The Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change was in Saskatoon Wednesday morning to launch a new program supporting the creation of a network of national urban parks.

Parks Canada signed a statement of collaboration with the Meewasin Valley Authority to explore the potential for a national urban park in the Meewasin Valley. Jonathan Wilkinson says at this stage $130 million has been set aside for the program which is committed to protecting biodiversity and conserve 25 per cent of land and inland waters and 25 per cent of marine and coastal areas in Canada by 2025.

Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark says, “Today’s announcement by the federal government is a testament that the Meewasin Valley Authority model can become a national model for balancing conservation of crucial habitat with public access to natural spaces and carefully managed development. We continue to expand partnerships in the region and with Indigenous partners. A new partnership with the federal government would create an opportunity to strengthen this work.”

The federal government says Canada’s National Urban Parks Program is part of a broader southern strategy of restoration that includes natural infrastructure, tree planting and regeneration of wetlands, and is vital in the fight to stem the tide of rapid biodiversity loss.

In addition to the Meewasin Valley, Parks Canada has signed statements of collaboration with the municipalities of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Parks Canada is also working with others to identify potential urban park sites at various locations, including the greater Edmonton area , Colwood, British Columbia; Windsor, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec.