Rouge valley report by kavehwahdat

SITE VISIONING REPORT

GROUPS 1 AND 2

2016

Assignment 4: Site Visioning Strategies Professor Rei Tasaka Professor Kelly Snow PLG 420 April 14, 2016

Project Team: Rawan Khan Lamiya Ahmed Kaveh Wahdat Ahmad Mahboob Kwasi Kankam Matthew Cellucci Jan Puzon Marie Juarez Daniel Hosannah Taylor Pratt Marta Pentsak Laphong Tudo Khaled Abou Shakrah

Table of Contents

Introduction

Section 1: Policy Context 1.1-

Rouge National Urban Park Act

1.2-

Conservation Area Plans

1.3-

Official Plans

1.4-

City of Toronto Secondary Plans

Section 2: Physical Context 2.1-

Soil Complex

2.2-

Wetlands Complex

2.3-

Flora

2.4-

Fauna

2.5-

Road Networks

2.6-

Trail Networks

2.7-

Population Density

Section 3: Opportunities and Constraints 3.1-

Access Points into the Park

3.2-

Accessibility by Modes of Transportation

3.3-

Proposed Welcome Sites

Section 4: Site Visioning Strategies 4.1-

Proposal

4.2-

Strategy 1: Rouge Beach Visitor Centre

4.3-

Strategy 2: Rouge Beach Bridge

4.4-

Strategy 3: Kingston Road Crosswalk

4.5-

Strategy 4: Glen Rouge Campground Welcome Centre

4.6-

Strategy 5: Highway 401 Underpass

4.7-

Strategy 6: Wayfinding Strategy

4.8-

Strategy 7: Entry Points Enhancement

Section 5: Conclusion 5.1-

Evaluation Matrix

Section 6: References 6.1-

Citations Page

6.2-

Map and Images Citations Page

INTRODUCTION

Rouge National Urban Park is Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first urban park located in the Greater Toronto Area bordering multiple municipalities and covering an extensive area, as can be seen in the Site Visioning Key Map. The map highlights the boundary of the site studied in this report, which can be seen on the southern end of the Park bordering Lake Ontario. This site is in close proximity to many downtown areas that thrive on urban growth and development. However, this development does not spill into the Park since it is protected at national levels by the Rouge National Urban Park Act, at provincial levels by the Greenbelt Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Plan, and at the local level by the official plans of the surrounding municipalities and by the Toronto and Regional Conservation Authorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Management Plan. The site studied in this report, as can be seen in the Site Boundary Map is the most urban site throughout the entire Rouge Park. It is bounded by Twyn Rivers Drive on the north, the Waterfront Trail on the south, Sheppard Avenue and Rouge Hills Drive on the west and Altona Road and Dyson Road on the east. There is also a major transportation corridor, Highway 401, running through the site which sees constant traffic at all times of the day. This site is heavily built up compared to the northern parts of the Rouge which is evident by the road patterns showing neighbourhoods seamlessly flowing into the park boundaries. This site is also unique from the rest of the park by the various recreational opportunities the park has to offer including the only beach and campground on the entire park. Rouge Beach is located at the southern border of the site and attracts many individuals during all seasons of the year. There is also a major GO Transit route that runs over top of the beach allowing passengers to enjoy scenic views. On the other hand, Glen Rouge

Campground is located just north of Kingston Road north of Highway 401. This campground attracts many families and individuals to enjoy an outdoor excursion including camping, kayaking, hiking, and bird-watching. As this report will show, the site studied is an ecologically diverse site that is home to many different animal, birds, and reptile species, has many different landforms ranging from intense topography on the north and easing off at the southern end, and a range of ecosystems that allow for the diversity of living creatures. The urbaneness of the site attracts many people on a regular basis allowing for an extensive trail network that provides people the use of the Park as it was planned under the Rouge National Urban Park Act (Statutes of Canada, 2015). This report will also discuss major opportunities and constraints that appear on the site based off of the existing physical and policy context. This includes the accessibility of the park, which at first glance looks to be well established but once it is addressed, this site quite lacks this aspect, especially considering the location of the site. These issues are then addressed through seven major site visioning strategies that are proposed in this report to improve and enhance the accessibility, connectivity and wayfinding, and the beautification of the site.

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POLICY CONTEXT

2016

1.1- ROUGE NATIONAL URBAN PARK ACT

The Rouge National Urban Park Act, also known as Bill C-40 is an act which recognizes the Rouge National Urban Park as a federally protected area. It works in compliance with other federal acts and contains recommendations of the regulatory powers for the management and administration of the park. These include set guidelines that address the safety and health concerns of all natural landscapes and culturally significant areas. It is important that the Minister manages the park for protection and conservation of all flora and fauna species against practices that cause the degradation of the natural environment such as farming practices with the use of fertilizers and insecticides,, the spill or discharge of any harmful substance, or the removing, hunting, or disturbance of any flora and fauna specie that is native to the Park. Furthermore, the Minister can allow public lands to enter into leases, granted easements, and issued licenses of occupation so long as the third party is in agreement of the act policies since the land remains part of the Park and thus under the same governing body (Parliament of Canada, 2015). The Rouge National Urban Park Act governs all lower plans and policies and thus has a major impact on the site. To work under this act, no proposal can be made that would possibly harm flora and fauna species, and any immediate surrounding lands would all have to follow these said policies with Bill C-40. This specific policy shapes the activities that can be implemented within the Rouge Park as well as providing limitations on certain uses for the overall protection of the Park.

1.2- CONSERVATION AREA PLANS There are two major conservation areas, the Petticoat Conservation Area and the Greenbelt Area, that are prevalent in the lower part of the Rouge National Urban Park. The Petticoat Conservation Area is located on the waterfront as can be seen in the Conservation Areas Map. It is a regionally significant land that needs to be protected to maintain its natural features and is thus managed under the jurisdiction of the governing conservation authority, in this case the TRCA. However, this conservation area does not have as many land use restrictions in place as compared to the Greenbelt Area (Toronto and Region Conservation, n.d.). Another major conservation area is the Greenbelt Area on this site. It ensures that Greenfields such as this site are protected against the loss of agriculture and natural land, and aims to give permanent protection to natural heritage and water resource systems that sustain ecological and human health (Greenbelt, 2005). The Greenbelt Plan also plans to focus on the protection of agricultural, environmental, cultural, recreational, tourism, infrastructure, and settlement areas residing in the areas of the greenbelt (Greenbelt, 2005). The Greenbelt Plan greatly affects this site to ensure that it is preserved and guarantees the benefits of the natural functions of the ecological features found on this site. This is important especially for such an urban site since it can be easily destroyed by humans and human developments. Therefore, the Greenbelt encourages the policies from the Growth Plan that encourages upward growth rather than sprawl.

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Conservation Areas Map

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Site Boundary Water Body Roads Greenbelt Area

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Rouge 1:1:15,000 15 000Beach Source: Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

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1.3- OFFICIAL PLANS

The Rouge Valley site area is designated Open Space while the majority of the land adjacent to the site, essentially east and west, is designated Residential. A transportation corridor at the southern limit of the site is in place to permit the Canadian Pacific Railway corridor. Additionally, the site is intersected by a corridor of land designated Utility and Transportation to permit the Highway 401 Express, which poses significant barriers to the site and challenges for connectivity and accessibility. With the exception of the land north and south of the 401 E corridor where the park is located, there is a significant proportion of land designated Commercial and Resource and Industrial directly adjacent to the corridor. These land designations significantly hinder the potential for the site as there are limited opportunities to access the park from the east, west, and south. The land designations which exist on the site and the surrounding area threaten the viability and vitality of this land as part of the National Urban Park. The volume of transportation and the degree of pollution that surrounds the site is a significant concern and must be adequately considered moving forward. The Official Plan permits the existing and planned land uses for the site and the associated activities (Keesmat, 2015).

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Land Use Map

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Site Boundary WaterBody Body Water Roads Roads Commercial <all other values> Government and Institutional CATEGORY

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1.4- CITY OF TORONTO SECONDARY PLANS

Introduction A Secondary Plan adapts and implements the objectives, policies, land use designations and overall planning approach of the Official Plan to fit local contexts. It also establishes local development policies to guide growth and change in a defined area of the city, in this case Toronto. The City of Toronto has 34 secondary plan areas, meaning 34 defined areas will go through major, expected, and desired physical changes. This site as seen in the City of Toronto Secondary Plan Areas Map has two secondary plans nearby and as a result, could have a great impact on this site as a result of the development policies. However, it is important to note that the secondary plans will not affect the site directly since the developments would occur around it but the study area is still prone to changes in terms of the usage of the park and surrounding context which could potentially harm or enhance the existing condition. The two secondary plan areas near the site are the Port Union Village Community Area and the Highland Creek Area.

Site 1: Port Union Village Community Secondary Plan Area The Port Union Village is a residential neighbourhood in which the City of Toronto is proposing the addition of essential developments to enhance this neighbourhood. Their first strategy is to improve the waterfront which will increase productivity of this water-oriented village but could also potentially link Port Union to the Rouge Beach. Another strategy by the City of Toronto for this secondary plan area is the emphasis on creating a pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood. One of the main corridors for this specific strategy is Port Union Road, which if followed up north, intersects with Kingston Road, which is about a kilometer away from a

major point of entrance into the site (City of Toronto, 2006). This pedestrian-oriented design is important to note for the general context as this could improve the accessibility into the study area from more environmentally friendly modes of transportation.

Site 2: Highland Creek Secondary Plan Area Highland Creek is a historically significant neighbourhood; however there is a lack of connectivity within it. Therefore, the City of Toronto proposed a strategy that would look to tackle connectivity between specific lands. The second strategy proposed by the City of Toronto would look to enhance accessibility in Highland Creek since it is lacking in this secondary plan area (City of Toronto, 2012). These two strategies have the potential of affecting the density of the people using Rouge National Urban Park since the connectivity and accessibility will be enhanced, the lack of which discourages the public to enjoy the site.

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PHYSICAL CONTEXT

2016

2.1- SOIL COMPLEX

The soil complex within this site does not support much agricultural growth however the richness of it still allows for a huge range of diversity in the vegetation and fauna. As this report will show, there are many noticeable differences within the site that sits north of Highway 401 and the portion of land that sits below it, one of which is the changing physiographic regions that was caused by the movement and deposition material that are left off from the most recent glaciers and melted waters. Due to this, the southern portion of the study area lays on the Clay Plain which are the particles of clay material that are left off in the soil thus resulting in the murkiness of the rivers found in the region (Garratt, 2000). This change in the physiographic region is also evident when looking at different ecosystems that are prevalent on the site as will be discussed in Section 1.2 of this report. On the other hand, the northern part of the site sits on the Iroquois Sand Plain. This part of the site contains mainly sandy loam, where the underlying soils are finer grained (TRCA, n.d.). Although this does not provide good soil for agricultural farming, it is still enough to sustain the growth of many different species, the most prominent of which are discussed in Section 1.4 of this report.

Soil Complex Map

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Site Boundary Water Body Roads Berrian Sandy Loam Bookton Sandy Loam Bottom Land Brighton Gravelly Sandy Loam Brighton Sandy Loam Brighton Sandy Loam Fox Sandy Loam

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Source: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs

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2.2- WETLANDS COMPLEX

As mentioned in Section 1.1, there are many differences between the northern and southern regions of the study area. This was noticeable previously due to the change in physiographic region but it is also prevalent in the difference of ecosystems. The Wetland Complex Map shows the high concentration of wetlands in the southern region of the site, whereas compared to the northern region, there are only a few small areas that show some type of wetland. According to the Rouge Park Management Plan, both the Rouge River Marshes and the Townline Swamps are provincially significant wetlands for they provide an important ecological role in cleaning the water that runs south from the valley of the northern site into Lake Ontario (Province of Ontario, 1994). This marsh area prohibits the entrance of motor boats due for the protection of this important ecosystem after an Ecological Survey of the Rouge Valley Park in 1991 discovered that there were many damages that had occurred to the natural system which was mainly attributed to human activities. Thus, this portion of the site only allows for recreational activities such as nonmotorized boating (e.g. canoeing or kayaking) due to its nature. From an ecological perspective, this ecosystem is useful to the entirety of the Rouge Valley, especially considering the urban nature of the park. Without this wetland area, the different jurisdictions would have to implement a manmade system in the park that would provide the same cleaning and flood control function that the marsh provides naturally.

Wetland Complex Map

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2.3- FLORA

This map shows the different types of flora species along with their rough location along the entire site. There are clusters of flora species found in three spots with the site or the vicinity of the site, one being near Lake Ontario, a cluster just north of Highway 401 and another cluster just north of the study area. Although these flora species are not spread out through the site, they range in variety of species, including an assortment of trees, flower and shrub species. The flora species in the site are also protected under the Bill C-40 which emphasizes a plant or a part of a plant that belongs to the park should not be bought, sold, hunted, removed, possessed, disturbed or, harmed whether inside or outside the park. This is managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the agency that manages the park. It is their responsibility to protect and conserve all flora species against any factors that would hinder the growth of the species (Parliament of Canada, 2015).

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Flora Map

1:15,000 Water body Roads Contour Lines Angelica Broad-Leaved Sedge Broad-or two-leaved Toothwort 1:15,000 Bushy Cinquefoil Canada Blue Joint Christmas Fern Baltic rush Canada blue joint Downy Solomon's Seal Canada wild rye Mountain Maple Christmas fern Red Oak White Pine Indian-pipe Red Pine Jack-in-the-pulpit Sky-Blue or Azure Aster Muhlenberg's sedge angelica Speckled or Tag Alder broad- or two-leaved toothwor Spreading Dogbane broad-leaved sedge Swamp Dodder buffalo-berry or soap-berry Water or Goodenough's Sedge bushy cinquefoil downy Solomon's seal White Pine giant or great bur-reed White Spruce mitrewort Wood-Anemone mountain maple red oak Wood-sage or Germander red pine Woolly Sedge Site Boundary sea-rocket Vegetation shining willow Water Body sky-blue or azure aster slender gerardia Swamp speckled or tagDodder alder Roads spreading dogbane dodder Contour Lines swamp turtlehead water or Goodenough's sedge Greenspace white pine white spruce Glen Rouge Campground wild columbine witch-hazel Rouge Beach wood-anemone wood-sage or germander woolly sedge

Water body Roads

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2.4- FAUNA

Similarly to the Flora Map, this Fauna map also shows the different types and rough location of the fauna species that are present on the site. As seen on the map, most if not all species exist just north of Highway 401. There is not much variety in the fauna species on the site as compared to the flora species but they are more spread out throughout the site. This might be due to the movement of the fauna species along the site. Fauna species in the site are protected under the Bill C-40 which states that wild animals that belong to the park should not be bought, sold, hunted, removed, possessed, disturbed or, harmed whether inside or outside the park. All fauna species fall under the management of the TRCA in which this agency is responsible to follow the guidelines set under Bill C-40 to ensure the protection and conservation of all fauna species (Parliament of Canada, 2015).

Fauna Map

Alder Flycatcher American bullfrog American Goldfinch American Toad American Woodcock

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Black and White Warbler Bobolink Red-eyed Vireo Sora

American Flycatcher

Spring Pepper Veery Water Body Roads Contour Lines Site Boundary Vegetation

alder flycatcher Site Boundary American toad American woodcock Water Body black-and-white warbler American Toad Roads bobolink Contour Lines red-eyed vireo sora Greenspace spring peeper veery Glen Rouge Campground Water body Rouge Beach Roads Contour Lines Vegetation

1: 15 000 Source: Toronto and Regional Conservation Authority, 2007

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2.5- ROAD NETWORKS

Since the study site is located in an extremely urban site, there is an extensive road network around the site. There are many local roads showing the patterns of suburban neighbourhoods while many major and minor arterials run along these neighbourhoods. The most prominent feature of this site is the Highway 401 that cuts through the centre of the site creating a major divide between the north and south side of the study area. The street classification shown in this map is according to the City of Toronto Official Plan, and highlights Kingston Road, Twyn Rivers Drive and Rouge Hills Drive as major arterials, and Sheppard Avenue and Meadowvale Road as minor arterials. This goes to show that there is good access to the site by car since there are many major roads that run along the site (City of Toronto, 2013). However, with all of these major roads, there is a lot of pollution that could occur. Furthermore, the road system jeopardizes the safety of fauna species that tend to roam around on to the roads. Since there are no fences blocking the roads from the park, or no underpass that allows animals to move from one area to another, the road network poses a major threat to these species, increasing the efforts the TRCA would need to take to comply with Bill C-40 in the protection of these species.

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Road Network Map

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2.6- TRAIL NETWORKS

As seen in the map shown, there is an extensive trail network on this site. There are three major trails on the site, one by the Rouge Beach called the Rouge Beach Trail and two that connect to the Glen Rouge Campground called the Mast Trail towards the east and Riverside Trail on the west side of the northern region of the site. All of these major trails are accessible to both pedestrians and cyclists and the strategic link to the prominent features on the site provides a greater opportunity for people visiting the site to hike the trails with more ease (Rouge Valley Conservation Centre, 2016). However, a major drawback within this network is the lack of connectivity on the site. There is no major trail that connects the site on either side of the 401, creating a physical barrier within the study area. This prevents users of the Park to have an easy way to get from one area to another thus discouraging the users to walk but rather look to other modes of transportation. Unfortunately, this results in the increase of car usage around and to the Rouge Park.

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Trail Network Map

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Rouge Beach Trail Mast Trail Riverside Trail Celebration Forest Trail Orchard Trail Vista Trail Major Trails Minor Trails

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2.7- POPULATION DENSITY

As it has been discussed since the beginning of the report, this park is unlike many others due to the close proximity to an urban environment. There are a high number of people that surround the park, which could be seen as a positive or negative aspect of the park, depending on the lens it is viewed from. From an environmental standpoint, the closeness of humans in a modern day world to a park could result in ecological decline or loss for the park. However, at the same time when it is realized that the park is regulated by many jurisdictions that protect and conserve indigenous species and land, the high density around the park does not pose as great of a threat. As can be seen in the Population Density Map, majority of the dissemination areas have a high concentration of people surrounding the park. The lowest number of people in a dissemination area bordering the Rouge is 400-500 people, and this density can go as high as 24 400 people per dissemination area. However, in comparison to the number of people that actually visit the park on a daily basis or even have the means of entering the park, the number seems quite low. This is due to the lack of access that is allowed for the people that reside within the Rouge neighbourhoods. This topic will thus be further discussed in Section 3.1 of this report.

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OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS

3.1- ACCESS POINTS INTO THE PARK

Considering the site in question is the most urban site in Rouge Valley, there is very limited access and connectivity within and around the site. As the Entry Points Map shows, there are only 3 major points of entry, one at the Rouge Beach, one at the Glen Rouge Campground and one at Twyn Rivers Drive. Major access points, as will be shown in Section 3.2 are points of entry that allow for all modes of transportation and connect to major trail networks. Along with this, there are another 3 minor points of entry into the Park that are only accessible by pedestrians or cyclists but known only to the residents that live around those access points. Majority of these entry points are located on the northern portion of the site, whereas the major entrance at Rouge Beach is the only entry point into the site south of Highway 401. A key constraint that was found from this map was the lack of access, especially considering the map shows 5 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dead endâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; points. In addition, there are other blockages from natural features like trees or shrubs that neglect the entry of cyclists and make it difficult for pedestrians to enter the Park. This lack of access into the Park is surprising considering that majority of the land uses around the site are high density residential neighbourhoods. It is also a concern seeing as there are no points of entry into any of the major trails, aside from the point at which they begin at Glen Rouge Campground.

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Entry Points Map

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3.2- ACCESSIBILITY BY MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

Introduction At first glance, Rouge Park seems accessible but when viewed in a greater context, this does not seem to be true. As can be seen in the Accessibility by Modes of Transportation Map, there are clusters of accessibility along the major entry points in the park that allow car users access to the parking lots, and cyclists and pedestrians access to the major trails and prominent site features like the Glen Rouge Campground and the Rouge Beach. There is also some access by public transit and existing bike lanes.

Public Transit The study area of the Rouge Park is accessible by three major transit systems: Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), GO transit and Durham Region Transit (DRT). The TTC operates solely on the boundaries within the City of Toronto whereas DRT crosses municipal boundaries one stop in the southwest corner of the map. Furthermore, there are two existing GO routes on the site, one GO Train route that follows the rail line at Rouge Beach and another GO Bus route that goes down Kingston Road. The closest stop on the site is on the GO Bus route at Kingston Road and Sheppard Avenue East. However, this stop is still a kilometer away from an entry point forcing park users to walk to the entrance on an un-pedestrian friendly road. This discourages the elderly and families with young children to use public transit as a means of getting to the Rouge Park.

Bike Lanes and Bike Routes As a part of City of Toronto initiative for alternative transportation such as biking and walking, there are designated bike lanes and trails in and around Rouge National Urban Park. Sheppard Avenue is one of the only roads that has a dedicated bike lane that runs throughout the length of the street. The rest of the accessibility for bikes comes from bike routes, which in definition do not have designated lanes for the safety of the rider. These can be found on Port Union Road, Ellesmere Drive, Twyn Rivers Drive and Lawson Road (Ride the City, 2016). However, seeing as all of these roads are major or minor arterials and heavy with car traffic, it is unlikely for a cyclist to want to use that road in fear of their safety.

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Accessibility by Modes of Transportation Map

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3.3- PROPOSED WELCOMES SITES

Introduction The Management Plan shows a total of six welcome areas, two of which are located on the study area. These are proposed by Parks Canada to enhance the experience of the park users and improve the services provided (Province of Ontario, 1994).

Site Area #1 - Beach Area: The first proposed welcome site is in the vicinity of the beach where Parks Canada is proposing to create a southern gateway to the Park, launch a point for water trail, and revitalize the building structure. However, the main concern for this specific site is the restoration of environmental features such as the Rouge River Marshes and the Townline Swamps (Province of Ontario, 1994).

Site Area #2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Campground Area: The second proposed welcome site is the Glen Rouge Campground site in which Parks Canada is proposing to enhance the campground area.

This includes recapitalized

campground buildings and permanent camping structures. This is being proposed to increase the connectivity of the site that would encourage people to use the entire Park, as well as beautify the site to enhance the visitor experience (Province of Ontario, 1994).

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Parks Canada Proposed Welcome Sites Map

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SITE VISIONING STRATEGIES

2016

4.1- PROPOSAL

This document will propose the adoption of site visioning strategies to physically and socially enhance the study area in the Rouge Valley National Urban Park. Three key planning rationales have been used as the premise of creating these design visions. Following each rationale are objectives that will facilitate in achieving the goal of the project. The first rationale is to increase connectivity between the northern and southern section of the site. This will include connecting trails on both sides of Kingston Road to allow an easy flow of pedestrian movement between sites. A proposal of the alignment and connection of sidewalks on both sides of the major road followed by a crosswalk for increased pedestrian safety will be suggested. The second objective will be to create a more identifiable trail underneath the 401 Highway to extend the path that links both sites. The proposal will also include enhancing the character of the underpass through increased lighting and sightseeing infrastructures for the purpose of attracting visitors to the park. The third proposal will be to increase the entry points into the site to enhance the connectivity of neighbourhoods to the park. The second rationale is to improve connectivity and wayfinding within the site for the purpose of allowing visitors to make way through the park in an efficient and safe way. A plan for improved signage on the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trails will be proposed. This will help enhance the visitor experience in the Park, and as a result will attract visitors and intensify the area through increased density. The third rationale is an effort to beautify the Park. This will include the proposal of refining the bridge and nearby pathway by Rouge Beach to encourage recreational activities

on the boundaries of the study area. An additional proposal of the reconstruction of the bathroom facility by the Rouge Beach into a visitor centre will be projected. This will help provide visitors with information on key attractions of the Park, as it will encourage future tourist developments to add onto the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s points of interest. By considering the physical context of the overall Focus Area, this will help in implementing the visioning strategies in relation to the natural framework in which these proposals will be located in. An examination of the physical context will be followed by looking into necessary policy plans to identify whether the documents will authorize and support the proposed developments. The planning process is anticipating a medium term development, however, a long-term process is thought of in the event of unplanned issues.

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4.2- STRATEGY 1: ROUGE BEACH VISITOR CENTRE

Existing Condition Currently on Rouge Beach, there is a small lot of land that is taken up for the bathroom facilities of the Beach. This is a fairly sizeable structure that takes away from the visitor experience of the beach since it stands out and the maintenance of this is hard to manage.

Vision Strategy The vision strategy for this specific location was the beautification of the Rouge Beach and from that, it was proposed that the existing washroom facility of the Rouge Beach be transformed into a visitor centre for the Beach. It was proposed to be a semi-transparent building with many tall glass windows to blend in with the background, rather than take away from it. This building would serve as a visitor centre for the lower portion of the Rouge with upgraded and accessible bathroom facilities within the same building. In this visitor centre, there will be a station for first aid, as well as a knowledge centre that would educate the beach-goers about the Rouge National Urban Park. Users of the beach will also be able to buy small gift items as well as packaged snacks and drinks. This would be maintained by the TRCA, however certified representatives from Parks Canada would be employed within the education centre to allow them to answer any questions that users will have, as well as run workshops that encourage environmental practices that allow for the growth of ecological systems.

Implementation The strategy could take up to a year to fully implement as the demolishing process, as well as the construction of the new structure will take time. During this time, part of the beach will be blocked off to the public for safety concerns. The public should not have any major concerns about safety or noise pollution seeing as the property is owned the City of Toronto and is a good distance away from residential neighbourhoods. In addition, the financial resources for this project will be a joint subsidy from different levels of government and revenue costs that the TRCA has collected from the Park.

Strategy 1: Rouge Beach Visitor Centre

Existing Condition

Rendering Description:The Rouge Beach Visitor Centre is proposed for the beautification of the Rouge Beach Area.

4.3- STRATEGY 2: ROUGE BEACH BRIDGE

Existing Condition and Vision Strategy The existing condition of Rouge Beach is moderately maintained, there is minimal graffiti and garbage, and the entire site is accessible for everyone. However, aesthetically, the Rouge Beach lacks appeal. The visioning strategy is again for the beautification of the park, where the proposal is for the continuation of infrastructure for the bridge located at the beginning of the beach that connects to the other side of the beach where there are residential neighbourhoods. The underpass shall also be redone by widening the path to ensure that more people can safely walk back and forth without any disturbances. By maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the beach, it will gather more people to the beach and will become a better known access point for the Rouge National Urban Park. The public is most likely to come to the beach if it is more aesthetically pleasing, by doing so, they are mostly likely to use the trails at the beach daily as well as bringing their families for weekend outings. Nearby residents are also more likely to come if there is more space for activities like walking their dog, or jogging along the path. Implementation The construction time span for the Rouge Beach is proposed to begin in the winter of the year of the re-opening of the park, which shall happen the following summer. The construction is not intended to create disturbances, therefore development for this beach shall not cause any harm to animals, plants, or the public. In addition, during construction, the Rouge Beach shall be closed and will prohibit any of the public to go within the site during the initial construction period to ensure safety for the public and the construction workers.

Strategy 2: Rouge Beach Bridge

Rendering Description:The Rouge Beach Bridgse enhancement is proposed for the beautification of the Rouge Beach Area.

4.4- STRATEGY 3: KINGSTON ROAD CROSSWALK Existing Condition In its current condition, the trail that links the northern and southern portion of the site is discontinued at Kingston Road. Although it could continue over, it requires hikers to walk down the road onto oncoming traffic to the actual opening of the other side of the trail. The lack of accessibility and connectivity on this point of the site was deemed as a major constraint throughout the report and thus acknowledged in the site visioning strategy. Vision Strategy The vision strategy for this for this issue looks to enhance the accessibility and connectivity of the site by reconstructing the pathway to connect the two trails. To do this, the southern portion of the trail must be extended further west to line up with the north side of the trail. Furthermore, the construction of a wide crossing for pedestrians that incorporates a crosswalk light is proposed. This crosswalk light will only immediately give pedestrians the right of way after the crossing button has been pressed by the hiker. These types of crosswalks have been implemented in several places amongst the City of Toronto and have been proven to be effective in allowing pedestrians a safe and reliable option of crossing a street. Implementation The implementation and effect process will be timely but it will be worth it in the end. Public consultations will need to be held to determine the exact location of the crosswalk and to announce the temporary construction delays. It will take approximately 2-3 months for the

installation of the crosswalk along with the alignment of the northern and southern trails. The resources for this will be covered on a joint basis by funding from the City of Toronto, but mainly from revenue sources from the TRCA. This is because the majority of the cost will go towards the trail alignment that will allow the crosswalk in the first place. Since that portion of land is owned by the TRCA, it is only fair that it is paid for by this governing body. Once implemented, this will allow access to and from one portion of the site increasing the connectivity of the site. However, to inform hikers about this connection, it would be publicized in all Parks Canada buildings throughout the Rouge National Urban Park as well as amongst the community in both the City of Toronto and the City of Pickering.

Strategy 3: Kingston Road Crosswalk

Existing Condition

Rendering Description:The Kingston Road Crosswalk is proposed for the connectivity of the northern and southern sites.

4.5- STRATEGY 4: GLEN ROUGE CAMPGROUND WELCOME CENTRE

The enhancement of the Glen Rouge Campground will consist of a welcome centre for visitors wanting to know more about the parks trails. The welcome centre will serve as an access point to connect to other trails throughout the park. Construction shall begin in the winter while visitors are less likely to visit the campground and shall be finished construction in time for the grand opening of the campground the following summer. The welcome centre staff shall include general supervisors hired from Parks Canada; general staff shall be any of the public interested, they are hired for standing at the cash till, guiding visitors and helping the visitors with renting equipment. These associates shall be hired and trained by their supervisors from Parks Canada. General upkeep of the campground shall be facilitated by workers hired by the City of Toronto under the Parks and Forestry management team. The welcome centre staff will serve the purpose of showing visitors where to bike, walk, hike, as well as where to kayak and canoe along the Rouge River. There will be a rental service incorporated into the welcome centre where visitors are allowed to rent kayaks and canoes, as well as life jackets for themselves or their families. This will help create extra revenue for the park that will help upkeep the maintenance for the campground. The staff is also in charge of consulting tours of the park through a virtual landscape tour inside the welcome centre, or visitors are allowed to go off on their own with the various brochures offered by the welcome centre that includes graphics of the park including a map, access points for different areas of the park, and places to kayak and canoe. The enhancement of the campground will attract more of the public to use the campsite. By introducing the welcome site, the parksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trails are able to get more daily use than before. Having the rental service shall increase revenue for the park, as well as provide jobs for the citizens of Toronto.

Strategy 4: Glen Rouge Campground Welcome Centre

Existing Condition

Rendering Description:The Glen Rouge Campground is proposed for the beautification of the campground area.

4.6- STRATEGY 5: HIGHWAY 401 UNDERPASS

Existing Condition and Vision Strategy The existing trail underneath the 401 Highway is unidentifiable and gated to the public in between certain hours. There have been no proposals for enhancing the underpass and as a result has become an area of seclusion and is a barrier to the potential connectivity between the northern and southern parts of the site. As a result, the current use of the underpass is very limited. The proposed site visioning strategy for the trail will look to maximize the potential character of the area by refurbishing the path and its surroundings, as well will enforce usage by visitors. The vision proposes the enhancement of the trailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing material into a boardwalk to give the path a more defined, yet natural look. The pillars and backsplash will be replaced with new cemented material to make the area much more polished. The addition of lights above the path will enable a sense of perceptibility and safety for visitors and hikers/cyclists alike so it can be used in the daytime and during darker hours. Seating steps will replace the downhill slope towards the Rouge River to offer visitors an area for leisure activities. This in turn will flourish the underpass to become a more defined area with more visitor usage.

Implementation The aim for the implementation and construction process is to be as long as one year. However, efforts will be made to complete earlier than the expected time frame to allow the accommodation of visitors around the summer time. With this vision strategy, population density and usage is expected to increase through a proposed multi-use platform where hikers, cyclists, walkers, and those who prefer to leisurely sit will be able to use the space to their advantage. As this underpass is connected to the proposed Kingston Road site vision, it will enable connectivity from each site through a more defined and enhanced trail system.

Strategy 5: Highway 401 Underpass

Rendering Description:The Highway 401 Underpass is proposed for the connectivity and accessibility of the northern and southern portions of the site.

Existing Condition

4.7- STRATEGY 6: WAYFINDING STRATEGY

Existing Condition As has been mentioned in Section 2.6 of this report, there is an extensive trail network with both major and minor trails. Many of the major trails start at the Glen Rouge Campground, however upon being on the trails, there is no indication as to where you are.

Vision Strategy The proposal for this issue is a wayfinding strategy to implement colour coded signage throughout the Park to help hikers navigate throughout the Park. Since majority of the trails begin at the Glen Rouge Campground, there will be a main trail network map that will be placed here. Moreover, throughout the trail, there will be signage to allow hikers to know whether they are on a specific trail or whether they are about to branch off on to a minor trail. Aside from stating the current location of the hiker, these signs can be implemented throughout the entire Rouge Park and can be used to identify important landmarks throughout the site and major nearby roads and entry points onto thesite.

Implementation This strategy is a completely internal strategy so the general public will not need to be consulted. However, it would be wise to speak to the members of Friends of the Rouge to identify major points along the trail where it would be appropriate to place signage. This will take 3-4 weeks to implement but the public will need to be told about this strategy to facilitate the movement and growth of the Rouge Park.

Strategy 6: Wayfinding Strategy

Existing Condition

Rendering Description: New signage is proposed on the trail network for the wayfinding strategy on this site.

4.8- STRATEGY 7: ENTRY POINTS ENHANCEMENT

Existing Condition While there are many trail networks and pathways currently within the site that are available to the general public, their access to them is limited to an extent. Entry to the southern portion of the site is available at the most south end of the site, which is located by Rouge Beach. Visitors can access this area from the east and the west by either walking or biking along the Waterfront Trail, which is located along Lake Ontario. Or visitors can drive to Rouge Beach from Toronto. However, these access points are the only ones available to the public. While there are a few trail networks within the southern half but aside from the Waterfront trail, there is no way to access them from the current entry points available to the public. While the northern site has better entry points than its southern counterpart, they also have their limits. Visitors can enter into the site from Kingston Road if they enter into the Glen Rouge Campground either by car, walking or biking. From the north border of the site, people can enter only by foot, and only if they were to walk trails that are accessible from Twyn Rivers Drive. On the eastside of the site, people can enter from Rouge Valley Drive by walking along a path that leads to the park. This path is only available to residents of Pickering however, and is tucked away in one of its small neighborhoods. There are currently no other entry points to the study area on the Pickering side, and zero entry points to site from the Toronto side. Furthermore, the entry to the southern portion of the site available to Toronto is hardly accessible by foot and difficult to access by public transit. The lack of accessibility to the both sites is due to the fact that they are surrounded by residential land use of various densities.

Vision Strategy The visioning strategy for this concern was to enhance the accessibility into the park by proposing three potential entry points. None of the three proposed entry points will service cars because these areas are all located in neighborhoods in which it is believed that residents will be unhappy about the increased traffic. Potential access point 1 is located in Pickering on the southern portion of the site. This entry way would be located at the end of the currently blocked off street of Woodrange Avenue. Due to the topography in this area, this access way would only service people walking and would have stairs and railing, as well as a ramp for visitors with strollers or accessible needs. Potential access point 2 is located in Toronto on the southern portion of the site. This entry way would be located at the end of Islander Road, which is currently blocked off with a guard rail. However, there is a makeshift trail that people have created and are using to enter into the Rouge Valley. Enhancing this trail would make it more accessible to the public, as it would add places to sit, and make the terrain much safer to walk on. Potential access point 3 is located in Toronto on the northern portion of this site. This entry way would be located at the end of Boydwood Lane, which currently ends. However, the land beyond it leads straight to a trail. The terrain would be changed so that bikers, people and strollers can easily navigate the pathway. Benches would be added as well an archway sign. Since Boydwood Lane is just off of Sheppard Avenue, this potential access point would be accessible to visitors who would like to take that TTC bus route.

Implementation Implementation and construction is expected to be around eight to eleven months. These specific entry points were chosen for the vision because the implementation of these specific sites would not disturb the neighbourhoods that have already been established. Furthermore, because all three access points are in areas that have high population densities, it is believed they would attract more visitors to the study area of the Rouge Valley. Visitation and user satisfaction is expected to increase once these entry points have been implemented, as well as enhanced movement of people within the park.

Strategy 7: Entry Points Enhancement

Existing Condition

Rendering Description: New entry points are proposed for the accessbility of the site.

POTENTIAL ACCESS POINTS MAP

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2016

CONCLUSION

5.1- EVALUATION MATRIX

Figure 1: Evaluation Matrix for Site Visioning Strategies Accessibility

Connectivity

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Strategy 1 Strategy 2 Strategy 3 Strategy 4 Strategy 5 Strategy 6 Strategy 7 Since there are seven visioning strategies outlined in this report, it is important to evaluate these strategies within set criteria to determine which would be the most effective in achieving the proposal goals set out earlier in the report to help prioritize one strategy over the other. The seven strategies were thus judged on five criteria; accessibility, connectivity, beautification, implementation duration, and time for effect. Accessibility looked to see which strategy allowed easier access into the Park from outside and ranked higher with the better the access point. Connectivity was based on the ability of a strategy to connect the two divisions within the site seamlessly, and its ability to do so granted with a higher ranking. Beautification considered the effectiveness of a strategy to enhance the physical aesthetics of the site to make it more appealing, and again, the greater the ability of the strategy to be able to do this, the greater the ranking on the evaluation matrix. Something else that was also considered was the implementation duration with consisted of the time, after the first

introduction of the proposal, it took to implement. This includes all necessary public consultations and meetings with councils, as well as the construction time until opening day. This was based on the notion that the longer it took for a strategy to become implemented, the higher it ranked on the matrix. Lastly, a criterion for the time the effects of the implementation of a strategy took was also evaluated. This was evaluated similarly to the implementation duration in which it ranked higher if the time for the effect of the implementation to come into effect would take long. From this matrix, it can be concluded that two of the seven strategies would be the most effective in enhancing the accessibility, connectivity, and beautification of the site, as well as be implemented in the shortest time and the implementation effect to come in early. These two strategies are Strategy 3 and Strategy 5 which both focused heavily on connecting the two portions of the site. The first strategy proposed a pedestrian crosswalk on Kingston Road as a means of allowing pedestrians and cyclists a safe and easy way to get from the south side to the north or vice versa. Similarly, the second highest ranking strategy was the proposal to enhance the 401 underpass. These two additions on the site will significantly increase the demand for the site since there will now be systems in place that will create a more safe and viable public realm within the study area.

REFERENCES

2016

6.1- CITATIONS PAGE

Becklumb, P. & Williams, T. (2014). Bill C-40: An Act respecting the Rouge National Urban Park. Library of Parliament. Retrieved from: http://www.lop.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/LegislativeSummaries/41/2/c40-e.pdf City of Toronto (2006). Port Union Village Community Secondary Plan. Retrieved April 09, 2016, fromhttps://www1.toronto.ca/planning/4-port- union.pdf City of Toronto (2012). Highland Creek Secondary Plan. Retrieved April 09, 2016, From https://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toronto/city_planning/urban_design/files/pdf/13hig hcreekvilage.pdf City of Toronto. (2013). Road Classification System: Summary Document. City of Toronto. Retrieved from: http://www.1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/Transportation%20Services/Road%2 0Classification%20System/Files/pdf/2012/rc_document.pdf. City of Toronto. (2015). 7437, 7439 and 7441 Kingston Road - Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan Control Applications - Preliminary Report. City of Toronto. Retrieved from: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/sc/bgrd/backgroundfile-82722.pdf. City of Toronto. (2016). Rouge Park: History. City of Toronto. Retrieved from: http://www.1toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=9ff0dada600f0410VgnVCM10000071d60f 89RCRD Durham Region Transit. (2016). Retrieved from: https://www.durhamregiontransit.com/Pages/default.aspx. Garratt, James E.. (2000). The Rouge River Valley: An Urban Wilderness. Retrieved from http://books1.scholarsportal.info/viewdoc.html?id=37245 Greenbelt Plan. (2005). Toronto: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Keesmaat, J. (2015). Toronto Official Plan. City of Toronto. Retrieved from: http://www1.toronto.ca/planning/chapters1-5.pdf. Province of Ontario (1994). Rouge Park Management Plan. Retrieved from http://www.rougepark.com/about/plans/pdfs/RP_mgt_plan1994.pdf Parliament of Canada. (2015). Statutes of Canada 2015: Chapter 10. Parl.gc.ca. Retrieved from: http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Bills/412/Government/C-40/C-40_4/C-40_4.PDF. Ramdial, K., et al. (2010). Appendix T: Sheppard Avenue Inter-Regional Hub Feasibility Study. Durham Region Transit. Retrieved from: http://www.durham.ca/pdf/transit/DRTLTTS/Appendices/AppendixTSheppardH ub.pdf. Ride the City. (2016). Retrieved from: http://www.ridethecity.com/toronto Rouge Park. (2016). Cultural Heritage. Rouge Park. Retrieved from: http://www.rougepark.com/unique/cultural.php. Rouge Valley Conservation Centre. (2016). Hiking Trails in the Rouge. Rouge Valley Conservation Centre. Retrieved from: http://www.rvcc.ca/Rouge_Park_Hiking_Trails.html. Statutes of Canada (2015). (April, 23, 2015). An Act respecting the Rouge National Urban Park.Retrieved from http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Bills/412/Government/C-40/C40_4/C-40_4.PDF Toronto Transit Commission. (2016). Retrieved from: https://www.ttc.ca/. Toronto and Region Conservation. (2007). Rouge River Watershed Plan Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Future: Report of the Rouge Watershed Task Force. Toronto and Region Conservation. Retrieved from: http://www.trca.on.ca.dot.Asset/37800.pdf. TRCA. (2016). Rouge River State of the Watershed Report. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Retrieved from:

http://www.trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37751.pdf.

U.S. Department of Energy. (2016). Benefits of Hydropower. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Forrestal Building. Retrieved from http://energy.gov/eere/water/benefits-hydropower. Wilson, S. (2012). Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wealth of Natural Capital: Rouge National Park. David Suzuki Foundation. Retrieved from: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/downloads/2012/report_Rouge_Natural_Ca pital_web.pdf.

6.2- MAP AND IMAGES CITATIONS PAGE Durham Region Transit. (2006). DRT Commission. Retrieved from: https://www.durh amregiontransit.com/AboutDRT/Pages/DRT Commission.aspx. Durham Region Transit. (2016). Route 900. Retrieved from: https://www.durham regiontransit.com/Maps/Documents/Jan. 4, 2015/Route900_ Jan4.pdf. Friends of the Rouge Watershed, Ontario Nature, & Ecojustice. (2014). Summary-Analysis of Bill C-40 Rouge National Urban Park Act. Retrieved from: https://www.ecojustice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Summary-Analysis-of-Bill-C40-Rouge-National-Urban-Park.pdf. Gahbauer, S. (2009). Nature Notes. Retrieved from: http://www.rvcc.ca/Nature_Notes_ September_2009.html. Parks Canada. (2015). Accessibility. Retrieved from: http://www.rougepark.com/explore/plan/ accessibility.php. Ruston, M. (2016). Government of Canada invests $150,000 to help endangered turtles in Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rouge National Urban Park. Parks Canada. Retrieved from: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/progs/np-pn/cnpn-cnnp/rouge/ne/ne-4.aspx Santos, S. (2013). Rouge Park Stewardship Program. Retrieved from: http://rougepark.com/_ trail_team/_Rouge_Park_Stewardship_Public_Events.pdf. Scallen, D. (2015). Bobolinks and Meadowlarks in search of some breeding space. Barking Dog Studios. Retrieved from: http://www.inthehills.ca/2015/03/back/bobolinks-andMeadowlale ks-in-search-of-some-breeding-space/.

Schollen & Company Inc. (2013). Rouge Park Trails Master Plan. Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. Retrieved from:http://www.csla-aapc.ca/awards-atlas/ rouge-park-trailsmaster-plan. The Academy Condos. (n.d.). The Area. Retrieved from: http://academycondos.com/the-area/. Secondary Plans: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. (2007). Rouge River: State of the Watershed Report. TRCA. Retrieved from: http://www.trca.on.ca/dotAsset/37780.pdf. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. (2007). Rouge River Watershed Plan Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Future. TRCA. Retrieved from: http://trca.on.ca/dotAsset/378 00.pdf . Toronto Transit Commission. (2016). 85 Sheppard East. Retrieved from: https://www.ttc.ca/Routes/85/Eastbound.jsp. Toronto Transit Commission. (2016). 86 Scarborough. Retrieved from: https://www.ttc.ca/Routes/86/Eastbound.jsp. Wilson, S. (2012). Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wealth of Natural Capital: Rouge National Park. David Suzuki Foundation. Retrieved from: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/downloads/2012/report_Rouge_Natural_Ca pital_web.pdf Yannuzzi, P. (2014, October). Eastern Milksnake Monitoring in Rouge Park: 2014 Report. Researchgate. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275462560_Eastern_Milksnake_Monitoring _in_Rouge_Park_2014_Report.