Toronto – Stretching from the Don River in downtown Toronto to Rouge National Urban Park, The Meadoway is undergoing a significant transformation to become a vibrant expanse of urban greenspace and meadow habitat. The project, led by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) in partnership with the City of Toronto, is made possible through the support of the Weston Family Foundation and now the Government of Canada.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced yesterday that over $1.05 million will be invested in The Meadoway project as part of the Government of Canada’s effort to protect and enhance critical natural spaces in Ontario. TRCA’s Board Chair Paul Ainslie, Vice-Chair Dave Barton, Councillor Jamaal Myers, along with TRCA CEO John MacKenzie, represented TRCA at the announcement.
The Meadoway is 16 kilometres of under-utilized hydro corridor that is being revitalized into publicly accessible and ecologically diverse lands. The innovative city-building project will connect four ravines, 15 parks, 34 neighbourhoods, over 200 hectares (500 acres) and more than 1,000 diverse species of flora and fauna. Building a new vision for urban greenspaces, The Meadoway project will integrate schools, businesses and other public amenities with underused parks and trails, creating stronger communities through access to nature. It will serve as a blueprint for revitalization, a world-class example of active, linear greenspace and a precedent for future hydro corridor restoration.
The Government of Canada launched a nature conservation campaign with the goal of protecting thirty percent of Canada’s lands and waters by 2030. Protected lands help to guarantee future generations can enjoy the benefits that natural greenspaces provide to their communities. The investment in Ontario’s natural spaces will support habitat restoration work, ecological connectivity, engagement of Indigenous communities and access to greenspace for Canadians in Ontario.
“The Meadoway project is a groundbreaking initiative transforming a hydro corridor in Scarborough into a vibrant 16-kilometre stretch of urban greenspace. It would not be possible without support from the Federal government, which has not only been provided through the funds announced today, but through on-going partnerships with Parks Canada (Rouge National Urban Park), Infrastructure Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada.” — Paul Ainslie, Chair of TRCA’s Board of Directors and Councillor for City of Toronto
