Visitor, learning and community centre
This future flagship visitor, learning and community centre will welcome people to Rouge National Urban Park and help foster understanding, appreciation and stewardship of the park. It will create a space where visitors and residents can learn about the Indigenous, natural, cultural and agricultural heritage of the park, and Parks Canada’s role in protecting places from coast to coast to coast.
Location
Team
Project lead
Architecture, engineering and landscape design
Architecture, engineering and landscape design is guided by Toronto-based architecture firm Moriyama & Teshima Architects, in partnership with Six Nations of the Grand River-based Two Row Architect and Toronto-based Studio Ian Gray.
- Moriyama and Teshima Architects
- Two Row Architect
- Studio Ian Gray
Visitor experience and exhibit design
Visitor experience and exhibit design, fabrication and installation is performed by Montreal-based firms cadabra and Daily tous les jours.
Public engagement
Public engagement is designed and facilitated by Toronto firm, PROCESS.
Timeline
The future Rouge visitor, learning and community centre will orient visitors, be a gathering place, and offer learning through integrated interpretive installations and design. The story of this place began many years ago. See what has been done so far and what is coming next.
Current stage: Concepts
| Stage | Description | Milestones |
| Site selection 2014 to 2019 |
The culmination of a five-year search, two feasibility studies and significant public, Indigenous and community engagement. | August 2019: Parks Canada and the Toronto Zoo announce the location of the future Rouge National Urban Park visitor, learning and community centre. |
| Studies Spring and summer 2020 |
Studies and assessments, including geotechnical, environmental impact, archaeology, and tourism market assessments completed. | Fall 2020: Site studies and assessments completed to better understand the site and its visitors and identify opportunities and constraints. |
| Initiation Fall 2020 |
Design consultants responsible for architecture and visitor experience are convened through an open, transparent and competitive process via the Government of Canada www.BuyAndSell.gc.ca | August 2020: Parks Canada tenders contracts for architecture and visitor experience design December 2020: Parks Canada awards contracts for architecture and visitor experience design |
| Initiation Feb. to Jul. 2021 |
Initial engagement begins with the Rouge National Urban Park First Nations Advisory Circle, park farmers, and community leaders who helped protect the Rouge Valley from development and make the area into a national park. | February 2021: Parks Canada begins meeting with Indigenous partners, park farmers, community leaders. |
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Concepts Jul. to Winter 2021
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Public engagement invites members of the public to review three draft site concepts and share ideas and experiences to shape the final design.
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July 2021: Parks Canada announces launch of public engagement and winning architectural and design firms.
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| Presentation of final design Spring 2022 |
Parks Canada releases a What We Heard Report, summarizing public engagement, and presents a final site concept developed after extensive engagement with members of the public, key stakeholders, park farmers and Indigenous partners | Coming in the future! |
| Detailed design 2022 to 2023 |
Architects, engineers, and interpretive consultants transform the site concept into drawings for construction. | Coming in the future! |
| Construction 2023 to 2025 |
Parks Canada prepares the site, constructs the building, finishes interiors, installs interpretive elements, completes site landscaping and constructs the parking lot. | Coming in the future! |
| Grand opening! Summer 2025 |
Welcome to the Rouge visitor, learning and community centre! | Coming in the future! |
