The federal government re-affirmed its commitment for the creation of an Ojibway National Urban Park over the weekend.
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, made the announcement Saturday morning at the Ojibway Nature Centre.
Guilbeault said, once designated, the park will become part of the "national network" along with other Parks Canada stops across the nation.
An additional $4.6 million annually in funding for operations was announced, on top of the $36.1 million over five years as outlined in the last federal budget.
Windsor West NDP MP Brian Masse told CTV Windsor that the announcement was "good" news, but it lacked the proper next steps to reach the finish line.
"The City of Windsor has not got to the point where its transferring the lands because there's still work to be done with Parks Canada, and then there was some issues over how do you do so without the frame of legislation, where my frame of legislation provides the roadmap for that," he said.
He said he spoke with mayor Drew Dilkens on Friday and learned there was no agreement in place between the city and the federal government.
"What does it mean for the city taxpayers?," Masse asked.
"What does it mean for the legal agreements? What does it mean for who actually operates it? Under what types of environmental protection laws take place between a municipal and provincial and federal? Those are all the things that need to be asked."
A private members’ bill presented by Masse passed second reading in the senate last April and is now in committee.
Masse says legislation is still needed to ensure the park’s designation.
"I do know that my legislation creates the law of the boundaries, which are then actually even they're scoped out to the point of where they're then included under the umbrella of Parks Canada law," he said. "So, so you can't just do that without changing legislation."
Masse's bill won't see any movement until Parliament's possible return later this month.
And in the event an election is called, Guilbeault said the funding has already been secured.
-With files from CTV Windsor's Robert Lothian