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With the June 3rd Throne Speech opening another parliamentary session, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave Toronto’s 10,000 acre Rouge Park one of the biggest compliments possible: National Park status. This graduation of sorts – anticipated to officially occur fittingly near the Park’s 18th birthday in 2013 – vaults The Rouge into select company as one of our nations most revered spaces. Although some may raise an eyebrow at its inclusion alongside Jasper, Nahanni or Wood Buffalo  (there are no soaring mountains, carved canyons or ancient forests here to protect), the Park’s history, location and cultural significance make it peerless in our geographically rich nation.

An Exclusive Club

Canada’s history of wilderness preservation is a storied one. In 1885 our nation’s first protected area, Banff Hot Springs Reserve, was formalized (later changing its name twice before sticking with Banff National Park), but not until 1911 was the National Park System created out of the ashes of the Dominion Park Branch. The NPS was the first program of its kind in the world with a mandate to maintain spaces of significance in “an unimpaired state” for future generations to enjoy. 100 years later, and surprising to many, the NPS is only slightly over 60% complete, with Parks Canada, the stewards of the System, eyeing 10 new parks or expansions in the coming years. Folding in Rouge Park and fellow graduands Mealy Mountains (Labrador), Naats’ihch’oh (NWT) and Thaydene Nene (NWT) increases the NPS land holdings by 17%. 51 protected areas will now spread throughout all 10 provinces, 3 territories and 8 of Canada’s distinctive geographies, accounting for roughly 4% of our nation’s square footage or an area the size of Germany.

Premier Urban Wilderness

Because Rouge Park is familiar to so many in Southern Ontario it may not appear that distinctive but on national and international scales, it is. Alan Wells, Chair of the Rouge Park Alliance, believes the space is “North America’s premier urban wilderness park.” 12x bigger than New York’s Central Park and 18x bigger than its nearest competitor in Toronto, Downsview Park, The Rouge provides the rough-around-the-edges feel you’d expect when truly reconnecting with nature but still maintains the accessibility of any major urban centre green space.

A Park Apart

Rouge Park stands out amongst our nation’s most wild and significant spaces, too. The competitive advantage here is proximity, ecology and cultural heritage. 7 million people live within an hour’s drive, and this availability may one day make it one of the nation’s most popular. The Rouge River valley also uniquely mixes wilderness with agriculture and rural life, preserving notes from our region’s historic growth along Lake Ontario’s north shore. But more contemporarily, Rouge Park represents the first true taste of Canada’s outdoors for many recent immigrants who reside in the GTA, providing a keyhole in the door to the other majestic corners of the country. No other property in the NPS stable is as close to as dense a population, has a bus stop linking to a downtown urban centre or maintains this unique ecological mix. Quite simply, Rouge Park is a park apart and deserves the national recognition.

Gateways to Nature, Adventure and Discovery

Graduation happens when you spend a long time doing a good thing. The Rouge Park Alliance has been 16 years on the job and slowly growing an ecological gem just on Toronto’s geographic periphery. Like any parent watching a child being unleashed on the world, Rouge Park getting a National Park designation may be bittersweet for members of the Alliance: it will no longer be a little secret but more will appreciate what makes it special.

Before the crowds become too thick, head east and revel in the 16 kms of rugged trails, restful lakefront or riverside camping. Parks Canada describes each National Parks as “a haven, not only for plants and animals, but also for the human spirit. A place to wander… to wonder… to discover yourself.” The Rouge will fit right in.