Windsor West MP commends transfer of Ojibway Shores to Parks Canada, but upset over delays
Days after the announcement of a land transfer of Ojibway Shores from the Windsor Port Authority to Parks Canada Windsor West New Democrat MP Brian Masse is thankful the process is finally complete, but upset about continual delays to establishing a national urban park.
“Open the park before the Gordie Howe bridge does so that we can have a full plan in place to get this done,” said Masse Wednesday.
The member of parliament has long been advocating for the land transfer of Ojibway Shores, noting he even provided the Windsor Port Authority with instructions about how to transfer the land four years ago, steps that are only now being taken.
But he says the port authority has been insistent on getting land in return for giving up Ojibway Shores.
Under the title transfer, 26 acres of land will go into the hands of Parks Canada and become part of the proposed Ojibway National Urban Park. The Port Authority will retain seven acres of shoreline to restore as a fish habitat.
Masse’s private members’ bill to establish the Urban Park — Bill C-248 — is set for third reading in parliament on April 19, where it’s expected to pass and move onto the Senate for review.
The proposed Ojibway National Urban Park would include Ojibway Park, Spring Garden Natural Area, Black Oak Heritage Park, the Tallgrass Prairie Park, Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve and Ojibway Shores.
Masse says years-long heel dragging on this land transfer puts the urban park opening by 2024 in jeopardy.
“Four years ago, I gave them a process that could have been done to transfer this land. It was not followed. It was delayed by greed. And we have witnessed shoreline erosion that's very significant on Ojibway shores,” said Masse.
“And that delay also is undermining our ability to actually get this process completed before the Gordie opens up.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.