Windsor city council is moving forward with the process to address water flow issues on Peche Island, but a decision on how to pay for the near $1 million in work won't happen until the city's 2026 budget deliberations.
Council voted during Monday's meeting to begin filling out the paperwork for the lengthy permitting process required for the approvals from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Sediment has been building, clogging the water flow in a canal beneath the legacy bridge on the island, located in the upper Detroit River near the mouth of Lake St. Clair, and there's concern that if the work is not done soon, the lack of water flow will turn the inland ponds into a wetland and create major hurdles for restoration in the future.
The decision comes after Mayor Drew Dilkens issued a directive on November 6 under Ontario's strong mayor powers asking city administration to report back to council on the issue facing Peche Island.
Dilkens says they really have just one chance to get this right.
"What I heard from city council today is that they actually want a report back, and they want us to start filling out the paperwork to get the approval from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to be able to move forward, looking at dredging at least the access point to get water flowing to the inland canals and talking about a rock revetment that would actually protect the sediment from building up in the future," he says.
Ward 10 Councillor Jim Morrison says he supports the effort.
"For us to actually be serious about this and preserving it, I think this is something that goes way beyond our time on council, we're preserving something that is really unique and important to keep, because we could lose it," he says.
Ward 6 Councillor Jo-Anne Gignac wanted to know about the impact on city projects.
"So by budget time and our consultation at that point, if we could know what might have to be delayed for a couple of years to ensure that island will be there in 50 years or 25 years even, I'd appreciate that," she says.
The city's natural areas management program capital fund currently has $290,119 available that could be used for the work.
Peche Island is a 79-acre island owned by the City of Windsor and is a municipal park that is accessible by boat.
The island was purchased by Hiram Walker in 1883 before being sold in 1907.
The whisky maker used the island as a summer home, and his buildings included a stable, a large home, a greenhouse, and an icehouse.
The City of Windsor acquired the land from the province of Ontario in 1999 and has worked to protect the property while adding a naturalized island park with walking trails, docking facilities, picnic tables, and a washroom.