Uxbridge Urban Provincial…

Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park ERO submission Jan 24, 2025

Comments relating to Provincial Park Preliminary Management Plan

General
Positive to know that this project is already included in the numbers for protected land for the national/federal Biodiversity Plan? (ie 30 by 30). It should be made clear in future public information if it hasn’t already.
Section 1.2
The level of involvement in the planning process of the Chippewa and Mississauga; section 7.1.3 and 7.1.4 in particular First Nations and notably the Kawartha Nishnawbe needs to be made public.

Section 3.3

I appreciate the protection of life science values for the park, especially with and in concern of the devastating harm the proposed 413 will do to the Nashville Reserve. There needs to be an added caveat to prevent expropriation of the Uxbridge park lands for future provincial development, beyond the scope of current provincial and Oak Ridge Moraine legislation. I ask this given the protection that is currently in place for the Holland Marsh and the Nashville Reserve but this hasn’t stopped the province from moving forward on plans that will cut through their sensitive wetlands and create future salt pollution runoff into our headwaters.
I appreciate the consideration given to ecological connectivity and indigenous values (surface and groundwater) and would like to know what this means logistically in more detail for the planning team.
Recreation
I strongly agree with non-motorized vehicles, except for those which are ZEV with accessibility permits and limited to specific trails.

Section 5 Summary of the Pressures
This section could also include increased human pollution ( eg. garbage) and land expropriation by province.

Section 6 Zoning
Park access zones - Keep new creation of parking spaces if at all, to very limited encroachment into the parkland. Greater consideration should be given to public transit stops and bike stands.
Where parking exists, this should include solar/geothermal EV charging bike stations that promotes the use of pedal assist electric bikes and scooters.
Development - D2 Highway 47 - 3.2 ha
Every effort should be made to protect ‘in perpetuity’ this section of the park to prevent future highway expansion or residential/commercial adjacent development as this will impact the integrity of the Planning vision and values, and ultimately potentially impact the natural and watershed integrity.
Ensure public parking access is not on Concession 5 adjacent to the marshland, again for protection from human pollution and salt run off.

Section 7.1 Resource Management policies
A subsection policy on ‘soil’ and maintaining its integrity, berm management etc should be included.
Section 7.2.2
I strongly support some designation of slow ‘quiet’ trails
Lookout access to the sensitive marsh/swamp lands should consider how close the lookout is in order to maintain the integrity of the marsh and protect it from human waste/pollution
7.2.3
Use of ATVs/ other vehicles for Ontario Parks purposes - should indicate where possible the use of ZEVs
maintenance equipment should be listed as electric or alternative energy-driven.