May 14, 2007
OAKVILLE—The McGuinty government is taking action to protect environmentally significant green space and promote healthy, active living in Oakville by transferring 100 acres of parkland to the town.
“Two new town parks in Oakville will create more opportunities for families to get outside and enjoy the outdoors,” said Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, who made the announcement on behalf of Public Infrastructure Renewal Minister David Caplan. “Donating the land for these parks is one way the McGuinty government is building complete communities and a clean, green and healthy Ontario.”
The 100 acres of parkland will help create two new parks within an area known as the Oakville Land Assembly. The dedication of these lands expands on the government’s creation of Ontario’s Greenbelt, which protects 1.8 million acres of green space for families to enjoy for years to come.
“This is good news for Oakville,” said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. “Youth participation in sports in Oakville is very high. We provide fields for Canada's largest soccer club as well as opportunities for minor baseball, lacrosse, cricket and numerous other activities. It is great news for our community that the province has donated these lands to secure their use for current and future residents.”
From the 100 acres, an 18.4-acre parcel will replace Palermo Park. The new park will be located on the north side of Dundas Street, near Highway 25, northeast of Palermo. As part of the town’s 10-year capital plan, this park will include active sports facilities such as baseball diamonds. Construction of these park facilities is expected to start later this year.
The remaining 81.6 acres, between Dundas Street and Highway 407 and east of the Palermo Park location, will be the future site of additional sports fields and related recreational grounds such as illuminated soccer, baseball and general purpose playing fields, as well as entry points to the abutting The Glenorchy Conservation Area.
This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in preserving open space for Ontario families. Other initiatives include:
- Delivering more than 650 acres of ecologically significant lands in the Town of Oakville into the care of Conservation Halton
- Donating more than 200 acres of natural heritage land to communities and organizations across the province
- Protecting 5,500 acres of ecologically significant land in Rouge Park and the new Bob Hunter Memorial Park
- Protecting 180 acres of provincially significant natural heritage lands to create Hamilton’s newest conservation area – Eramosa Karst
- Expanding city parks in Hamilton and Burlington by close to 50 acres
- Providing tools to encourage voluntary efforts to conserve and restore natural areas on private land through the Natural Spaces program.
Greenbelt that stretches across southern Ontario from development, introducing tough new laws that protect our drinking water, producing more renewable energy and doing more to conserve electricity. But we know more needs to be done. That’s why our next step will be the announcement of a climate change plan – a step that will help all Ontarians do their part to make our province cleaner and greener while keeping the economy strong.
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Contacts:
Amy Tang
Minister’s Office
416-325-4048
Gisele Shaw
Town of Oakville
905 845-6601 ext. 3166
