In response to Well being Canada, Canadians spend about 90 % of their lives indoors. In an more and more urbanized panorama, is it any marvel?
Visiting a nationwide park is a luxurious that not everybody can afford. For these residing in city areas, absorbing nature typically requires a protracted drive or flight, to not point out getting break day work. However think about with the ability to go to a Nationwide Park for a weekend tenting journey, on the finish of your 9-5, and even throughout your lunch break!
What Are Nationwide City Parks?
No person wants nature greater than these residing in city areas. Consider Nationwide City Parks as sanctuaries from the very worst city-living has to supply: claustrophobic commutes, the scent of air pollution, the concrete jungle. These city inexperienced areas are key for biodiversity and local weather resilience, in addition to hotspots for individuals who wish to join with nature near residence.
Simply check out Rouge Nationwide City Park close to Toronto, which opened in 2015 and protects and showcases a wide range of vital ecological and cultural websites from forests, to fields, to wetlands. This city oasis is inside driving distance for one-fifth of Canadians—sure, you learn that proper! The park is greater than 20 occasions greater than Central Park in New York Metropolis and affords thousands and thousands of Canadians an opportunity to profit from all that nature has to supply.
City Parks have many advantages for Canadians, equivalent to…
- Defending and conserving wildlife habitat
- Connecting folks with nature
- Enhancing psychological and bodily well being
- Supporting Indigenous reconciliation
- Offering greenspace for marginalized folks
- Mitigating local weather change and excessive climate
- Providing alternatives for nature and cultural schooling
Canada has made a historic dedication to city nature
In 2021, the Minister of Setting and Local weather Change and Minister for Parks Canada put an thrilling new program in movement that can assist the creation of Nationwide City Parks all throughout the nation.
Canada is lastly recognizing the worth of entry to inexperienced house for all Canadians, together with city-dwellers. Too typically, in city areas, racialized and marginalized folks have much less entry to city parks and tree cowl than in richer neighbourhoods.
A Nationwide City Park could also be coming to a metropolis close to you!
Potential websites for Canada’s latest Nationwide City Park embody:
- Colwood, British Columbia
- Meewasin Valley, Saskatchewan
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Windsor, Ontario
- Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia.
Virtually 72 % of Canada’s inhabitants lives in city areas. As city sprawl claims essential habitat for wildlife and devastates biodiversity, it additionally diminishes our alternatives to attach with and find out about native nature.
Creating new protected areas for nature, like Nationwide City Parks, is likely one of the most important methods to cease the destruction of habitat that’s driving species to extinction. As of 2018, ecological integrity is both secure or on the rise in almost 83 % of Canada’s Nationwide Parks and different protected areas.
Canada has a objective to guard 30 % of our land, freshwater and ocean by 2030 to assist halt and reverse nature loss. Lots of the most important areas that want safety are threatened by city enlargement—that’s why the Nationwide City Parks program is crucial in reaching our nature safety targets.
Wish to assist shield city nature? One of many best methods to become involved is by signing up for updates in order that we are able to let you realize what steps you possibly can take to assist pure sanctuaries in our city facilities. Signal as much as obtain updates on how one can shield nature close to you and throughout the nation.
