Park Features

Boyd Conservation Area is an oasis at the edge of the city. Located in the City of Vaughan, just north of Toronto, the steep-sided Humber River Valley and tall trees offer a quiet refuge to the public. When combined with the Kortright Conservation area just to the north, the Boyd Ecological Complex is 2,500 acres of greenspace.

The Ministry of Natural Resource's records indicate the historical presence of one provincially endangered and two provincially threatened species within the area. The park contains 11 mammal species, 10 amphibian and reptiles, at least 237 plant species, 28 of which are species of conservation concern. The park represents the southern limit for many species.

The Park forms part of the Humber River natural heritage system. On September 24, 1999, the Humber River was designated as a National Heritage River. Construction of the Pine Valley Extension and bridge threatens this national treasure. Proposed construction activities could involve de-watering in excess of 50,000 litres per day. Other threats include stormwater run-of, erosion, siltation, contaminant spills, construction impacts, groundwater contamination and impacts on local wells. The Humber River in Boyd Park supports the nationally threatened redside dace, an exceptional fish that leaps into the air to snatch its prey. The site also contains robust wetlands that sustain numerous species and biological functions.

According to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the Pine Valley Drive Link will negatively impact the larger ecological function of the Humber River natural heritage system. The solution is to include Boyd Park as part of the province's proposed Greenbelt, connecting this treasure to a larger, provincial-scale natural heritage system, called NOAH. NOAH would connect our province's most essential environment features, from the Niagara Escarpment, to the Oak Ridges Moraine, north to Algoquin Park, and finally to the Adirondack State Park in New York State.