Another step forward for the Ojibway National Urban Park.
After the federal government pledged $36.1-million over five years to establish the park as part of the 2024 federal budget, Bill C-248 has passed second reading at the Senate of Canada.
It now moves to the Environment Committee for additional hearings with witnesses in support of the park, but this was the biggest hurdle the bill had to clear.
Windsor West MP Brian Masse introduced the private members' bill to create the Ojibway National Urban Park, and it had been at second reading in the Senate since early June 2023.
Under bill C-248, the Urban Park would be created under the Canada National Parks' Act with full protection provided under federal law and the highest level of commitment from Parks Canada.
The proposed Ojibway National Urban Park would be over 900 acres and include Ojibway Shores, Ojibway Park, Spring Garden Natural Area, Black Oak Heritage Park, the Tallgrass Prairie Park and the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve.
Masse originally expected the second reading to take place in the Senate on Thursday, but senators were dealing with a lot of other bills that had been stalled and Bill C-248 came up for a vote early.
"This bill belongs to all of us in our community, and it also belongs to this country. For us to have this next step is significant, very positive, and especially with yesterday's announcement of funding allocation we have another hurdle completed to make this the reality," he said.
Masse says the next stage in the process is similar to when the passed in the House of Commons, where witnesses will come forward and an overall analysis of the bill will be completed.
"It gives us an opportunity to have a park similar of stature, regulation, and also funding like Point Pelee. That's the way that we want to go, we don't want a longer policy process that they're just making up. What we do deserve is a national park that is equal to all others, and that's what this bill is about."
He says it could be fairly quickly that we start to see the next stage where the Environment Committee takes up the bill for debate.
"Because the committee I'm told is finishing up other business, and I've had a number of meetings with senators in the last number of weeks up here. It's been going very good with regards to the discussion of the bill. And I'll be looking forward to all of our partners as part of this process providing testimony as to why the legislation is good, and on top of that, if there's ways to improve it we're open to that too," he said.
While the timeline is still fluid, Masse says it's entirely possible that this could finally become law by the late summer or fall.