City officials continue to question how they can best protect animals in the Ojibway Parkway area.
A report was presented to the Environment, Transportation and Public Safety Standing Committee with an update on the Ojibway Ecopassage Project, as well as to put forward $30,000 to conduct a study for new passage opportunities in the Malden Road corridor - which was approved by the committee.
The study showed that the existing ecopassage tunnel near Herb Gray Parkway has been successful - with a number of animals crossing it. However, the slotted tunnel for snakes to pass through have not been utilized by the reptile.
A follow-up report to study current movement is now required to find preferred crossing locations, which has been ordered as part of the Ojibway National Urban Park project.
The study also showed potential solutions for ecopassages on Matchett Road and Malden Road to re-establish a connection between Ojibway Park and Spring Garden Natural Area, which showed that a wildlife overpass structure is the most practical.
Kieran McKenzie, ward 9 councillor and committee member, says he's concerned about the snakes not using the established passage.
"If it's not the most effective tool to help protect that wildlife, then I want to make sure whatever it is that we embark upon is something that's going to have the intended effects."
Karen Cedar is a retired Naturalist for the city, and is working with the city on the Ojibway National Urban Park project, and says it will take time for the snakes to use the tunnel.
"That ecopassage was again put in through the MTO [Ministry of Transportation] construction of the Herb Gray Parkway as one of their compensation things that they had to do. The snakes were not already necessarily moving across the road at that location, so we're just kind of waiting to see if they will see that there is a new place, but it's not a pattern that was already established. So, that will take some time."
Cedar says Windsor has a lot of "at risk" species that need to be protected.
"So we do have a lot of extra responsibility that other areas, and municipalities don't have to deal with. That being said, the City of Windsor, we've been working for decades to do everything that we can to protect these species, to provide them the habitat that they need because at the end of the day they just need space to live."
Wildlife ecopassage crossings connect habitats and populations as well as reduce wildlife road mortality.
This future report findings, along with the previous eco-passage review, will provide an overview of ecopassage needs for the Ojibway National Urban Park. Direction and funding by Parks Canada will be required to implement the preferred ecopassage solutions.
Despite approval from the committee, it will still require final approval from city council.