YORK REGIONFEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE

SERVING THE FARM COMMUNITY SINCE 1940

September 5, 2014

Honourable Brad Duguid

Minister of EconomicDevelopment, Employmentand Infrastructure8th Floor, Hearst Block

900 Bay StreetToronto, ON

M7A 2E1

Dear Minister Duguid,

I am writing on behalf of the York Region Federation of Agriculture and the farmers in the Rouge

National Urban Park the regarding the Rouge National Urban Park, your letter dated September 2,2014to Minister Aglukkaq, and your decision to withdraw your recommendation to support the transfer of5,400 acres into the park.

The York Region Federation of Agriculture members are the 700 farm businesses in York Region andToronto including the farmers in the Rouge National Urban Park. Your letter to Minister Aglukkaq statesthat you arrived at your decision to not recommend the Provincial land transfers after discussions with

stakeholders and local citizen groups. You did not consult with the York Region Federation of

Agriculture, the farmers in the Park, or the community living in the Park.

We urge you not to hold up the transfer of the Provincial lands to Parks Canada.

The farming community in the Rouge National Urban Park are the same farm families that have been

caring for the land and growing food for the people of Ontario for the past 200 years. The future of the

farms in the Rouge National Urban Park have been in limbo since the farms were expropriated in the1970's.

The farmland in the Rouge National Urban Park is Class 1 Agricultural Land, meaning it is the best landfor agriculture production. Less than 1% of Canada's farm land is Class 1. The farmers in the park have

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

projects.

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YORK REGIONFEDERA TION OF AGRICULTURE

SERVING THE FARM COMMUNITY SINCE 1940

The previous Rouge Park Plans highlighted in the attachment from the three environmental stakeholdergroups that was included with your letter to Minister Aglukkaq were created without agricultural

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

most of the farmland be taken out of production for natural heritage restoration projects.

With the world population expected to increase from 7 to 9 billion by 2050, there will continue to be agrowing need to protect farmland resources and support food production to meet local and global food

needs.

Farmland provides food production, carbon sequestering, climate regulation, improved air quality,wildlife habitat, hydrological functions, groundwater recharge and buffering protection of naturalheritage features.

Farmland should be protected for its "highest and best use" for agriculture and food production.

Any tree planting and habitat restoration should be encouraged in areas where farming is not feasible(slopes, riparian areas, wet areas, etc.), or to hedgerows between fields. Farmers support the protection

of natural areas, but it is important that natural heritage restoration doesn't unnecessarily encroach onproductive farmlands.

Farmers in the Rouge National Urban Park produce a variety of crops. Some of these crops are sold

fresh to the consumer while other require some form of processing before being consumed, but all ofthe food produced in the Rouge National Urban Park is local food. The farmers in the Rouge NationalUrban Park already use Environmental Farm Plans incorporating best management practices as part of

their ongoing stewardship of the farmland they have been caring for for generations.

The farmland in the park needs to be preserved so that future generations of farmers can produce food

for their surrounding urban neighbours.

We support Parks Canada's consultation process that engaged over 100 stakeholder groups and

thousands of individuals to create the Rouge National Urban Park Draft Management Plan. One of the

Guiding Principles for Rouge National Urban Park is to maintain and improve ecological health andscientific integrity. The Draft Management Plan states "The protection, conservation, and restoration of

the park's natural, cultural and agricultural resources are integral to all decision-making related to parkmanagement". One of the actions listed in the Plan is to "Manage the park to enhance ecosystem

health by way of an adaptive management approach that focuses on protecting existing ecosystems and

restoring, to the greatest extent possible, functioning, resilient ecosystems".

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YORK REGIONFEDERA TION OF AGRICULTURE

SERVING THE FARM COMMUNITY SINCE 1940

We believe that Parks Canada will improve the ecological integrity of the Rouge National Urban Park

while maintaining the farmland in food production. We urge you again not to withdraw yourrecommendation to transfer the 5AOO acres of Provincial land to Parks Canada. And request a meeting

with you to discuss these matters further.

Paul ReesorPresidentYork Region Federation of Agriculture

12900 Kennedy RoadStouffville, ON

L4A 7X5

(905)-888-1235

c. The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister Responsible

for Parks CanadaThe Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of OntarioThe Honourable Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural AffairsDrew Fagan, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Ministry of Economic Development,

Employment and Infrastructure

Alan Latourelle, CEO,Parks Canada

Joe Dickson, MPP, Ajax-PickeringTracy MacCharles, MPP, Pickering-Scarborough East

Helena Jaczek, MPP, OakRidge-MarkhamBas Balkissoon, MPP, Scarborough-Rouge River

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