Category Archives: Wild in the City

There have been over 10,000 years of known human activity in the Rouge Valley, site of the new ROUGE NATIONAL URBAN PARK.

Bead Hill National Historic Site is the only known remaining and intact 17th century Seneca Village. It is located along the historic Toronto Carrying Place Trail, and was home to an estimated 500-800 people for about 22years. Considered a fur trading site this in the new National Park is not open to the public, nor easily identified; the fragile nature of the remains suggests that it be left for the professionals to study, for the moment at least!

The even earlier ‘Woodland’ people have left evidence in 8 identified Initial Woodland sites, with later populations recollected in 31 Archaic sites in Rouge Park. There was a lot of human activity before the Europeans arrived.

All the more reason that the careful protection of Parks Canada is required now more than ever…