Rouge National Urban Park: Site Visioning Report by Kazi.Musaddique.Hossain

R o u g e

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

P a r k :

N a t i o n a l V i s i o n

U r b a n

P r o p o s a l

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

Contents

Prepared and consolidated in fullfillment of Ryerson School of Urban and Regional Planning Second Year Studio - PLG420 Instructors: Professor Kelly Snow Professor Rei Tasaka Prepared by Group 4: Samson Fong, Erica Forrest, Alexandra Gascon, Debra Gervasi, Anthony Guddemi, Maria Gudova, Alyssa Hawley, Akibul Hoque, Kazi Musaddique Hossain, Ayesha Humza, Denis Isufi, and Umar Javed Date Prepared: 04.12.2019

Contents

Introduction and Vision Proposal

Conservation Centre; Zone A

Pages 2-3

Introduction

Proposed Zone Vision

p.4-5 Rough National Urban Park

p.8-10 Existing Zone A Map

Key Map and Proposed Zones

p.10

p.6

Zone A-Signage Strategy p.11-12

Site History p.7

Zone A-Vision Strategy 1 p.13-14

Picnic; Zone B

Agriculture; Zone C

Concluding

Proposed Zone Vision

p.5-16

p.25-26

Conclusions & Evalation p.31-32

Existing + Proposed Zone B Map p.16

Existing + Proposed Zone B Map p.26

Zone B-Signage Strategy p.17-18

Zone C-Signage Strategy p.27-28

Zone B-Vision Strategy 2 p.19-20

Zone C-Vision Strategy 5 p.29-30

Zone B-Signage Strategy 3 p.20-21 Zone B-Vision Strategy 4 p.22-24

Implementation Index p.33 References p.34

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

Introduction & RNUP Vision

Rouge National Urban Park is Canada’s first park, located in the GTHA, the area borders multiple municipalities and maintains large borders, which can be seen in the keymap of the site. The map highlights the boundaries of the site that will be studied in this report. The site borders many residential areas and is close to a thriving downtown Toronto, the park is protected at the national level from outward sprawl. At the National level, the Rouge National Urban Park Act protects the park and provincially the park is protected by the Green belt Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Plan. Locally the bordering municipalities have official plans to protect the park. The park is one of the largest and best-protected parks in Canada, it is 23x larger than Central Park in New York City. The Park offers various recreational activities and attracts individuals for most of the year. The park is accessible by Toronto public transit as well as a GO transit line which runs atop the beach. Our vision proposal for RNUP will reveal an ecologically diverse site and a site which attracts many individuals with its many trails and recreational activities which allow individuals to appreciate and enjoy Nature so close to a bustling City. This report will discuss significant opportunities and strategies to enhance the park to its full potential, based on policy and physical contexts. It entails addressing educational opportunities for the public to engage with the farms of the Rouge which will support locally grown produce. Enhancing and celebrating the parks rich history through existing landmarks and creating assets to the park that both engage the community and create new enhanced attractions and learning opportunities for all members of the public. Items such as benches, playgrounds, cafés, farmer’s markets, and other means of attractions, are ways of drawing people in, so they may also experience the beauty of the park and enhancing accessibility. While the park seems to be quite accessible through transit, it lacks accessibility in wayfinding and parking throughout the entire site and lacks proper signage and does not gauge the individuals who travel it’s trails and does not create awareness in their surroundings. Proper signage means easier navigation through the park, and more learning opportunities through historical markers, and other means of bringing focus to an area. a lack of proper, distinguished parking areas for the park. Both items are vital in the making of a park because it makes the experience of the public visiting, that much better. More available parking areas mean more accessible areas for people to enter.

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

It should be noted that our vision does not promote the use of single occupancy vehicles, or adding to the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carbon footprint - we understand that the area is primarily rural and heavily relies on the car to get around, as well as transport goods (including farmers that transport machinery/equipment/goods). It is simply unrealistic to abolish car use/parking within the site as there is not efficient transit serving the area. Our vision does promote the use of public transit and addition of new transit to serve the area, and transporting guests to and from various zones. Parking would be available at major transit hubs within the site; or existing parking lots that would be expanded - to address growth and potential traffic. More transit would provide incentives to drive less. Toll charges/parking fees could also be implemented to fund park services and programs included in our vision. The various species, animals, and habitats would be accounted for â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fencing, boundaries, parking zones would be established to minimize impact on the environment.

Rouge National Urban Park is a fantastic area of space that has so much potential. These issues are to be addressed by our major vision strategies and will work to improve the beauty, awareness, wayfinding, community engagement, connectivity, access and sustainable farming in this report. The task of developing the connectivity of Rouge National Urban Park is one that will take time and patience. However, we know it will significantly benefit the growth of the park.

WHITECHURCH STOUFFVILLE

o ality icip Mun HAM DUR

M/ HAR of York K R y MA palit i c i n Mu

City

O ONT R O of T

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

SITE HISTORY

History:

Rouge National Urban Park was established in 1995 by the Province of Ontario, but declared

a National Park in 2011, courtesy of the Conservative government at the time. The park is currently just over 62km spanning over numerous municipalities, and will be nearly 80km in size upon completion of land transfers from other land owners such as the Province. Once the park is fully established, it will be the largest urban protected area in North America, stretching from Lake Ontario to the south, and the Oak Ridges Moraine to the north. Overall, the park has had a significant history behind it. Within the last century, much of the lands were agricultural use. The Pearce House/Family played a large role in the core of the park, bringing communities together. Indigenous communities have also played a role in the development of the area, with migration and settlement dominating the area. While the park has many farming/agricultural lands today, it still continues to become more populated, developed, and incorporated with the surrounding urban areas of the Greater Toronto Area. A rich collection of natural, cultural and agricultural lands, Rouge National Urban Park is home to unique biodiversity, “some of the last remaining working farms in the Greater Toronto Area, Carolinian ecosystems, Toronto’s only campground, one of the region’s largest marshes, unspoiled beaches, amazing hiking opportunities, and human history dating back over 10,000 years, including some of Canada’s oldest known Indigenous sites”, according to the Parks Canada.

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

PROPOSED ZONES:

Zone A

Existing Condition: Pearce House: The Rouge is home to many heritage homes that date back to the early 1800’s. However, we will begin our concept for zone A with the history about the cultural heritage home that is located here. Pearse House has been seated on the Rouge valley for over 120 years. As a matter of fact, the history actually dates the home to as early as the 1830’s. The original owners were the Pearse brothers who migrated to the area from England. James and his family apparently leased the land for which they occupied for many years, in their early settlement. Then, in 1846, James, on one of his journeys, flipped his carriage, killing him, leaving his pregnant wife behind. His widow later married George Pearse, who was James Pearse youngest brother. In the meantime, the family continued to live and occupy the land in the Rouge Valley, south of the Old Finch Road. In 1893 the home was renovated by James Pearse Jr, who eventually purchased the property in 1869. As James’s family grew, so did his home. The major improvement to the property resulted in a one-and-a-half storey brick- veneered farm house being built. As a matter of fact, this is what we see to this day.

Vision/Key strategies and moves: Our vision for Pearse house is to use the heritage house as a link between a centre for the community to engage with nature and the environment, while connecting it to a place for community and recreational gatherings or meetings. We felt the connection between the park, the entities within the park, and the people visiting the park, was missing. There are many significant parts to Zone A and we felt it was necessary to make connections so visitors to the park would learn of its importance. The Pearce family and their house had a deep connection to their neighbors and the community. We chose to make connectivity our focus because the park is underutilized, and the heritage of the park seemed to be unrecognizable to visitors and community members. The new space will serve as a community meeting place, where programs and learning about the park and the natural surroundings will be explored. The cafe, banquet hall, and conference centre are also part of our plan in getting the community connected. Each space in the Pearce Exploration Centre will ultimately offer everyone in the community a place to meet, relax, learn, and enjoy the biodiversity, culture and heritage that exist in the Rouge National Park, just as the Pearce family did.

Beare Hill: Beare Hill, is also part of the cultural located in Zone A of Rouge National Urban Park. In the late 40’s, Beare road was the location of a gravel pit that was very instrumental in providing help with the

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE growth of the City of Toronto. In 1966, the pit was closed and the land to the east of the pit was expropriated for the use of a landfill site. In 1967 the landfill opened and was originally supposed to hold 3.3 million tons of waste; however, the site was reported to accommodate about 7 million tons of waste each year for the 10 years it was in operation. Beare Road landfill closed by 1983, causing much damage to the surrounding land in the Rouge. Once closed, plans to use the hill for recreational skiing were talked about but were never implemented. A methane collection system was designed and is used to collect methane gas, which is used to make electricity. Beare Hill, eventually became part of the Rouge Park when the Toronto Conservation Authority took over. The Land was reforested and there are currently Plans for the Hill in the Beare Road Master Plan of 2013. Our vision for Beare Hill reiterates what the City of Toronto has set out in the Beare Road Master Plan of 2013. Once this attraction is completed, Beare Park will add to the connectivity by providing an additional attraction for the community to visit while at the National Park. While there, people will be able to observe Toronto and Scarborough from the observation deck, sit on benches, or just walk around and enjoy the view from the top of the Hill. Now that the community has ventured into the park we have enhanced our signage to reflect the heritage within the park, so that everyone will be aware that the park has attractions and thing to do other than visit Pearse House or Beare Hill. Attractions like the wetlands, Petite Rouge creek, trails and in the warmer seasons, recreational kayaking offers people the opportunity to utilize an alternate mode of transportation to get from Zone A to other areas in the park. Our plan is specifically to connect the community to the park and then once they get there we feel they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to leave. And just as James Pearse left his footprint in the park we feel that visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet will enjoy engaging and exploring the park even more, when the proposed changes are completed. An integral part of The Rouge National Urban Park revitalization process is the Flora and Fauna in the park. With adequate care of theseareas, animals such as, swallows, hawks,frogs and turtles can protected within their perspectivesurroundings. In addition, wildlife can also live there without threats of being killed by poachers. Part of our rationale for the Zone A intervention is wanting visitors to be feel connected to all aspects of the park in this Zone. Therefore, we are took extra steps to enhance existing flora which will only add to the community enjoyment and animal preservation for this area. In addition, we also elected to plant additional flowers, bushes, shrubs, and trees to the zone, with the assistance of Parks Canada to coincide with their planting guidelines, and with the City of Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Biodiversity Strategy, which encourages healthy natural habitats that all species can share.

Funding and Implementation: Zone A revitalization projects will be funded from a combination of grants, corporate/ private donations, and fees charged for programs offered at the exploration centre. The following government ministries offer grants to support all planned projects: Parks Canada, Ministry of Natural Resources, Tourism, Culture and Sports, Environment and Energy, and Toronto Region Conservation Authority. The budget is $167,000,000 dollars, with construction scheduled to begin in June 2019, and completed in June 2023.

City of Toronto

Aerial View

Existing Peirce House

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES Zone A - Signage Strategy:

One of the issues we noticed during our visit to “Rouge National Urban Park” was that we did not know when we were inside the boundaries of Rouge National Park. Totalling 79.1 kilometres, Rouge National Urban Park contains a mzultitude of wildlife, rivers, flora and fauna. Although this park is not fully established, it will be the largest urban protected park in North America, stretching from Lake Ontario to the Oak Ridges Moraine. The Rouge Valley has been farmed for thousands of years starting from the Indigenous communities and later European settlers to present day farmers. One of Toronto’s major highway cuts through the National Park. Due the park being located near the metropolitan area and it being surrounded by homes and similar geographic characteristics located outside the park, it is important for visitors to realize they are in the Rouge National Urban Park as soon as they get there. Although this sign resembles the “usual” signs used by Parks Canada for their 47 national parks, it is easy for people to distinguish and understand them from a far distance. This sign will ensure that Canadians will recognized at a glance their government at work for them protecting, presenting and fostering enjoyment of Canada’s heritage places for present and future generations. Signs are important not only to transit information and ensure the safety of visitors but also to Park’s Canada public image and identity. The rationale behind this sign is to the desire to preserve and enjoy Ontario’s natural and cultural heritage. Different from the previous sign, this sign has incorporated imagery, history, information and guidance; therefore it invites the visitor to read closely. This particular sign is designated for Zone “A”, which includes Rouge Park Conservation Centre (Pearse house), Beare Hill, Riverside Trail and visitor guidance such as location, parking, hours of operation and contact information. This sign shows the history of Pearse House and how it transformed into a Conservation centre. It gives the reader information on the Beare Hill and its transformation, Riverside trail and its geographical location. This sign plays a fundamental role in the visitors experience by: - Enabling the visitor to find national historic sites - Ensuring that visitors, once they arrive, can enjoy and navigate these heritage places in a safe and effective way - Ensure that essential information for visitors to experience Canada’s natural and cultural heri tage is properly and effectively conveyed. Finally, this sign promotes the protection and preservation of the natural environment and other species within the park. Although it may seem like it has a lot of information, it will inform the reader and make them more interested in investigating these sites more after reading their history.

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

Zone A Signage

Rendering Description: A new signage is proposed for Rouge National Park; Zone A

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES Zone A - Vision Strategy 1:

Existing Conditions: Pearse House has been seated on the Rouge valley for over 120 years. As a matter of fact, th history actually dates the home to as early as the 1830’s. The original owners were the Pearse brothers who migrated to the area from England. James and his family apparently leased the land for which they occupied for many years, in their early settlement. The family continued to live and occupy the land in the Rouge Valley, south of the Old Finch Road. In 1893 the home was renovated by James Pearse Jr, who eventually purchased the property in 1869. As James’s family grew, so did his home. The major improvement to the property resulted in a one-and-ahalf storey brick- veneered farm house being built. As a matter of fact, this is what we see to this day.

Vision/Key strategies and moves:

The proposed expansion of Pearse House, in the form of an addition of a welcome centre with a cafe and event centre, while maintaining the original house to be a historical heritage site will enhance history of the Pearse and its role within the Rouge Valley area as well as generating community engagement for the current surrounding community. This expansion ties in with the vision to connect the Rouge National Urban Park to its surrounding communities through the park’s extensive history. The current Pearse House, also known as the Rouge Valley Conservation Centre, shows lack of attraction and amenities at site visit. A welcome centre addition is to provide activities, amenities and enhance attraction for this historical site to its visitors and the surrounding community. Activities that can be done within the proposed Conservation Centre can be such as a historical/environmental learning centre for the park, and a welcome area providing visitors with information, directions and pamphlets/maps to carry along through their park journey. Aside from these proposed park amenities the expansion can provide a new event space for the community among the beautiful Rouge environment to further contribute to park attraction. A welcome centre for the Rouge National Urban Park is vital to the success of the park; especially in terms of its role with the current community surrounding it as well as its visibility and attraction. The Pearse House is an existing site within the park encompassing a history worth preserving for generations to see. An expansion of the site into the park’s welcome centre will create a bright and welcoming place to the public showcasing the RNUP’s environmental wonders and rich history. For implementation and estimates see Implementation Index p.33.

14 Rendering Description: A proposed expansion of the pearce heritage house to generate community engagementzz

Proposed Pearce Heritage House Floorplan:

Existing Pearce House Existing Floorplan:

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

PROPOSED ZONES: Zone B

Existing Condition: Zone B, also known as our newly designated picnic and campground area in Rouge National Park, is bounded by Old Finch Avenue, the York-Durham Line, 16th Avenue, and stretches to just before Markham Road. This area currently contains the Bob Hunter Memorial Park, located at Steele Avenue East and Ressor Road, a few trails running from Old Finch Avenue to Steeles Avenue East, as well as a few ravines, one in particular being Little Rouge Creek. This particular area of Rouge Park, we felt, had so many areas of potential that we could work with to really bring the park to life. In searching for where we could start, we were immediately drawn to Bob Hunter Memorial Park. The park was named after Bob Hunter, the founding member of Greenpeace- an organization that strives to create a green and peaceful future by committing themselves to taking courageous actions to make the environment a better place for all.

Vision/Key strategies and moves: Centennial Park is located at Renforth and Rathburn Road in Etobicoke. This park is a fantastic space that is currently being used to its fullest potential. It contains designated picnic areas, with picnic tables and outdoor barbeques, as well as soccer fields and baseball diamonds, trails, and other attractions open to the public. Centennial Hill is a landfill hill that is found within the park that is utilized all-year round. In the winter, the hill is used for skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and more, and in the summer, the hills trails are used for biking, walking, running and other activities that are enjoyed during that season. We found so much inspiration from this park because of its appropriate use of space, and in saying this, we decided to include a picnic area, campground area, washroom center and more, into Bob Hunter Memorial Park. AS this park is so large, we believed that having such attractions in the center of it, would draw people across the park, allowing them to see and experience the rest of the park. An abundance of signage would be added to this zone to give visitors a clear sense of direction, with little, to no confusion. We feel that this is an especially important aspect to the re-thinking of Rouge Park. Another area of opportunity that we worked on for this Zone B, was giving Little Rouge Creek a true purpose, and to utilize this body of water for activity, making for an enjoyable experience for any visitor. Developing an area where visitors could go kayaking would be a great attraction for anyone, allowing them to experience the park from a different perspective. We would have park staff monitoring the area during operating hours to ensure the safety of all participants, as well as staff who properly teach each participant the “how to’s” and “do’s and don’t’s” for this area of the park. This activity would be offered to ages fourteen and up, and will be open from spring to fall. The trip would begin in Zone A, and would finish in Zone B, making for and easy and fun way to move from one area to another within the park. This is an excellent way to get visitors to really come into the park, as opposed to staying on the outer layers, or not moving throughout all three zones.

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES Zone B - Signange Strategy:

Vision/Key strategies and moves:

This Zone C sign gives a sense of direction for the people in the park. This sign informs the public where they are and where they can travel to in Zone C. Zone C revolves around agriculture in the park. The map is located near the farmers market, which is where the public can go to buy fresh crops, which are all grown at Rouge National Park. The farmers market is the main attraction at Zone C where most of the public visits to buy fresh and natural crops which is grown at the park. The Zone C map displays trails for the public to follow to get to the farmers market, farmlands, golf course, cafe, campgrounds as well as other sightseeing trails. There are also direction signs for the public to either go right to the farmers market or if they choose they can go left to view the farmlands to see where all the crops are grown at RNUP. The cafe in Zone C is a great cafe where the public can purchase fresh coffee as well as fresh baked goods which are also grown from RNUP farmlands. This sign gives an exact direction for the public to follow so that they cannot get lost in the park. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want people to feel isolated or lost at the park, so this sign is a well-informed sign the public can easily understand to get a sense of direction in the park. Overall, this Zone B sign gives knowledgeable information for the public to understand and choose their paths to visit inside Zone Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boundary.

Implementation:

Signage can be municipally funded or provincially or Nationally, the implementation of a sign normally costs around 50-100, and labour costs from employing park workers or construction workers. For implementation and estimates see Implementation Index p.33. It should be noted that the impact of signs may cause bottlenecks in trails so the location of signs have to be chosen at appropriate intervals and spaces that allow for more than a few people to read the signs.

Zone B Signage

Rendering Description: A new signage is proposed for Bob Hunter memorial trail; Zone B

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES Zone B - Vision Strategy 2:

Existing Conditions: Currently the Zone B has many trails but little amenities to connect the park and creat an over all better potential experience. The scenic hiking routes could be enhanced.

Vision/Key strategies and moves: This Zone B washroom provides a wider accessability throughout the park for additional restrooms

Implementation:

For implementation and estimates see Implementation Index p.33. The enviromental impact should be accessed to see if restrooms with running water are feasable. It would be best to create restrooms through the use of portable toilets and these restrooms would have to be maintained and supplied. From construction the estimated time would be 1 month to implement or less.

20 Rendering Description:

Portable washrooms with signage allow fora wider connected park.

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES Zone B - Vision Strategy 3:

Existing Conditions:

Currently the Little Rouge Creek runs as a scenic hiking route, the area could be better utilised.

Vision/Key strategies and moves: Proposed Kayaking in the Rouge to attract visitors and to create engagement and attraction would be benficial for the rouge, the required funding would be needed to ensure equipment for rental and storage and staffing to assist the public. Lessons could create public engagement with certified kayak instructors.

Implementation: Funding may be required from National or Provincial or Municipal Levels, consultations and public engagement would be a key accessment in this proposal. The infrastracture for kayaking in the park is set in place, however storage for equipment rental and staff would likely need to be implemented. Should this proposal go into effect the required estimated time would be 1 to 2 years. The impact on the enviroment of kayaking activities are minimal and the social aspect of this activity in the rouge is sure to bring in many visitors to the Rouge.

Vision:

Existing Condition:

Kayaking: Proposed Kayaking in the Rouge to attract visitors and to create engagement and attraction

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES Zone B - Vision Strategy 4:

Existing Conditions: Currently Zone B sits fairly barren, with unusable lands, and little infrastracture to sit or make picnics exist.

Vision/Key strategies and moves: Zone B being the campground and the picnic area, it provides a wide range of opportunities for the public to enjoy. The new proposal is located inside the Bob Hunter Memorial Park where the proposed implementations will provide benches, build in fire pits, barbeques, different family activities and many more. These campgrounds and activities will be available during different seasons where the families can come gather, socialize and spend time together. This will also encourage them to explore nature through the hiking trails and experience the rouge park in at full potential.

Implementation:

Funding may be required from National or Provincial or Municipal Levels, consultations and public engagement would be a key accessment in this proposal. The infrastracture forconstruction and implementation of the amenities proposed are faily simple and not complex. Implementation through construction would take 6 months - 1 years. The impact on the enviroment of camping or picnics may result in dumping garbage, it could be strictly advertising and enforced by park officials to ensure littering is strictly prohibited and pursued with fines to deter the negative impacts on the park.

Vision:

Existing Condition:

Rendering Description: The proposed implementations will provide benches, build in fire pits, barbeques, to enhance the campgrounds and picnic areas for the public

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

PROPOSED ZONES: Zone C

Existing Condition: Agricultural Zone (Zone C) spans from Sixteenth Avenue to Nineteenth Avenue. Entirely dominant in agricultural lands which is a key element of the Rouge National Urban Park. The Existing map contains the current features available in the area that include one farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market, that is located at the intersection of Ninth line and Elgin Mills. There is a campground, Robin hood, along with Ressors farm and the Bush Wood Golf Club.

Vision/Key strategies and moves: This area has lots of potential to create opportunities that can help to encourage people to want to visit not just only the RNUP but also Zone C as well. The proposed map is to provide strategies such as creating three new farmers market and along with several coffee shops. This can be helpful to make Zone C a more friendly and welcoming area for the surrounding community and eventually the rest of the GTHA. The coffeeshop will use crops grown in the park to create fresh baked goods and other foods. There are a variety of farms within in the area, therefore we decided that it would be a good source of awareness for people to experience each farm area, and the crops that are cultivated in each area. Also, they will gain a better understanding about the produce grown in each area. Overall, adding more farmers markets and creating coffee shops will be an inclusive, interesting and welcoming attraction for everyone who visits the Rouge. In addition to this, two more parking lots are being proposed in close proximity to the farms however, they are not on the farming property. Traveling to the RNUP, there is really only one form of transportation, by vehicle. Hence the need for more available parking made for people who do not live in close proximity to the park. These parking lots will be developed on barren lands near intersections, to avoid vehicular movement inside the farms and also to avoid operational interruption of farm activities. The coffeeshops will be built beside every proposed farmer market(s). The coffeeshop will also provide facilities such as washrooms and sitting areas. we believe that by creating attraction such as the farmers markets and coffee shops, will increase visitation in the park and help local farmers prosper and grow.

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES Zone C - Signange Strategy:

Vision/Key strategies and moves: This Zone C sign gives a sense of direction for the people in the park. This sign informs the public where they are and where they can travel to in Zone C. Zone C revolves around agriculture in the park. The map is located near the farmers market, which is where the public can go to buy fresh crops, which are all grown at Rouge National Park. The farmers market is the main attraction at Zone C where most of the public visits to buy fresh and natural crops which is grown at the park. The Zone C map displays trails for the public to follow to get to the farmers market, farmlands, golf course, cafe, campgrounds as well as other sightseeing trails. There are also direction signs for the public to either go right to the farmers market or if they choose they can go left to view the farmlands to see where all the crops are grown at RNUP. The cafe in Zone C is a great cafe where the public can purchase fresh coffee as well as fresh baked goods which are also grown from RNUP farmlands. This sign gives an exact direction for the public to follow so that they cannot get lost in the park. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want people to feel isolated or lost at the park, so this sign is a well-informed sign the public can easily understand to get a sense of direction in the park. Overall, this Zone B sign gives knowledgeable information for the public to understand and choose their paths to visit inside Zone Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boundary.

Implementation:

Zone C Signage

Rendering Description: A new signage is proposed for Cafes and Farmers MArket. It also promotes the agricultural zone C of RNUP

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES Zone C - Vision Strategy 5:

Existing Conditions: Zone C being the agricultural area, the existing site provides little opportunities for people to engage themselves with farming and other agricultural activities. There can be various farming potential in this area.

Vision/Key strategies and moves: The proposed implementations ideas will provide various public opportunities interconnecting people with the park. The proposed greenhouses in different locations will specialize in growing and harvesting different fruits and vegetables throughout the year. The harvested fruits and vegetables will later be showcased in the farmers market. These farmer markets will sell these organically produced fruits and vegetables to the public which not only will be beneficial but will also encourage to bring the nearby communities together. These fruits and vegetables will be grown seasonally and provide a variety of options throughout the year.

Implementation: The Implementation of Farmers Markets would require permits approvals, and a overview of the plans and protections in place. A consultation with the public and the existing owners of agriculture would be nessesary to ensure a smooth operation. The Markets could be expected to create attraction and ensure the local agriculture is sustainable. Implementation may take 1-3 years, the budget may vary, some input may be required from goverment, however it can be joint with the private owned farms.

Vision:

Existing Condition:

Rendering Description: Farmers market proposal A Farmer proposed for Zone C to allow for a greater support of local sustainable farming and reating attraction in the park.

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

CONCLUSIONS & EVALATION

Evaluation Method: Since there are 5 proposed strategies and more signage proposals, it is important in the Planning process to ensure the evaluation of these strategies and how efficient they will be and how they will preform in serving the visitors of the park. It is imperative to determine a set criterion when accessing the outcomes of the strategies we have outlines in this report. The five strategies should therefore be accessed by eight criteria; accessibility, beauty, connectivity, duration of implementation, attraction, wayfinding, education, accessibility, preservation and engagement. Accessibility looks to see which strategies allow best access into the park and overall accessibility for those with disabilities. Beauty is the consideration of overall aesthetic pleasure bought by a strategy, the more likelihood for a strategy to have this trait, the higher the rating on the evaluation. Connectivity was based on a strategies ability to connect the greater park together seamlessly. Duration of Implementation considers how long from the introduction of a proposal to implementation, including public consultation, bureaucratic approvals and construction until opening, the higher it takes to implement, the higher it ranks. Attraction was determined to be how much of the public could it attract into the park of a given proposal/strategy, the more likely an individual were to visit the site because of the strategy/vision proposal, the higher it ranked. wayfinding measures how much ease an individual was able to navigate the park, the higher the ranking means the higher the individual was able to navigate the park with ease. Education is the ability of the strategy to teach something or cause awareness of the history of the park to individuals, if an individual was able to leave RNUP having learnt something, it was rated high. Engagement was rated higher is the the communities at large would attend or take part in the proposal/vision strategies. From this matrix (Figure 1), we can conclude that in the future the evaluation process will monitored well and that the visions we have proposed will be accessed for efficacy and effectiveness and so that these strategies may serve as learning examples in future planning processes. We will be able to evaluate from public consultation through these criteria which strategies work effectively and are enjoyable to park goers and which are not so much.

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

CONCLUSIONS & EVALATION

FIGURE 1:

Conclusions: The Rouge National Urban Park is a beautiful park with endless possibilities. The groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision to connect the park to surrounding communities through its extensive history and to create a vibrant, welcoming and connected environment for all members of the GTHA is to further allow the park to function at its fullest potential. Rouge National Urban Park is a fantastic area of space that has so much potential. These issues addressed by our m ajor vision strategies and will work to improve the beauty, awareness, wayfinding, community engagement, connectivity, access and sustainable farming in this report. The task of developing the connectivity of Rouge National Urban Park is one that will take time and patience. However, we know it will significantly benefit the growth of the park and allow the park to serve the public at its fullest potential.

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

IMPLEMENTATION INDEX

Work Plan for Pearce Exploration and Zone A Revitalization

Phase

Task

Who is Responsible

2021 Deadline

Budget

Beare Hill Park

TRCA

2019-23

$15,000,000

Pearse Exploration Centre

2019-23 Parks Canada Toronto preservation Board TRCA

$50,000,000

Convention/Banquet Centre

Parks Canada Toronto Preservation Board TRCA

2020-23

$90,000,000

Signage and alteration to trails and wetland

Parks Canada

2020-23

$9,000,000

Planting of native plants and trees

Parks Canada TRCA

2022-23

$5,000,000

Kayaking on the Petite Rouge program

Parks Canada

2022-23

$2,000,000,

Total

$167,000,000

Report Formatted by: Kazi Musaddique Hossain

ASSIGNMENT 4: A VISION FOR ROUGE

REFERENCES:

Sources: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, USDA FSA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community Noonan, L. (2015, December 03). Stories From the Rouge Park: The Beare Road Landfill Started as a sand and gravel pit and is now part of Beare Park with connection to Rouge National Urban Park. Retrieved from https://www.toronto.com/news-story/6157791 -stories-from-rouge-park-the-bare-road-land-fill-started-as-a-sand-and-gravel-pit-and-isnow-part-of-beare-park-with-a-connection-to-rouge-national-urban-park/

Pearse House History. (1995). Rouge Valley Conservation Centre. Retrieved from htttp://www.rvcc.ca/Pearse_House.html City of Toronto, (2019, March 19). Beare Hill Park Project. Retrieved from https://www.toronto. ca/city-government/planning-development/construction-new-facilities/beare-hill-parkproject/ Butterflies of Toronto: A guide to their remarkable world. (2015). Toronto: City of Toronto. Retrieved from https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/969e-Biodiversity_ ButterfliesBook-Division-Planning-And-Development.pdf “Pearce House.” Yelp , /www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/rouge-valley-conservation-centre-toronto-3?select=CWsHj9mpdBK-8 Hq5WOmzpA. Draft Biodiversity Strategy, Toronto By-laws and Municipal Code - Home. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs Floor Plan Of Pearse House. Retrieved from https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images ?q=tbn:ANd9GcT007HJcTVAKfnIlCdMiVbO4atsAJU36M7EVhdGUZ9oJrSgBH38EA Flora Picture of Native Species Plants. Retrieved from https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images ?q=tbn:ANd9GcQq5qfUlbn-ZVgR_dMHmjLbb-SXow6Q5A2xQxqreRjSmb5VTBs4TA

R o u g e P a r k :

N a t i o n a l V i s i o n

U r b a n

P r o p o s a l