TORONTO, ON, Thursday, June 9, 2016: “On behalf of the staff and volunteers at the Toronto Zoo, I want to commend the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and the Federal Government for taking these actions today which brings us one step closer to protecting the first urban national park in Canada,” said John Tracogna, Toronto Zoo’s Chief Executive Officer.

The Toronto Zoo is situated at the gateway to the new Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP) and looks forward to an ongoing collaborative relationship with Parks Canada as we work together to save and protect some of Canada’s most vulnerable and endangered species and their habitats in this Park. The Rouge National Urban Park is home to many species of fish, turtles, insects, reptiles, mammals and plants and we have a shared responsibility to ensure their ongoing survival for future generations.