Port Authority jump-starts Ojibway National Urban Park
It was a pivotal day for the creation of the Ojibway National Urban Park.
“Today does mark a moment in the development and creation of the Ojibway National Urban Park,” said Port Authority CEO Steve Salmons.
The Port Authority is promising to donate two parcels of land in Ojibway shores, totaling 10 acres, to Transport Canada and Parks Canada. The land is valued at about 4-million dollars. The real estate will be combined with 16 acres of Crown land.
“What is happening at the same time right now is negotiations, discussions between Parks Canada, Transport, and Port Authority, on the transfer of those three parcels of Crown lands,” said Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk, who is looking forward to making an announcement on that acquisition soon.
The Ojibway Shores area is about 33 acres, 26 of which is land with roughly seven acres of shoreline waterfront.
Two years ago, the federal government selected Windsor as one of six communities in Canada to build a new national urban park.
Kusmierczyk wouldn’t confirm nor deny speculation that landowners in the area of the proposed park are interested in offering their properties.
He did say he hopes the boundaries of the park will be bigger than what was originally planned for.
“I really hope that other land owners, private property owners, public property owners, step forward and be part of really, truly, this legacy that we are building here for generations to come,” Kusmierczyk said.
The Port Authority land transfer will not come with any financial gain, but it does give the Port an opportunity to be environmental stewards.
“If we are going to disrupt a shoreline for the necessary and essential construction of a port to move goods and services across our port we have a duty to replace that 2 to 1,” said Salmons.
The Port Authority plans to do that by committing to further develop seven acres of waterfront in the future into a fish habitat on their dime.
“Windsor has some very exciting and significant plans that we’ll be announcing over the next few months that will most likely obligate us to develop the shoreline and to replace the work we’re doing,” Salmons said.
Kusmierczyk hopes the project, which he said is on an accelerated timeline, can be done as soon as possible. He doesn’t anticipate the park taking more than two years to create.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Saskatchewan isn't remitting the carbon tax on home heating. Why isn't my province following suit?
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
RCMP officers had no legal authority to enter man's home, make arrest: B.C. court
A B.C. man has been found not guilty of assaulting two RCMP officers – with the court finding he was resisting an "unlawful entry and arrest" in his home before he was tasered, taken down and hauled away in handcuffs.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.