Endorsements
To Urban Park Guelph
For over 25 years, Eramosa Physiotherapy Associates (EPA) has worked closely with those who
would benefit from a place to be able to walk, hike and cycle in nature to improve their physical
health; people for whom and an outdoor natural environment with native plants & wildlife would
improve mental health and quality of life; people for whom there should be no barriers to access
nature within their community.
The Urban Park Guelph initiative would be an ideal opportunity to improve mental health and
physical fitness of those who visit it. It would improve healthcare outcomes and diminish the
burden on our at-capacity healthcare system. EPA has a long history of supporting our local
General Hospital and see that the addition of an urban park to Guelph would also support and
compliment our current GGH and the addition of a new/second hospital as Guelph’s population
continues to grow.
Having an urban park would be a boon for the Guelph economy, bringing federal investment and
local tourism, generating spending in our hotels, stores & restaurants. It would provide a local
location for visits from school children to learn and experience our local indigenous history and art
and do our part on the path to Reconciliation. It would be a net benefit to the City of Guelph and the
Citizens of Guelph.
Eramosa Physiotherapy Associates strongly endorses the Urban Park Guelph proposal for a
National Urban Park at the former Ontario Reformatory lands.
Yours Truly,
Kristin
Kristin Long, Reg PT , Senior Partner
Jacqueline Sinkeldam, Reg PT, Senior Partner
The Stone Store is pleased to be an endorser of Urban Park Guelph’s vision to see the former Ontario Reformatory lands converted to a National Urban Park. Returning balance to our eco-systems, educating on climate change and food sourcing, and caring about healing, understanding and Reconciliation, are among our core principles.
The opportunity for this National Urban Park to achieve these things is too valuable to be squandered. We challenge our local politicians, the Province of Ontario, and Parks Canada to make this a reality.
Yes! Our Guelph Includes a National Urban Park.
-Erin Copeland
The Stone Store
Dear Urban Park Guelph,
My name is Janice Folk-Dawson. As the Federal NDP candidate for the riding of Guelph, I enthusiastically endorse Urban Park Guelphs’ vision for a National Urban Park at the former Guelph Correctional Centre.
As a community member of Guelph, the Federal NDP candidate, and your future Member of Parliament, I will champion this cause, as it is a rare and special project that will do so many things, for so many people:
● It will conserve nature and mitigate climate change
● It will create a safe space for difficult conversations around the legacy of incarceration of Indigenous men and women
● It will combat our parkland deficit
● It will bring federal investment to Guelph
● And it will not only save healthcare dollars, it will save lives
Climate Change Mitigation must happen, and no effort is too small. Guelph’s National Urban Park will contribute to the city’s green space, providing a place for active programming on ecosystems, climate change, species degradation. It will reduce our ecological footprint, and help us understand our role in, and impact on, the natural world.
Moving toward Healing, Understanding and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Urban Park Guelph understands this, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council have endorsed it.
We need to create safe spaces for uncomfortable conversations.
We need to go beyond merely acknowledging the concept of living beside another culture; we must genuinely work to understand one another.
We need to own our legacy of colonialism and recognize difficult truths.
We need to work toward a future where Indigenous incarceration rates aren’t disproportionately high and where Indigenous Justice systems are respected and valued. A future where every reserve has clean water, and where we own the paths that led to Residential Schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the looting of Indigenous monies by the Crown. We need to understand that our past led to the present; intergenerational trauma, conflict and mistrust.
Guelph Parkland: The City of Guelph Parks and Recreation Master Plan says it all:
“The City will need to rely on more than parkland dedication to meet parkland needs, which may include purchasing land with tax dollars, partnerships or alternative tools and arrangements.”
A collaboration with other levels of government is exactly the sort of creative solution Guelph Parks and Recreation Master Plan calls for and places no burden on the City of Guelph.
Federal Investment: In 2021 Parks Canada announced $130 million toward the establishment of National Urban Parks. One of the parks in process, Windsor’s Ojibway Shores National Urban Park, is set to receive $36 million from the federal government for the first 5 years of operation and $4.6 million a year after that.
Healthcare: The truth is out there. Study after study is proving that parks save lives. Canadian doctors now work with Parks Canada to write prescriptions for access to National Parks. Parks save us money! Just last year, a University of Waterloo study in the Journal of Environmental Research and Economic Health, proved a 1.2 acre park in Peterborough saved the province $4 million in healthcare costs. We need Provincial investment in our healthcare system and we also need creative solutions to reduce the burden on the system. National Urban Parks like the Guelph proposal can be a big part of that solution.
For all these reasons and more, My Guelph Includes a National Urban Park.
Peace and solidarity,
Janice Folk-Dawson she/her
NDP Federal Candidate
Commissioner NDP PLWD
The Ontario Regional Committee of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) is pleased to endorse the project of Urban Park Guelph and their effort to have over 350 acres of the former Ontario Reformatory lands designated as a National Urban Park.
Human health and well-being is directly dependent on thriving natural systems. Healthy ecosystems provide essential services like clean air, water, and soil that supports us. Protecting and restoring these systems is imperative for safeguarding human health and ensuring a sustainable future.
Designating this land as a National Urban Park is an act to support planetary health. This area is home to over 500 species of flora and fauna on the property, including species at risk, and provides an incredible opportunity for ecological restoration.
This site has been enjoyed for over two decades by hikers, naturalists, dog walkers, fishers, bird watchers, canoeists, kayakers, climbers and walkers. Protecting this land would ensure this continues and that it contributes to peoples’ mental and physical well-being by providing opportunities for physical activity and social connection.
We call on all levels of government to join the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Six Nations of the Grand River elected Council in supporting this initiative.
Dr. Mili Roy, Co-Chair, CAPE Ontario Regional Committee
Dr. Sehjal Bhargava, Co-Chair, CAPE Ontario Regional Committee
The Neighbourhood Group, consisting of The Wooly Pub, Borealis Bar & Grille, Miijidaa Café + Bistro, and Park Eatery, proudly endorses Urban Park Guelph's vision to establish a National Urban Park within Guelph's Reformatory Heritage Conservation District. Our support for this initiative is rooted in our commitment to environmental sustainability and stewardship, echoing Canada's aim to conserve 30% of our land by 2030. Furthermore, we recognize the historical significance of this site, once a reformatory where many Indigenous peoples were incarcerated. Preserving their art murals is not only a gesture of remembrance but a vital step towards truth and reconciliation. The endorsement of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council underscores the profound importance of this project in fostering healing and dialogue among Indigenous communities. In solidarity with Urban Park Guelph, we pledge our support and advocacy to realize this transformative endeavor, nurturing a legacy of stewardship, reconciliation, and environmental harmony that will resonate for generations. Sincerely,
Court Desautels
CEO & President
Neighbourhood Group of Companies.
I am writing this letter to express our full support for the efforts of the team to change the Reformatory Lands in the City of Guelph into an Urban Park. As a member of the Alumni Association Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture, I believe that this transformation would be a valuable addition to the community, Ontario, and Canada.
The Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture has a long history of producing highly skilled graduates who have made significant contributions to various municipalities, botanical gardens, and horticultural businesses in Canada and around the world. With over 1235 graduates since its establishment in 1947, our alumni have held positions of high regard and expertise in the field.
We firmly believe that converting the Reformatory Lands into an Urban Park aligns perfectly with the mandate of the Federal Government and Parks Canada to establish fifteen (15) Urban Parks in Canada. This initiative would not only provide a beautiful and accessible green space for the community but also contribute to the conservation and preservation of natural resources.
On behalf of the Alumni Association, Foundation, and our members, I want to assure you of our full support for this project. If there is any additional support or assistance that our membership can provide, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Thank you for considering our endorsement, and we look forward to seeing the Reformatory Lands transformed into a thriving Urban Park.
Regards,
Rowland Cave-Browne-Cave
Chairperson | President
eMerge is pleased to endorse Urban Park Guelph’s vision for a National Urban Park at Guelph’s Reformatory Heritage Conservation District. We understand that long before governments act, it is individuals and not-for-profits that lead the way and catalyze action and change; we applaud Urban Park Guelph for their leadership and their vision for a National Urban Park that addresses Climate Change, Conservation and Restoration, and advances healing, understanding and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. This aligns with our goals to build a sustainable future. We ask all levels of government to work with Urban Park Guelph and all Nations whose traditional territory the park occupies.
Evan Ferrari - Executive Director
The Guelph Provincial Liberal Association supports the establishment of an urban park on the site of City of Guelph’s proposed Ontario Reformatory Heritage Conservation District. Furthermore, we call on the Ontario government to work to facilitate the establishment of the park.
Doug Varley,
President,
Guelph Provincial Liberal Association
On behalf of the Ontario Parks Association and the Ontario Parks Association Foundation, please find the attached letter of support for the ongoing discussions to create a national urban park in Guelph.
Ontario Parks Association including the Ontario Parks Association Foundation and its membership support the addition of new parks and parkland across the province. We encourage the ongoing collaboration of the many community stakeholders, citizen’s voices, City of Guelph staff, and Council to explore what opportunities may exist with this exciting initiative. Ontario Parks Association and our Ontario Parks Foundation take great pride in our motto of “Protecting Tomorrow Today” and adding more greenspace to our communities is helping us deliver that goal.
Sincerely,
Paul Ronan, Executive Director
Ontario Parks Association
The Grand River Environmental Network (GREN) strongly supports the Urban Park Guelph initiative and turning the Ontario Reformatory lands into a National Urban Park.
Kevin Thomason, Vice-Chair Grand River Environmental Network
Trout Unlimited Canada supports the initiative to designate the former Guelph Correctional Centre grounds as a new National Urban Park.
“We support the initiative to designate the former Ontario Reformatory lands a National Urban Park and recognize the value of this space to foster connections to land and water, facilitate healing and reconciliation, and provide opportunities for ecological restoration and connectivity,” said Silvia D’Amelio, CEO.
Trout Unlimited Canada’s mission is to conserve, protect, and restore Canada’s freshwater ecosystems and their coldwater resources for current and future generations. Through its Cooling Streams program, TUC is actively restoring riparian landscapes on the Eramosa River approximately 6 km upriver from the proposed National Urban Park. TUC recognizes the potential for the establishment of conservation corridors linking the proposed National Urban Park with other natural and protected lands and waterways within the watershed and beyond. Trout Unlimited Canada, with the local Speed Valley volunteer chapter, have previously conducted monitoring, assessment, and restoration work on Clythe Creek and the ponds to reduce warming and increase buffering capacity of the present and impending impacts of climate change. Trout Unlimited Canada maintains an ongoing interest in aquatic and riparian conservation and restoration at the proposed National Urban Park.
Trout Unlimited Canada supports the Federal initiative to create National Urban Parks because of their potential role in connecting people with nature, supporting climate resilience, and increasing biodiversity.
Re: National Urban Park Guelph
I am writing on behalf of Anwaatin, an Indigenous-owned nature based solutions consulting company that, provides technical support and opportunities to ensure Indigenous communities are front and centre in fighting climate change. Core to our mission is revitalizing and re-imagining treaty relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities across Turtle Island to enhance and strengthen ecosystems.
We wish to offer our enthusiastic support and endorsement for the Urban Park Guelph project. We are delighted to learn that this initiative has recently received a letter of support from Chief Claire Sault of the Mississauga of the Credit First Nation who are the treaty holders on this land. This letter underscores the significance of this site as a potential space to showcase reconciliation in action.
The Urban Park Guelph project represents an exceptional opportunity to protect our existing natural spaces within the city using a braided, two eyed seeing approach. We firmly believe that all levels of government should support this endeavor and that all planning for the future of the site and the remaining buildings should happenthe guidance of the Mississauga of the Credit First Nation. Such an approach would exemplify reconciliation in action and has the potential to create a centre for all people to learn about the importance of our land relationship, and our inherent responsibilities to protect Mother Earth.
This site holds the potential to become a gathering space for healing, conservation, restoration and learning that showcases the vital role of Indigenous leadership in creating the transformed future that is needed by all people. This could become a central gathering space in central Ontario to exemplify what Indigenous-led really means. One of the Urban Parks key objectives is to protect the natural and cultural components of the former Ontario Reformatory lands while ensuring public access and advancing Indigenous reconciliation. By establishing an Indigenous-led or Indigenous comanaged urban park in Guelph, there is an opportunity to address historical wrongs and contribute to the ongoing decolonial and reconciliation efforts. This initiative is a vital step towards braiding a future together that acknowledges the past while focusing on a more equitable, harmonious and abundant future.
We are pleased to note that Urban Park Guelph is seeking an urban park designation through a federal program initiated in 2021, which aims to create urban parks across the country by 2030. Given the rich natural elements of the site and its potential for stewardship and education projects, this designation aligns perfectly with the project's goals and we strongly urge that it is granted.
We are thankful that the Urban Park Guelph has formed under the collective desire to preserve nature, history, and promote Indigenous reconciliation, all while ensuring the public's accessibility to this culturally and environmentally significant land. The establishment of an Indigenous-led urban park on the former Ontario Reformatory property in Guelph is a commendable and necessary endeavor. While the project is still in its early stages, we are confident that with ongoing dialogue and collaboration, it will create a lasting legacy that honors the land's history and its potential for healing and community growth.
The proposed boundaries for the Urban Park also align with the proposed heritage conservation district approved by Guelph's city council. This provincial designation would provide additional safeguards for the historical aspects of the property while granting the city greater authority in partnership with Mississauga of the Credit First Nation over future development while maintaining continued public access.
We encourage all Guelph residents to actively engage in this dialogue, ensuring that Indigenous voices and perspectives remain central to the development of this urban park and that this remaining natural space is protected for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Steven Nitah- Indigenous-led Conservation Advisor,
Mary-Kate Craig - Nature Based Solutions Advisor,
Don Richardson - Senior Technical Advisor
OPIRG Guelph is pleased to endorse Urban Park Guelph’s effort to establish a National Urban Park at the site of the former Ontario Reformatory. We call on the City of Guelph, and the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario to work with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Urban Park Guelph to achieve this on a site that will promote biodiversity and offer education about climate change, conservation and restoration. We recognize that this former prison was a site of pain and suffering and that is a just end to use it to advance Reconciliation and Healing. And we appreciate that National Urban Parks must provide free public access and be accessible by active transportation. We ask Minister Guilbeault to approve this site as one of Canada’s next 15 National Urban Parks.
The Guelph Off-Road Bicycling Association is pleased to endorse Urban Park Guelph’s vision for a National Urban Park at the former Ontario Reformatory.
We applaud every effort to preserve public access to natural spaces and are excited by the possibilities presented.
GORBA recognizes the injustices of colonial influences and the hardship forced upon our Indigenous partners and we embrace the fact that this proposal is designed to advance Healing and Reconciliation.
Lorenz Calcagno
President
Guelph Off-Road Bicycling Association
CFUW (Canadian Federation of University Women) Guelph applauds Urban Park Guelph's initiative in submitting an application to the Federal government to create a National Urban Park on the former Ontario Reformatory grounds. Our club is happy to endorse this proposal which will preserve and protect local cultural heritage, contribute to our awareness of local indigenous history and protect a diverse ecosystem adjacent to the Eramosa River. The citizens of Guelph will benefit for many years by having such a nationally designated green space within our city.
KAIROS Guelph, a multi-denomination social justice group associated with KAIROS Canada, endorses the proposal for a National Urban Park within the Guelph Innovation District. We feel it both meets the key criteria of such a park and contributes to our social justice mandate by:
conserving Nature along the Eramosa River corridor, thereby also contributing to the maintenance of the river's good water quality;
providing access to Nature for the adjacent urban population, boosting the local community's love of and respect for Creation; and
fostering reconciliation with the Indigenous community as the site's history offers the opportunity to learn of various injustices.
Wildlands League is supporting a new initiative in Guelph to create a National Urban Park. Local residents and leaders have been behind this for many years and this fall, the initiative got a big boost from the creation of a new local group. Urban Park Guelph is dedicated to building a National Urban Park on the former Ontario Reformatory Grounds. Wildlands League has also thrown its support behind this exciting initiative.
“The Guelph site has so many ingredients for a National Urban Park,” says Anna Baggio, Wildlands League’s Conservation Director. “It is within one of the most ecologically diverse and least protected regions in Canada. It has huge public endorsement and could play a critical role in reconciliation with Indigenous People.”
Wildlands League
complete Wildlands League Press release is at https://wildlandsleague.org/news/wildlands-welcomes-nup-initiative-in-guelph/
Some lines in support of Guelph’s National Urban Park:
We can lose our souls
as the city grows
because these our souls
are most frequently
are most easily
found in nature’s arms.
Greg Kennedy
Executive Director
Ignatius Jesuit Centre
Guelph Cycling Club is proud to endorse the vision of Urban Park Guelph for a National Urban Park that conserves Nature, advances Healing and Reconciliation with indigenous Peoples and preserves public access to the lands of the former Ontario Reformatory.
Our club recognizes the land on which we ride is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinnabe, the Haudenosaunee, and the Attawandaron peoples, and acknowledges our shared responsibility to respect these lands and their resources, as those have come before us have long done so.
Kevin Bodbyl, President, Guelph Cycling Club
Guelph Urbex Walking Tours supports and endorses the Urban Park Guelph initiative to have the Guelph Correctional Centre (GCC) Grounds, formerly the Ontario Reformatory (OR), designated as a National Urban Park.
The GCC grounds are an integral part of Guelph history and longstanding part of the community, where many locals have enjoyed the space for its walking trails, fishing ponds and gardens.
The structures on the land, which were built by inmates, should be preserved and remembered as a significant historical landmark in Canada as part of this Urban Park. This once world-leading reformatory gained international acclaim for its innovative treatment of inmates by focusing on reform.
Over the past 3 years, we have welcomed thousands of people from all over the world on our historical tours of the grounds. There is clearly a want and a need from not only the local Guelph community to see this space preserved, but also for those all across Canada, and around the world, to enjoy this space as part of Guelph as a tourism destination.
The structures and the grounds should be preserved, remembered, and enjoyed by all for years to come.
We believe the best way to accomplish this, is to have the GCC/OR lands designated as a National Urban Park and hence why we support and endorse the Urban Park Guelph initiative.
Pollination Guelph is a charitable organization with a focus on protecting and expanding habitat for pollinating insects. Vigorous and sustainable populations of pollinators need natural areas that offer a diversity of habitats including woodlands, wetlands, riparian areas, meadows and forests. All of these are to be found on the grounds of the former Ontario Reformatory in central Guelph making this a rare and invaluable site for an Urban National Park. In addition, the site now supports a wide range of wildlife, includes heritage buildings and is well connected to the trails and parks that comprise Guelph Natural Heritage system. Pollination Guelph strongly supports the designation of the site as a Parks Canada Urban Park.
Re-purposing old infrastructure and creating biologically and socially rich spaces. Urban Park Guelph is a brilliant concept whose time has come. Big shout out to the people and organizations that are moving it forward. It can’t happen fast enough.
Gavin Dandy Executive Director- Everdale Community Teaching Farm
At its meeting of November 22, 2023 the Guelph Climate Action Network (GCAN) formally recorded its support for the Proposal for a National Urban Park for Guelph.
The concept of an articulated system of public park spaces and trails, already well developed, fully accords with and advances the goals and objectives of GCAN, and many other community organizations committed to securing a sustainable future for our urban community.
Guelph Climate Action Network
The vital biodiversity, cultural heritage, natural beauty, ongoing scientific research opportunities, and carbon sink supported by the OR lands are a treasure that must be protected for future generations. The Rotary Club of Guelph’s Environment Committee wholeheartedly supports the application to turn the OR lands into a National Urban Park.”
Rotary Club of Guelph Environment Committee
Co-chairs Irene Szabo and Carolyn Weatherson
Rare Charitable Research Reserve supports the efforts for a National Urban Park as promoted by Urban Park Guelph.
Tom Woodcock, Ph.D, Planning Ecologist
Stephanie Sobek-Swant, Exec. Dir. , Rare Charitable Research Reserve
Thank you for bringing forward this timely idea for an Urban National Park in Guelph anchored at the former Ontario Reformatory. I support this effort and would be happy to explore the potential for partnership as the land site could become contiguous to The Arboretum. The Arboretum, University of Guelph, includes plant collections, old growth forest, wildlife gardens, and a nature centre for education, which connect to the Reformatory Heritage Conservation District through the trail network.
Justine Richardson | Director
The Arboretum | University of Guelph
Yorklands Green Hub fully supports and endorses Urban Park Guelph’s initiative to have Parks Canada designate a National Urban Park on the former Ontario Reformatory lands.
For over a decade Yorklands Green Hub has championed conservation and stewardship on this land through events, walks and programs, and people report great benefits from accessing this unique cultural and natural heritage landmark. Connecting with nature along the trails, meadows, lakes and streams supports mental and physical wellbeing and showcases the rich cultural heritage of the site. It would be a huge benefit to the City of Guelph and the surrounding area to have this designated a national urban park. Understanding the centuries old human imprint on the flora, fauna, Indigenous and institutional history of this urban, green and watery corridor informs our sensibilities for a more resilient future.”
-Lynn Bestari and Norah Chaloner, Chair and Vice Chair Yorklands Green Hub
The OR has a long history as a healing place for people, often the marginalized, who benefitted from being surrounded by and interacting with nature. Preservation of this history within a national park where a diverse urban tree canopy shades citizens as they play, learn and grow as stewards of nature is a metaphor for our future.
Guelph Urban Forest Friends (GUFF) supports the application to be a National Urban Park with enthusiasm and without reservation!
John Ambrose, Karen Boothroyd, Christopher Campbell, Ben Cullen, Clare Irwin, Karen McKeown, Sue Rietschin
Guelph Urban Forest Friends
The Guelph Hiking Trail Club wholeheartedly supports the s's application for National Park status of the Ontario Reformatory landmark heritage site.
Our club has worked fully endorses the opportunity to connect this unique Guelph property with our extensive trail network.
John Fisher President, Guelph Hiking Trail Club
Nature Guelph’s long-standing relationship with those living in Guelph and its surrounding areas have demonstrated to us the value of preserving natural landscapes for people and for conservation, especially if those lands are easily accessible. The lands proposed for the Urban Park area are well known to those who live in this region as they have been used as a meeting place by generations of families. Whether to celebrate together, or engage with nature and its natural spaces, the Heritage lands offer lifelong learning opportunities as we build our connection to the natural world and each other. From the new Canadians who have participated in our programming, Nature Guelph has come to appreciate as well, that learning about local plants and animals and how to access local greenspaces, has helped newcomers orient to our community, learn English, form networks and gain a better understanding of Canada – and feel at home.
From an ecological perspective, the Heritage property provides an opportunity to protect lands encompassed by mixed meadows, streams, ponds, including their wooded trails, from the ever-expanding urbanization which has and continues to severely diminish and fragment the forests and wetlands of Southern Ontario.
For these reasons, Nature Guelph members are eager and excited to support this National Urban Park initiative and to assist in its stewardship into the future. We believe that continuing to preserve these lands will benefit our residents and the region’s natural communities, while also providing an opportunity for all Canadians to wonder, marvel and learn about the natural, historical and cultural heritage of this wonderful landscape.
Nature Guelph
There are many interesting opportunities to embrace both the rich natural and heritage features and to engage in restoration projects rich through a lens of Truth and Reconciliation. Having collaboration across all levels of government could make this possibility a reality.”
– Arlene Slocombe, Director, Water Watchers
Now, more than ever, people need more access to nature in their neighbourhood - their naturehood. Focus on Nature, a local charity that connects kids to nature, recognizes the benefits that children experience by having natural areas close to home. We heartily support the Urban Park Guelph initiative. It will give all Guelph citizens, young and old, access to significant natural heritage in perpetuity.
Simon Bell, Focus on Nature
Guelph Outdoor School supports the Urban Park Guelph initiative to designate the OR lands as a National Urban Park. It would establish Guelph as a leader in ensuring equitable access to natural spaces, and it is a crucial investment in ecological and community health, needed now more than ever."
Chris Green, Director, Guelph Outdoor School
Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation fully supports the application of Urban Park Guelph for the Ontario Reformatory Lands to be designated as a National Urban Park. Our Mission is to increase the quantity and quality of active transportation infrastructure in Guelph. This park and protection of the trails will be a great asset to Active Transportation network connectivity to the nearby future planned Guelph Innovation District (GID) which builder Fusion Homes are envisioning as "A City within a City " with potentially up to 6000 residents and new jobs and businesses (see link below).
This park would also potentially connect the existing residential area North of York road as we are advocating for a crossing under or over the GO/ Metrolinx tracks directly across from the Reformatory entrance at Cityview Drive off York road. , which would re- connect that part of City. The City is currently examining this crossing and others. GO /Metrolinx is also very interested in increasing Active Transportation to Guelph Central Station as there is limited parking which reduces passenger uptake.
Additionally, we have advocated for an extension of the TransCanada rail Trail to Victoria road which would then connect to the planned Multi Use Paths on York from Victoria road to Watson road / city limits. The Parks Master Plan includes and prioritizes this extension. When all of these connections are implemented we will have a much safer and enjoyable Active Transportation network alternative and I can envision many new residents and current residents bike riding to the downtown and GO station using safe and enjoyable Active Transportation.
Local and regional bike tourism is also becoming increasingly popular and with the aforementioned trail connections this National Urban Park destination will also be connected to our Trans Canada Trail and the 130km Guelph to Goderich rail Trail (G2G).
This National Urban Park and the protection it offers to trail connectivity will be a huge asset to making our City an even greater place to live, work and play and attract new residents and businesses which will be a huge economic driver. “
-Mike Darmon, President, GCAT, the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation
The Guelph Historical Society is pleased to recognize the efforts of Urban Park Guelph to advance a National Urban Park at the former Ontario Reformatory/Guelph Correctional Centre.
Not only is this site a host to natural and heritage features, and an opportunity to advance Indigenous Reconciliation. The national, provincial and municipal histories represented here align well with the Guelph Historical Society's mandate. The Guelph Historical Society wholeheartedly endorses Urban Park Guelph's aims for a National Urban Park in Guelph.
David Cameletti, President, Guelph Historical Society
Guelph/Wellington Coalition for Social Justice is honoured to support the application for the Ontario Reformatory Lands to be designated as an Urban National Park. Urban Park Guelph has an amazing vision of public use and enjoyment of this unique, heritage landscape.
Securing this property will add to our needed green spaces for this region and would also be a terrific way to boost Guelph tourism and in turn boost our small businesses, just as Elora is supported by many tourists seeking a breath of fresh air.
Karen Rathwell, Mark Berardine, John Lawson -co-chairs, Guelph / Wellington Coalition for Social Justice
GWCSJ membership includes:
University of Guelph-Central Student Association
Council of Canadians
Guelph Wellington Health Coalition
Guelph and District Labour Council
KAIROS (Guelph)
Ontario Public Interest Research Group -Guelph
Retired Nurses Association of Ontario -Wellington Chapter
Teachers Federations:
ETFO – Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario
OECTA- Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association
OSSTF- Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation
RTO – Retired Teachers of Ontario
Wellington Water Watchers
Fair Vote- Guelph
Citizen's Climate Lobby
Guelph Climate Action Network
The Justice and Outreach Committee of Dublin Street United Church endorses the proposal for a Yorklands Urban Park compatible with the plans for the Guelph Innovation District. Access to nature, offered by the Eramosa River corridor, is a critical factor in learning to live with respect in Creation. Given the history of incarceration at the proposed park, we also appreciate the potential for advancing reconciliation through greater understanding of injustices inflicted on Indigenous peoples.
On behalf of Architectural Conservancy Ontario, I support the designation of the Ontario Reformatory lands as a National Urban Park. The unique history of the landscapes and buildings on the OR lands make it a unique public treasure. The beautiful landscapes are a wonderful resource for citizens of Guelph and elsewhere to enjoy nature and outdoor activities. The heritage buildings can be used to explore the history of the site and to tell the story of prison reform and training. This site is significant, not only in Guelph and Ontario history, but in Canadian history as well. It will be a natural and heritage treasure for all people.
-Susan Ratcliffe, Chair, Guelph and Wellington Branch, Architectural Conservancy Ontario
The Unitarian Congregation of Guelph and its members heartily support the creation of a new national park in the City of Guelph, on the lands of the former correctional institute. Protected parklands are, among other things, desirable community assets. They can help make Guelph more economically vital and more attractive as a place to visit, live, and start a business – even to attract needed professionals such as doctors. The parkland can also provide a place for today’s urban families to connect with the natural world, helping create more ecologically-connected citizens in the long term. In a city where intensification has rapidly been increasing, a protected parkland can also form an important corridor connecting natural zones and a vital location for conservation of local flora and fauna. For all of these reasons, we are strongly in support of a national urban park in Guelph.
Helen Prinold, President
Stride and Stretch, a local hiking group, fully supports and endorses Urban Park Guelph’s initiative to have Parks Canada designate a National Urban Park on the former Ontario Reformatory lands.
For almost 10 years, Stride and Stretch has championed conservation and stewardship on this land through events, hikes, paddling the Eramosa Rive close to the area and group yoga classes. Our members praise the benefits of this unique cultural and natural heritage landmark. Connecting with nature along the trails, meadows, lakes and streams supports mental and physical wellbeing and showcases the rich cultural heritage of the site. It would be a huge benefit to the City of Guelph and the surrounding area to have this designated a national urban park.
