Dillon was retained by Parks Canada to provide trail planning services for Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP). The North Eastern Trails Area Conceptual Routing and Trail Design included a detailed assessment of existing and potential trail routes in the north eastern section of the park.
The North Eastern Trails Area, or the North Eastern lands, is generally described as the lands east of the York-Durham Line, south of Webb Road, and northwest of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The majority of the North Eastern lands are within the City of Pickering, but a small portion of the lands are within the Township of Uxbridge.
The purpose of this assignment was to build on work already completed and underway in North Western Trails Area of Rouge National Urban Park specifically related to trails and the relationship of trail routing to other aspects of the park such as agriculture, natural and cultural heritage and visitor experience. The study also dovetailed work that inventoried and assessed viewscapes and cultural, natural, and agricultural resources within the Park.
The scope of work summarized in North Eastern Trails Area Conceptual Routing and Trail Design included:
- Investigating all proposed routes and route options in the field with Parks Canada staff
- Accompanying Parks Canada staff on some of the consultations with key stakeholders
- Reviewing and refining trail route concepts with the RNUP management team and functional staff
- Preparing detailed trail alignment mapping
- Documenting design requirements for each proposed trail segment
- Preparing an estimate of the trail investment for this part of the park and the related assumptions used to derive the estimate.
Parks Canada staff used the results and recommendations of this work to continue to engage surrounding municipalities, stakeholders, lessees and landowners as part of refining and implementing trail routes in the North Eastern part of Rouge National Urban Park. This work will also form the basis of the Scope of Work and technical requirements for the next stages of conceptual and detailed trail design.