Frequently asked questions

Rouge National Urban Park has a portfolio of over 300 properties in their leasing portfolio. Properties range from a single field with no assets to properties with a house, outbuildings and fields, or any combination of the three. The majority of these properties are currently leased to tenants.  

Parks Canada involves third party appraisals to determine the rent rate for these properties, based on the local market rate, condition of the property and any assets and division of responsibility between the tenant and Parks Canada. Rental rates are advertised at the time of an individual property becoming available for re-occupancy.

Wheat, soy and corn are some of the major crops that are grown at Rouge National Urban Park.

Applicants are required at minimum to complete a financial fitness test, provide references, complete a background check, and appear at a mandatory site visit to any property they wish to be eligible for.

An evaluation board comprised of Parks Canada staff with expertise in the agricultural, commercial and residential fields will determine if each proponent meets the criteria for each individual property available for occupancy.

The Government of Canada is committed to creating opportunities for Indigenous businesses to succeed and grow.  One of the key steps in this commitment involves setting an annual target to award at least 5% of the value of all federal contracts to businesses owned or led by Indigenous peoples. If you are an Indigenous individual, business or organization, please indicate this on your General Interest Form including if you are registered with the Federal Government Indigenous Business Directory.

While Parks Canada does give preference to commercial businesses that align with Rouge National Urban Park’s Management Plan, all completed commercial submissions will be considered. Commercial business examples in the management plan include short-term stays such as a ‘bed and breakfast’, or food and beverages operations such as a cafe. If a property is listed under the Request for Proposal section, specific criteria will be posted, including types of businesses best suited for the particular address.

Parks Canada will contact proponents by email or phone. Please ensure your contact information is accurate on your submitted forms and immediately update us if there are any changes.  

When your General Interest Form is received and accepted by Parks Canada, you will be contacted for future properties that become available to the general public. This includes applicable addresses advertised as a Request for Proposal (RFP). When completing the General Interest Form, be sure to select your notification preference and Parks Canada will notify you accordingly. We only accept forms which are completed in full and include your contact details.

If you are not the chosen applicant for a specific property, this will not prevent you from participating in any future leasing opportunities. You do not need to re-submit a General Interest Form in order to continue to be contacted for future properties. However, if your interest or criteria significantly changes after you have submitted your initial form, please contact us with an update. At that time, we will let you know if a new form is required. 

There is no commitment to the awarding of a lease agreement on behalf of Parks Canada. Respondents to this expression of interest process should not earmark facilities, nor allocate resources as a result of any information contained in this inquiry process.