THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2022 Deidre NEWMAN for MAYOR Working for Whitby deidrenewman.ca Happy Canada Day! Happy day CHris LeaHy & steve yamada regional Councillor Chris Leahy leahyc@whitby.ca 905-706-0720 regional Councillor steve yamada yamadas@whitby.ca 905-706-1587 #1 VOTED BBQ CENTRE IN DURHAM! FESTIVAL DAYS, PATIO NIGHTS, TRAILS, BEACHES, THEATRE AND MUSIC YOUR GUIDE TO SUMMER FUNSUMMER FUN YOUR GUIDE TO YOUR GUIDE TO YOUR GUIDE TO DURHAMREGION.COMDURHAMREGION.COM Ever since the COVID-19 pan- demic limited the indoor activi- ties Ontarians could partake in, there's been an increase in people visiting natural areas, many of which are in Durham Region. "I think especially during lockdown periods, people were looking for a safe activity to do, where they could stay distanced from others -- explore parks, hike," said Sarah Simpson, public relations and communications officer for Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP), which is operated by Parks Canada. "Those were all activities people could do so there was a huge appetite for that. We were excited to welcome a lot FOR THE LOVE OF PARKS CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED See 'IN', page 9 KRISTEN CALIS KCalis@durhamregion.com The #ForTheLoveOfParks campaign between Ontario Parks and Parks Canada promotes visitors' shared responsibility for Ontario's natural areas. In 2022, the campaign will not only convey park rules and expected behaviours, but also deepen public understanding of the detrimental effects that negative actions can have on Ontario's natural habitats. Susie Kockerscheidt/Metroland