As we count down the days until the arrival of spring, we eagerly await the revival of the greenery and wildlife in our community. Here in our southeast corner of Scarborough we are especially fortunate to be surrounded by serene landscapes and the forestry of the Rouge National Urban Park. The park is our very own urban oasis, providing all of us with a welcome break from our daily routines.

For those of you who are planning ahead on your busy spring calendars, I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to join my team as we host our annual Spring Walk in the Rouge National Urban Park on Saturday, April 28 at 9:30 a.m. Our Spring Walk will begin at the Rouge Valley Conservation Centre (1749 Meadowvale Road) and will be guided by some of the knowledgeable staff from Parks Canada. This walk will be as educational as it is enjoyable, and will give the members of our community a chance to further explore a number of the park’s exquisite ecosystems. Our annual Spring Walk is family friendly and we encourage everyone to come join us!

If you are looking to enhance your Rouge Park experience, you can download “The Rouge” app for free to your smartphone or tablet devices. Created in partnership with students from the University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus, The Rouge app provides individuals with up-to-date information about park trails, allows users to track their progress through the park using a GPS-based virtual tour guide and receive real time notifications about local plant and wildlife sightings.

Finally, for those of  you who require income tax filing assistance, my office will be offering free tax clinic services to qualified members of our community every Wednesday evening from March 14 to April 25. Kindly contact our office via email or telephone for more information or to register for one of our free tax clinics.

If you would like to meet my team and me, you are always welcome to contact my office at 416-283-1414 or Gary.Anand@parl.gc.ca. My office staff are eager to hear your ideas, assist you with federal services, answer your questions and notify you about our upcoming events in the community!