Rouge Park interpretation Topics – from our website
Biodiversity
A region's biodiversity is based on the variety of habitats
located within it.
Variations in habitat relate to:
topography
aspect
slopes
soil types
climate
type of land use(s) occupying the area
Biodiversity encourages ecological stability, regenerative
capability and resistance to disturbance. The Park is also highly
significant for its diversity of species, community composition,
habitat niches, moisture gradients, community structure,
successional states and community interspersion.
Rouge Park has more than:
762 plant species, including 6 which are nationally rare and 92
which are regionally rare
225 bird species, 5 of which are nationally rare breeding birds
and 4 other breeding birds of special concern as well as numerous
locally rare, area-sensitive raptor and colonial birds
55 fish species, 2 of which are nationally vulnerable
27 mammal species, some are locally rare
19 reptile and amphibian species, some are locally rare
Flora and Fauna
Many of the vegetation communities
features for the district, such as
riverside meadows, several oak and
valley terraces dominated by Black
are the best examples of these
the Park's lakeshore marshes,
pine forest types and the
Maple forests.
The Park is at the northern edge of the eastern deciduous forest
region, also known as the Carolinian life zone. This zone is rare
in Canada, covering less than 1% of the country's land mass, and
it provides habitat to more species than any other life zone in
Canada. In 1984, the Rouge River valley was identified as one of
38 critical unprotected sites; fortunately the Park was created
11 years later and now protects these important habitats.
Numerous significant plant and animal species and communities are
near their northern limits on the south-facing, warm slopes close
to Lake Ontario, which significantly moderates the local climate.
On the steep, cool north-facing slopes, and in perched tableland
swamps away from the lake, more northern species and communities
occur. The Park is also significant within the region as a very
important wintering ground and stop-over area for migrants.
Physical Landscapes
The landform features in Rouge Park are evidence of thousands of
years of changes in Earth's crust. The Rouge River is slowly, but
constantly changing the landscape.
What do these changes look like in the Park?
They come in many forms: drumlins, flutes, outcrops, hoodos and
gullies, to name a few.
Geology
Earth's surface is slowly, yet constantly changing. Much of the
evidence of these changes is deep below the surface, out of our
sight. Rouge Park is unique in the Greater Toronto Area because
it has outcrops of all the principal geological strata in the
region. The geological history of Rouge Park spans over 450
million years!
Outcrops
Outcrops, or exposed sections of geological features, in the Park
tell a story of thousands of years of changes in Earth's crust.
Several of the outcrops, such as those exposing sediments of the
last inter-glacial age 125,000 years ago, are of international
significance.
Sedimentary layers deposited 13,000 to 30,000 years ago by a
river formed from melting glaciers are visible in some areas of
the Park. From Glen Eagles Vista, the buff-brown Iroquois Sands
you see near the surface are above the grey, mixed sediment of
the Newmarket Till layer in this Provincially Significant
outcrop. These sediments were deposited while the climate cooled
and warmed over thousands of years. Glaciers melted during warmer
periods, releasing sediments, and formed or grew as the climate
cooled, carrying sediments in the ice.
Glaciation
Water from glaciers melting 12,000 years ago formed ancestral
Lake Ontario, which covered this entire area. A large ice lobe,
roughly 20 metres thick, blocked the lake from draining eastward,
leaving water levels high as the lake slowly drained south to
what is now the Mississippi River. The ice lobe finally
retreated, draining the lake to the St Lawrence River and forming
the Great Lakes as we see them today.
Glaciation occurred when average annual temperatures were only 2
- 5 °C lower than present. The small increase to our current
temperatures caused big changes to the landscape. Increases in
average annual temperatures now may seem small, but they could
cause major changes to the natural environment in the near
future.
Water Power
Moving water is a powerful force of change in our landscape.
Rivers carve paths through valleys. Flood waters move sediment
and deposit it as water drains and settles. Inland, shorelines
change as lake levels rise and drop. The Rouge River has carved
its banks over time, exposing sedimentary layers and creating the
steep sides of the riverbanks, up to 30 metres high.
Underground, water travels through the spaces between soil
particles, sometimes taking thousands of years to move only a few
kilometres. In the outcrops seen in the Park, the darker areas
you see are coarser sediment than the surrounding sand, silt and
clay. They appear darker because of moisture from groundwater.
Groundwater seeps out to the surface faster in coarse sediment
because the water moves more quickly through the larger spaces
between the particles.
Hoodos and Gullies
Valley side slopes are subject to erosion by water. Erosion takes
place mainly from mud flow in the Spring when seepage from
groundwater is most active, and when there are heavy rains in the
Summer.
Minor hills are eroded into the cliff face where seeping
groundwater is focused into "sag basins". These sag basins and
rills eventually form gullies, which cut into the cliff face,
resulting in scalloped slopes, where the gullies are separated by
free-standing spires and aretes. They are distinctive landscape
feature indicating severe erosion which contributes significant
amounts of sediment to the stream, degrading aquatic habitat.
Sag Basin:
A depression occurring at contact between an aquifer and
underlying, less permeable unit which acts to focus seeping
groundwater.
Paleozoic Bedrock Features
Two Paleozoic bedrock outcrops in the Park in Toronto are of
provincial significance. They each contain diverse marine faunal
fossils of the trilobite Triarthus rougensis and the graptolite
Climacograptus rougensis. Joints and faults in the bedrock
outcrops and overlying Quaternary sediments are attributed to
earthquakes during the last 80,000 years.
Trilobite:
Any marine arthropod belonging to the class Trilobita,
characterized by a three-lobed, ovoid to subelliptical
exoskeleton.
Graptolite:
Any colonial marine organism belonging to the class Graptoithina,
characterized by a cup- or tube-shaped, highly resistant
exoskeleton of organic composition. Commonly found in black
shales.
Quaternary Glacial Features
Drumlins and flutes are well developed and highly visible in the
Park. In some areas, the internal stratigraphy of the drumlin is
well exposed and useful for geologists studying theories on the
origin of drumlins.
Drumlins:
A streamlined hill consisting of till and other sediments, and
elongated parallel with the direction of ice flow.
Flutes:
Lineations or streamline grooves and ridges parallel to the
direction of ice movement, formed in newly deposited till or
older drift.
Quaternary Postglacial Features:
High-level terraces and the marshes and sandy spit at Rouge Beach
are of regional interest and significance.
Human-made Features
An old garbage dump on Beare Rd is the largest feature in the
Park and in this region, south of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The
hill is up to 120 metres higher than the surrounding uplands.
Vegetation has been planted to naturalize the slopes. From the
top of the hill, both the surrounding Rouge Park lands and
neighbouring urbanization are visible.
Fluvial Geomorphology
Fluvial geomorphology is a study of the shape and form, or
morphology, of watercourses. In an urbanized area, such as that
of the Rouge River system, the movement of water and sediment are
important factors in how watercourses change. Climate and geology
have a direct effect on sediment and water movement, but also
influence fluvial geomorphology indirectly through ground water
and surface water flow.
The Rouge River watershed, the geographic area where all lands
drain into the Rouge River system, is reacting to rapid
urbanization and change. Many sections of the watershed are no
longer stable and are experiencing channel enlargement, largely
due to surface runoff from the impervious surfaces which are the
result of urbanization, and the application of engineered
technology in an attempt to manage the increased flows.
Cultural Heritage
The human history of Rouge Park goes back over 10,000 years.
Palaeolithic nomadic hunters, Iroquoian women farmers, early
European explorers, and the multicultural suburban population
that you see around the Park today are all part of this history.
History
Since humans began living in the area of the present Great LakesSt Lawrence Lowlands in Ontario, many groups of people made the
lands and waters now protected in Rouge Park their home.
The river and its valleys, uplands, forests and wetlands, along
with the animal and plant species that lived here, sustained
small nomadic groups, and later on larger, permanent settlements
long before the rapid urbanization of the 20th century altered
the landscape dramatically.
Palaeo Indian: 10,000 to 7000 BCE
The beginning of the Palaeo Indian period was marked by the
retreat of glaciers from Southern Ontario 12,000 years ago.
Archaeologists have learned that the people of this period lived
as small nomadic tribes, following caribou herds, which they
hunted in order to survive. The now extinct Mastodon also
appeared to be a primary food source.
Lithic, or stone, artifacts from this time period, such as large
scrapers and tools were used to process animals for food. Large
spear points called "fluted points", referring to the channel
removed from the face of the point to allow a shaft to be
attached, have also been found.
Archaic: 7000 to 1000 BCE
The beginning of the Archaic period was marked by both
environmental and technological change.
A warmer climate encouraged people to shift their hunting and
food gathering habits to take advantage of lakeshore environments
for fish, waterfowl and wild rice. Groundstone woodworking tools
such as axes, adzes and gouges began to appear. Archaeologists
have learned that the people of this time would have used these
tools to manufacture dug out canoes.
There are 31 identified Archaic sites in Rouge Park, all of which
are now located inland. During the Archaic period, the current
shores of Lake Ontario would have been submerged by at least 20
meters from ancestral Lake Iroquois.
Initial Woodland: 1000 BC to 700 CE
Early on, the Initial Woodland period continued trends from the
Archaic. Woodland people still remained in bands and were
relatively nomadic in nature. However, a shift occured with the
introduction of clay storage vessels and bow and arrow
technology. Populations began to grow, causing the need for more
permanent housing, which was used for longer periods during the
year. Also during this time, ritualistic practices became more
elaborate, one example would be the introduction of burial
mounds. There are 8 identified Initial Woodland sites in Rouge
Park.
European Contact: 1650 to 1800
Although the great explorer Samuel de Champlain came to this area
as early as 1615, the first permanent European residence in the
Toronto area was not recorded until 1669. A mission was
established by Sulpician priests at the foot of the Rouge River
arm of the famous "Toronto Carrying Place" trail.
Other notable explorers in the Great Lakes area were Father
Jacques Marquette (1637-1675) and Louis Joliet (1645-1700).
Marquette, a Jesuit priest often referred to simply as "Peré",
French for father, was born in France and came to North America
as a missionary. He became well known by the local First Nations
peoples for his strong interest in their cultures, and learned
many of their languages.
Born in New France, in what is now the province of Québec, Joliet
left Montréal in his early 20s in search of furs, a trade route
and adventures in the wilderness. He drew early maps of this area
and is believed to have drawn the c.1680 map where the name
"Toronto" first appeared.
Peré and Joliet together explored much of the Great Lakes area
and as far South as the mouth of the Mississippi River.
National Historic Resources
Rouge Park is home to one National Historic Site and one National
Historic Event, both of First Nations significance. We cooperate
with the National Historic Sites Alliance of Ontario in the
management of these resources.
Toronto Carrying Place
There are two National Historic resources in the Park. The Rouge
River branch of the "Toronto Carrying Place" trail, is designated
as a Canadian National Historic Event. This was an original
portage route along the Rouge River to the Holland River, linking
Lake Ontario in the south to Lake Simcoe to the north.
This route was created by First Nations peoples, and later used
by early European fur traders, explorers and settlers. The Rouge
River route is not currently marked for the general public, but
the western branch of the route, following the Humber River, has
an official federal plaque. The Toronto Carrying Place trail was
designated by the Historical Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
in 1969.
Bead Hill
An archaeological site with the remains of a 17th century Seneca
Village are part of "Bead Hill", a National Historic Site.
Designated by the Historical Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
in 1991. The site is a sensitive archaeological area and is not
open to the public at this time.
Historical Places
Many of the areas you travel through on our official trails show
evidence of past human habitation. You may see more on your visit
than we can list!
IMPORTANT: Please do not remove, damage or alter any parts of old
buildings or other human-made features, they are part of the
Park's history and it is illegal to remove anything from a public
park. If you have concerns about violations please contact us.
Glen Eagles Vista
One of the most spectacular vista points in Rouge Park, it is
also the site of the former Glen Eagles Hotel. Interpretive signs
there tell of past human habitation of the property and the Park
area.
Non-native species of plants, or straight rows of trees often
mark where old farms and orchards once were.
Many open fields and meadows were once farm lands, aggregate
extraction pits, or cattle grazing areas.
Concrete pieces in streams are mostly remnants of old dams.
Large piles of stones, low stone walls or posts are usually all
that's left of old houses, mills or other buildings.
Many bridges in the Park were built before World War 2.
"Cedarena"
An old-fashioned outdoor skating rink built in the 1920s. Open to
the public for leisure ice skating, weather permitting.
Address: 7373 Reesor Road, Markham.
Concession stand on site.
Music often played during skating.
No skate rentals.
Admission fees apply. Free parking. No public transit access.
Call (905) 294-0038 in winter for info.
Arts & Culture
Markham Museum
The Markham Museum is near Rouge Park in Old Markham Village. The
Museum is a fascinating journey into the past, but Markham Museum
isn't all about history. The Museum hosts exhibits about
international history, science and the arts. Special events, such
as "Applefest", celebrate the area's agricultural heritage. The
historic church and outdoor pavilion are ideal for weddings and
family or company picnics. Indoor rental space is also available.
Varley Gallery
The Varley Art Gallery is also near Rouge Park, on the banks of
the Rouge River. Named after Frederick Horsman Varley, one of
Canada's famed "Group of Seven" painters, Markham Varley Art
Gallery is conveniently located in the historic village of
Unionville, and is a focal point of the heritage district.
The Varley Gallery has changing exhibitions from the permanent
collection and contemporary exhibitions from local, national and
international sources. New ways of seeing and appreciating art
are enhanced through dynamic, hands on art related activities,
including group tours, school programs, courses, workshops and
lectures appealing to audiences of all ages.
Facts & Figures
Rouge Park is Canada's premier urban wilderness park. Over 47 km2
(11,500 acres) in size, it is protected park land in the Rouge
River, Petticoat Creek and Duffins Creek watersheds, in and near
Toronto, Canada's largest city.
The headwaters, or source, of the
are in the Oak Ridges Moraine, an
north of Toronto. The Rouge River
into Toronto, through the marshes
Lake Ontario.
250 km-long Rouge River system
important geologic feature
and its tributaries flow south
at Rouge Beach, and empty into
Some Interesting Facts about Rouge Park
Rouge Park is Toronto's largest park, and is already 13 times as
big as New York's Central Park, or 33 times the size of London,
England's Hyde Park.
Outcrops of rock formed during the last glacial period are found
in Rouge Park and are important to geologists studying seismic
activity, in particular the risk of earthquakes in the Toronto
area. Faults are visible indicating significant earthquake
activity between 80,000 and 13,000 years ago.
Rouge Park is home to the eastern arm of the Nationally Historic
"Carrying Place" trail, which was an original portage route
between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe.
An active farming community is part of the legacy that Rouge Park
preserves, protecting the only rural landscape and working farms
in the City of Toronto.
The mouth of the Rouge River stays frost-free one month longer
than northern areas of the river system on the Oak Ridges
Moraine.
Rouge Park has the largest and best examples of Canada's rare
Carolinian habitat in Toronto and is the only officially
recognized site in the Toronto area.
Inspired by the scenery during the 1950s, FH Varley, one of
Canada's renowned Group of Seven painters, captured the banks of
the Rouge River in Markham on canvas as a lasting memory of their
beauty.
Rouge Park's natural setting has provided filming locations for
decades, posing as a backdrop for an array of landscapes, from
the far north to the bayous of Mississippi. A Canadian filmmaker
had a studio in the Park for many years, filming underwater
beaver activity and simulating birds in flight.
Rouge Park is the only place where the Ontario Greenbelt reaches
Lake Ontario in the City of Toronto.
Our History
The land protected in what is now Rouge Park has a long history
of human habitation. Its natural features and healthy ecosystems
attracted people to the area for thousands of years where they
hunted, fished, farmed and built settlements. In later years,
until the mid-20th century, the rural landscape of the area was
home to many inns and cottages where people came to hike, canoe,
camp and swim.
By 1956, there was strong support from a government body, the
Rouge Duffins Highland Petticoat Conservation Authority, to
protect the land in the valleys as a public park. It would take
almost 40 years for that vision to become a reality.
1990
Province of Ontario announced its intention to create a park to
protect the Rouge River and adjacent lands in Pickering and
Scarborough. It established an advisory committee to prepare a
management plan for the area and recommended actions for
extending the Park into York Region.
1991
The remains of a Seneca village from the 1600s are designated a
National Historic Site. Known as "Bead Hill", this archaeological
site later became part of Rouge Park. It becomes another of the
Park's National Historic resources, along with the eastern branch
of the Toronto Carrying Place Trail.
1994
The Rouge Park Management Plan was created by the Province of
Ontario.
1995
Rouge Park was created. The Ontario government appointed Ron
Christie as Chair of the Park's board of directors, which
eventually became the Rouge Park Alliance. Gord Weeden was hired
as the first General Manager to lead the Park's own professional
staff.
2001
The Rouge Park Alliance approved a management plan for the area
of the Park in York Region.
The City of Toronto recognized Rouge Park's importance to the
health of the City's natural environment when studying its
ecological assets, as part of revising its Official Plan.
2003
The Park created an Implementation Manual to guide the use of
innovative ecological and cultural heritage criteria for
assessing watercourses and habitat protection in newly urbanizing
areas.
2004
The Ontario government donated over 1400 hectares of land,
bringing the total size of Rouge Park to 3800 hectares, or 38km2.
Rouge Park was recognized for its rare Carolinian habitat by the
Carolinian Canada. A plaque commemorating this natural legacy was
placed at Glen Eagles Vista in the Park in Toronto.
2005
The Province of Ontario included a special section on Rouge Park
in its groundbreaking Greenbelt Plan. It recognized the Park's
management plans and Implementation Manual as key planning
documents, as well as the Park's role of protecting a major
biodiversity reservoir for the Toronto area.
Gord Weeden, the Park's former General Manager, was appointed as
Chair of the Rouge Park Alliance by the province of Ontario.
The Ontario Parks Association recognized Rouge Park's
achievements with its prestigious Protecting Tomorrow Today
award.
The Town of Markham amended its Official Plan to implement the
criteria for protecting new Rouge Park lands in this rapidly
urbanizing municipality.
Rouge Park's first Park Map & Visitor Guide was created.
2006
Ontario government dedicated a new natural area to honour longtime environmental activist and journalist, Bob Hunter. The new
202-hectare area of park land in Markham is adjacent to Rouge
Park and became part of the "Rouge Park Family", bringing the
total size of the Park to 40km2.
Rouge Park awarded Premier Dalton McGuinty with our highest
recognition for his government's outstanding support of the Park,
a benefit to all residents of Ontario.
Celebration Forest opens in Toronto to commemorate the lives of
supporters of Rouge Park and those who contributed to the natural
and cultural legacy of the area prior to the Park's formation.
2007
Recognizing Rouge Park's value as "green infrastructure" for the
Toronto area, the Ontario government dedicated 600 hectares of
land in east Markham. This welcome addition of natural lands
helped to bridge the barrier of Steeles Avenue East, and make the
Park 47km2 in size.
2008
Alan Wells was appointed the new Chair of the Rouge Park
Alliance.
Our Vision
Rouge Park will be a special place of outstanding natural
features and diverse cultural heritage in an urban-rural setting,
protected and flourishing as an ecosystem in perpetuity. Human
activities will exist in harmony with the natural values of the
park. The park will be a sanctuary for nature and the human
spirit.
Our Goal
To protect, restore and enhance the natural, scenic and cultural
values of the park in an ecosystem context, and to promote public
responsibility, understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of this
heritage.
Our Objectives
Natural Heritage
To protect, restore and enhance the natural ecosystem of the park
by ensuring the health and diversity of its native species,
habitats, landscapes and ecological processes.
Cultural Heritage
To identify, protect and conserve the cultural heritage features
of the park for their inherent value and depiction of the longterm human use and occupancy of the area.
Land Use
To ensure protection of the ecological integrity and cultural
values of the park through innovative planning, management and
land use in the park and its environs.
Management
To manage the park to ensure the achievement of all park
objectives and to provide for ongoing public involvement in park
planning and management.
Interpretation
To promote knowledge and understanding of the natural and
cultural values of the park, their protection and management
requirements, and their significance, sensitivities and
interrelationships.
Recreation
To provide opportunities for appropriate recreational enjoyment
consistent with other park objectives.