The chess match/power struggle between the province and the feds over Rouge Park continues.

Last week, the feds proudly announced they had started transferring land to the future Rouge National Urban Park in east Toronto despite the fact that the province has publicly refused to hand over two-thirds of the proposed land intended for the national park unless the feds beef up park protections.

A press release from the feds proclaimed the Harper government had transferred over 19 square kilometres of mostly farmland from Transport Canada to Parks Canada, moving one step closer to making this country’s first national urban park a reality.

The press release’s only hint about the current trouble between the two levels of government was its mention of more land coming via “legally binding land transfer agreements” with Ontario and other regional authorities. Interesting.

So will Ottawa be taking the province to court for refusing to hand over its promised 58 square kilometres?

Brad Duguid, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, says the province is standing by a clause in the transfer agreement that stipulates that Rouge National Urban Park Act would have to “meet or exceed” provincial standards currently protecting the Rouge.

Duguid told NOW, “I will not jeopardize the future of these lands by transferring provincially controlled portions to the federal government under this weak legislation.”

ecoholic@nowtoronto.com | @ecoholicnation