A call to move faster on Ojibway National Urban Park

Windsor West MP Brian Masse’s Bill C-248 has been in senate since early last year.

“Do we want to have it the right way or do we want to have something that somebody can take away later on?” asked Masse.

An important question to ponder.

Masse said that under the bill, the Ojibway Urban National Park would be fully protected by the federal government under the Canada National Parks' Act and supported by Parks Canada.

“If we don't get this then we can see what happened with the Greenbelt in the province of Ontario or other political shenanigans where the park could actually be developed in the future,” warned Masse. This is why Mike Fisher, chair of the National Urban Park Committee for the Friends of Ojibway Prairies, is calling for action to move the bill forward as soon as possible.

“Parks Canada comes in. They would take ownership of the land and operate it in the national urban park model,” Fisher explained.

Inflation, affordability, and housing are all important topics of the day, but Fisher is hoping the Private Members' Bill, which went through its first reading last April, is not overlooked.

“We'd really love to see it get through as soon as possible because there's a lot of planning that needs to be done for the process with Parks Canada,” Fisher said.

City Coun. Kieran McKenzie would also like to see the process move forward knowing there is a lot to do if, and when, it does.

“Figuring out all the actual original land mass. The administrative processes that need to happen in terms of the transfers I think are all important parts of it,” McKenzie pointed out. “We want to see it happen sooner rather than later.”

Masse said the process needs to fulfill itself and there is widespread bipartisan support for the bill. However, the Senate doesn't provide timelines on when bills are read.

“I appreciate the interest in keeping the focus on this because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Masse said.

The bill would make the urban park equal to other national parks like Banff and Jasper, according to Masse, because of its environmental legacy.

“We deserve a new Point Pelee and the City of Windsor and other areas because of the uniqueness of it and we shouldn't accept anything less,” said Masse.