Ojibway urban park bill reaches next stage
A day after the federal government included Ojibway National Urban Park in its 2024 budget, a Windsor member of Parliament's urban park bill cleared second reading in the Senate on Wednesday, moving it a step closer to becoming law.
Bill C-248, MP Brian Masse's (NDP — Windsor West) private member's bill, now advances to the committee phase for further assessment before returning for a third and final vote. If approved, the new legislation would guarantee the same level of protection as other national parks, such as Point Pelee National Park.
“This opens the door for permanency,” said Masse, who has been at the forefront in efforts to see a national urban park in Windsor become a reality.
“It's about following the rule of law to actually create a park that's national in scope, the proper way,” he told the Windsor Star.
“This is proof that if you work hard, and you build good relationships with people, and it's done with respect, you can get stuff done in politics. It's exciting, because without the bill, all we have is a public policy that's being made up on the fly.”
In February 2022, Masse proposed his private member's bill to legislate a national urban park for Windsor. Until the Senate's decision Wednesday afternoon, the bill had been held up in the second reading phase since October.
Masse's bill was originally scheduled for a vote in the Canadian Senate in Ottawa on Thursday, however, it was a surprise to many when it passed a day earlier.
“It was a big surprise and I'm very grateful,” said Masse.
“I don't think that there were any objections at all. I think it was unanimous, because I didn't hear any nays, just yeas.”
Enshrining Windsor's national urban park — the second of its kind in Canada — into federal law would safeguard it against potential unravelling by future governments, said Masse.
Although there is room for celebration, Masse said advocates need to continue “working on this and showing our love for this project to the senators.
“It's not victory laps or ribbon cuttings right now, because the time is right to actually do this properly and stay focused.”
The bill will now move forward to the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources for examination.
“They'll look at the bill, and they'll see whether they have any amendments,” Masse said.
“They'll have a chance to cross-examine the witnesses, just like the House of Commons. Then they'll either pass it or fail it, and then send it back to the Senate for a main vote.”
The Senate's vote this week came a day after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland introduced the Liberals' 2024 federal budget, which includes earmarking $36.1 million over the next five years for Parks Canada to create a fully operational Ojibway National Urban Park in Windsor.
The budget also sets aside an additional $8.25 million for amortization and $4.6 million in ongoing funds to manage the urban green space.
Earlier on Wednesday, local nature groups gathered with MP Irek Kusmierczyk (L — Windsor-tecumseh) at the Ojibway Nature Centre to celebrate the Windsor national urban park's inclusion in the federal budget — giving the long-awaited dream the go-ahead through Parks Canada.