New land added to Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Todd McCarthy, Ontario's environment minister, came to Uxbridge last week to announce an addition to the Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park.

McCarthy said 23 acres will be added to the 1,315 acres already set aside for the park, which was opened two years ago. The additional land, transferred from Metrolinx, sits at the southwest corner of Hwy. 47 and Concession 6.

Mayor Dave Barton said the park is a community effort and is critical to the economic development of Uxbridge.

The announcement was made on the property of local philanthropist John McCutcheon because the land being transferred is currently filled with nesting birds. Finance Minister and local MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy said the park would not be feasible without McCutcheon's donations.

"Metrolinx has jumped on the McCutcheon bandwagon," Bethlenfalvy said.

McCarthy also announced that the park, the first urban provincial park in the province, will have its own crest, as do all the 115 other provincial parks.