Windsor-Essex leaders testify at senate committee on Ojibway bill

Several community leaders testified on the Ojibway Bill C-248 at the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources.

Windsor West MP Brian Masse MP welcomed Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, Caldwell First Nations’ Chief Mary Duckworth, Friends of Ojibway’s interim president Mike Fisher, Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie, and the University of Windsor’s Urban Parks Hub’s Anneke Smit to Ottawa to testify on Thursday.

“All of the witnesses today were fantastic and emphasized the need to protect these Ojibway lands for the long-term through legislation,” said Masse. “As Mayor Dilkens stated today, it’s absolutely vital that we get this legislation through the finish line and build from there.”

The Senate will continue hearing from witnesses on Bill C-248 and could propose amendments on the geographical coordinates and coming into force after the bill passes.

If there are amendments made in the Senate, these would both be considered non-controversial and would need to go back to Parliament for a final vote. However, this would then allow the Minister of Environment and Governor in Council to make any final changes necessary to the bill to ensure that it is absolutely meeting the needs of the community before the park opens.

To view the testimony from today’s ENEV proceedings visit: https://senparlvu.parl.gc.ca/XRender/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2?fk=640572&globalStreamId=3.