Windsor’s mayor says the city has taken a major step toward creating the Ojibway National Urban Park.
Council unanimously signed off on an agreement in principle with Parks Canada on Monday, and the federal agency is now working to get the remaining landowners on board.
Drew Dilkens says community support for the national urban park is unlike anything he’s seen, adding the city has spent decades acting as a careful steward of the sensitive Ojibway lands.
"We've worked with the federal government to bring their piece together, the Ojibway Shores piece, the provincial government is working to add their piece as well," Dilkens said.
"The federal government's responsibility will be operating as a single unit and stitching together those disparate pieces of land so that people who visit the national urban park have this seamless wonderful experience which was the goal from the very very beginning, and we've now made the next step forward."
The Carney government unveiled its $3.8 billion nature protection strategy on Tuesday, outlining plans for new national parks, urban parks and marine conservation areas.
Dilkens said all levels of government remain committed.
"The money is there which shows the federal commitment, you know the city is committed, you know the province is committed, now it's just about bringing the parties together, everyone can continue to own their own land but we'll put it into a pot and have it managed by one body, that being Parks Canada," he said.
Dilkens said the final agreement could come together within the next few months.
"The agreement in principal spells out a lot of the essential terms on how we're going to move forward," he said.
"I think Parks Canada just needs to get that agreement in principal signed by all the other land owners as well. This ought not to be a difficult task now, and certainly Parks Canada has been really great to work with. We've had some wonderful partners around the table. There's a good spirit of cooperation."
A private member's bill to form the Ojibway National Urban Park was put forward by former Windsor West New Democrat MP Brian Masse.
Bill C-248 had passed the third and final reading but was stuck at the committee level before the federal election was called in March 2025.
In March 2025, the federal government had pledged $36.1 million over five years to establish the park, along with $4.6 million in annual operating funds.
-With files from CTV Windsor's Gary Archibald and AM800's Rusty Thomson