YORK REGION

FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
SERVING THE FARM COMMUNITY SINCE 1940

September 5, 2014
Honourable Brad Duguid
Minister of Economic
Development, Employment
and Infrastructure
8th Floor, Hearst Block
900 Bay Street
Toronto, ON
M7A 2E1
Dear Minister Duguid,
I am writing on behalf of the York Region Federation of Agriculture and the farmers in the Rouge
National Urban Park the regarding the Rouge National Urban Park, your letter dated September 2,2014
to Minister Aglukkaq, and your decision to withdraw your recommendation

to support the transfer of

5,400 acres into the park.

The York Region Federation of Agriculture members are the 700 farm businesses in York Region and
Toronto including the farmers in the Rouge National Urban Park. Your letter to Minister Aglukkaq states
that you arrived at your decision to not recommend the Provincial land transfers after discussions with
stakeholders and local citizen groups. You did not consult with the York Region Federation of
Agriculture, the farmers in the Park, or the community living in the Park.
We urge you not to hold up the transfer of the Provincial lands to Parks Canada.
The farming community in the Rouge National Urban Park are the same farm families that have been
caring for the land and growing food for the people of Ontario for the past 200 years. The future of the
farms in the Rouge National Urban Park have been in limbo since the farms were expropriated

in the

1970's.
The farmland in the Rouge National Urban Park is Class 1 Agricultural Land, meaning it is the best land
for agriculture production.

Less than 1% of Canada's farm land is Class 1. The farmers in the park have

already given up 1000 acres of productive farm land in the Rouge National Urban Park to reforestation
projects.

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YORK REGION
FEDERA TION OF AGRICULTURE
SERVING THE FARM COMMUNITY

SINCE 1940

The previous Rouge Park Plans highlighted in the attachment from the three environmental

stakeholder

groups that was included with your letter to Minister Aglukkaq were created without agricultural
representation

on the Rouge Park Alliance or any of its advisory committees. These plans recommend

most of the farmland be taken out of production for natural heritage restoration projects.
With the world population expected to increase from 7 to 9 billion by 2050, there will continue to be a
growing need to protect farmland resources and support food production to meet local and global food
needs.
Farmland provides food production, carbon sequestering, climate regulation, improved air quality,
wildlife habitat, hydrological functions, groundwater

recharge and buffering protection of natural

heritage features.
Farmland should be protected for its "highest and best use" for agriculture and food production.
Any tree planting and habitat restoration should be encouraged in areas where farming is not feasible
(slopes, riparian areas, wet areas, etc.), or to hedgerows between fields. Farmers support the protection
of natural areas, but it is important that natural heritage restoration doesn't unnecessarily encroach on
productive farmlands.
Farmers in the Rouge National Urban Park produce a variety of crops. Some of these crops are sold
fresh to the consumer while other require some form of processing before being consumed, but all of
the food produced in the Rouge National Urban Park is local food. The farmers in the Rouge National
Urban Park already use Environmental

Farm Plans incorporating

best management practices as part of

their ongoing stewardship of the farmland they have been caring for for generations.
The farmland in the park needs to be preserved so that future generations of farmers can produce food
for their surrounding urban neighbours.
We support Parks Canada's consultation process that engaged over 100 stakeholder groups and
thousands of individuals to create the Rouge National Urban Park Draft Management Plan. One of the
Guiding Principles for Rouge National Urban Park is to maintain and improve ecological health and
scientific integrity. The Draft Management Plan states "The protection, conservation, and restoration of
the park's natural, cultural and agricultural resources are integral to all decision-making related to park
management".

One of the actions listed in the Plan is to "Manage the park to enhance ecosystem

health by way of an adaptive management approach that focuses on protecting existing ecosystems and
restoring, to the greatest extent possible, functioning,

resilient ecosystems".

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YORK REGION
FEDERA TION OF AGRICULTURE
SERVING THE FARM COMMUNITY SINCE 1940
We believe that Parks Canada will improve the ecological integrity of the Rouge National Urban Park
while maintaining the farmland in food production. We urge you again not to withdraw your
recommendation

to transfer the 5AOO acres of Provincial land to Parks Canada. And request a meeting

with you to discuss these matters further.

Paul Reesor
President
York Region Federation of Agriculture
12900 Kennedy Road
Stouffville, ON
L4A 7X5
(905)-888-1235
c. The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister Responsible
for Parks Canada
The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario
The Honourable Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs
Drew Fagan, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure,

Ministry of Economic Development,

Employment and Infrastructure

Alan Latourelle, CEO, Parks Canada
Joe Dickson, MPP, Ajax-Pickering
Tracy MacCharles, MPP, Pickering-Scarborough

East

Helena Jaczek, MPP, OakRidge-Markham

Bas Balkissoon, MPP, Scarborough-Rouge River

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