Windsor West MP Brian Masse says it's going to be an exciting year regarding establishing Ojibway National Urban Park.
Masse says his private member's bill, C-248, will be up for a vote in the House of Commons at the beginning of February, meaning a final vote will be made before it can go to the Senate.
In November, the bill passed the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development.
Masse says if this bill is passed, it could aid in protecting hundreds of endangered species.
"My bill is the real deal in creating a Point Pelee in the City of Windsor whereas the government wants to do some sort of mish match and its a draft, not an official proposal that would have some sort of relationship between the different levels of government and wouldn't be secure to protect the 200 to 500 endangered species."
He says this has the potential to change the general perspective on the City of Windsor.
"It'll open up a new dawn for many young people to get involved and attract people towards our cultures and other areas. Again it'll be our own Point Pelee in the City of Windsor and I think that'll change how the country and the world will look at Windsor when we have a brand new border crossing the Gordie Howe and right next to it a national urban park."
Masse says he has support from several environmental groups.
"It's forcing the government's hand no doubt but at the same time to do it the right way. It's similar to how we are finishing the Gordie Howe Bridge we could have done a cheap border solution like twining the Ambassador Bridge or doing the DRTP to destroy south Windsor but we decided to go ahead with a real solution."
The proposed national park would include Ojibway Park, Spring Garden Natural Area, Black Oak Heritage Park, the Tallgrass Prairie Park, Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve, and Ojibway Shores, a 33-acre greenspace and the remaining, undeveloped natural shoreline in Windsor-Detroit.
With files from AM800's Aaron Mahoney