There's still hope for the creation of Ojibway National Urban Park.
Windsor West New Democrat MP Brian Masse says he sees a difficult but very possible path forward for his private members' bill, Bill C-248, which passed second reading in the senate last April, and has been in committee ever since.
The bill requires amendments to be passed according to Masse, who says the bill would then be sent back to the House of Commons for final approval in order to become law.
The concern over the bill stems from prime minister Justin Trudeau proroguing Parliament before announcing he was resigning after the Liberals choose a successor.
During prorogation, all government bills effectively die, while private members' bills are generally preserved, unless Parliament is dissolved for a general election, when the bill would have to be reintroduced from the beginning.
Masse says he's been working with Senators on the bill but needs to move fast once Parliament resumes in late March.
"So I will have a plan in place to be acting right away, just like I had coming up when we weren't prorogating because we have limited time to get it done, so I'll be doing that."
Masse says should an election be held and he is reelected, he would immediately get to work drumming up the support needed to get the national urban park established.
"Thank goodness we were able to get the transfer from the port, Ojibway Shores, then we also have other benefits coming forth with some budgetary allocations that were supported to actually get the ball rolling. So no matter what we have a cornerstone to build upon, but I just don't want a cornerstone, I want the entire foundation of a national park in Windsor and Essex County."
Mike Fisher, president, Friends of Ojibway Prairie says he's remaining optimistic about the future.
"All of our local MPs, whether it's been MP Masse, MP [Irek] Kusmierczyk, MP [Chris] Lewis, they've all supported this and been very much champions, so we're hopeful under whatever government that we will get the national urban park established and hopefully with the legislation we're looking for, and hopefully with the funding that was promised earlier [in 2024] in the federal budget."
Parliament resumes on Mar. 24.
-With files from AM800's The Dan MacDonald Show with guest host Kyle Horner
