to these vital monitoring efforts in the field.

Rouge National Urban Park restorative work continued in 2023 as Parks Canada and partners planted a total of 45,224 trees through the 2 Billion Trees program.

In collaboration with the non-profit organization 10,000 Trees, a vibrant fall planting event alone drew over 500 enthusiastic volunteers who planted over 2,000 native trees and shrubs to restore a one-hectare area near Wixon Creek in the northeastern area of the park. A huge thank you to all who participated!

2023 marks five years since the establishment of the Pauline Browes Future Conservation Leaders Fellowship, funded by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust. The award provides talented youth an opportunity to demonstrate their passion for conservation through employment opportunities with Parks Canada in Rouge National Urban Park. Congratulations to the most recent fellowship recipient Henri Lavallée who spent the summer engaged in monitoring species at risk bats, snakes and wetland birds.

2023 marked the milestone 10th anniversary of the Blanding’s Turtle Headstarting and reintroduction program in collaboration with the Toronto Zoo. In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, Indigenous and community partners released 55 two-year-old Blanding’s turtles into the park. Overall, since this program’s start, more than 650 threatened Blanding’s turtles have been released into the Rouge!

Rouge National Urban Park is earning global recognition as a leading example of urban park success. In 2023, Parks Canada hosted delegates from the Korean Park Service and Australia’s Parks Victoria, who were eager to understand the park’s inclusive and collaborative approach. At the Commonwealth Study conference, the Friends of the Rouge National Urban Park hosted aspiring leaders from around the world and shared details of the park’s establishment journey.

Fortunately, trends are showing more compliance with park rules overall in the park, notably with respect to traffic and parking. Even so, there are ongoing challenges with littering and illegal dumping. Parks Canada is dedicated to enhancing waste management strategies and public education, and in 2023, we operated a full complement of waste management operations including the recycling of fishing line and cigarette butts. Overall, 406 dump sites were cleared, and 4,530 recycled cigarette butts and 2.1 km of fishing line were recycled!

The Rouge’s volunteer stewardship squad showed their passion and dedication, participating in 35 events throughout 2023. From litter picks and invasive species removals to planting and restoration efforts, their commitment plays a vital role in maintaining the health and cleanliness of park areas. Hats off to their hard work and dedication!

After a two-year hiatus, Parks Canada was very excited to have Parkbus restore its free shuttle service to the Rouge in 2022. In 2023, ridership was up 35% from 2022, as 17 buses shuttled over 700 visitors to the park. In September, Parkbus hosted an event in the Rouge celebrating the expansion of NatureLink, which offers free and subsidized transportation to national and provincial parks for marginalized and underrepresented communities. To date, the program has provided transportation for more than 15,000 people across the country! 

In 2023, the Rouge’s Learn-to Camp team worked in collaboration with many organizations, including Colour the Trails, the Scarborough Health Network, Toronto and Mississauga public libraries, Mountain Equipment Company and the Toronto Police Service. New Learn-to Fish programming reached more than 200 visitors, teaching anglers about rules, safety and ethics of sustainable fishing to prevent harm to wildlife. The Rouge’s Learn-to Camp program also celebrated an incredible milestone — surpassing 100,000 interactions since its establishment! 

Digital arts student Yuxi Ji is the most recent alumna of the collaborative Career Launcher partnership with OCAD University. In 2023, Yuxi spent most days in the park capturing stunning photos of milestone openings, conservation activities, events, wildlife and beautiful landscapes. Many of the beautiful images in this Year in Review are hers!

On July 14, 2023, Parks Canada celebrated the unveiling of the new and improved Twyn Rivers Day Use Area designed to ensure a safer and more enjoyable experience for visitors.

Features include new recreation and greenspace areas, improved trails, an upgraded parking lot, and permanent washroom facilities. Additionally, the installation of new pedestrian bridges and soon-to-be-installed crosswalk will greatly enhance road safety in this busy area of the park.

Get ready to experience the seamless connection of nature, history and beauty at the Rouge! The Rouge Beach Improvements Project is revitalizing one of the most visited and beloved areas in the park. In 2023, the project’s detailed impact assessment was finalized and approved — a crucial step that outlines key actions to protect the area’s environmental integrity.

Ultimately, the Rouge Beach Improvements Project will provide a positive overall benefit, restoring and connecting ecosystems while ensuring visitors have access to nature through the Rouge River and Marsh. For every square metre of new infrastructure built, Parks Canada will restore four square metres of highly degraded wetland and forest habitat, greatly reducing the human footprint in the area. Parks Canada sincerely thanks all those who participated in the public engagement process.

In 2023, Parks Canada released the final building design renderings for the new visitor, learning and community centre. The design incorporates beautiful, sustainable and universally accessible amenities, like indoor and outdoor multi-purpose gathering spaces that will bring visitors together to experience the Rouge. Behind the scenes, Indigenous Creative Director Ansley Simpson began curating an immersive sound installation for the future centre. This installation will feature diverse Indigenous voices as part of the First Nations Voices Circle, a collaboration of artists sharing songs, stories and other recordings to showcase Indigenous culture. The next step is going out to tender!