The Ward 1 city councillor is confused how the creator of the private members bill, Bill C-248 to establish Ojibway National Urban Park, was left out of a federal announcement.
Fred Francis is taking a clear stance after learning that Windsor-West MP Brian Masse had not been invited to the federal government's announcement on Monday.
The announcement was based on the completion of the Ojibway Shores land transfer from Transport Canada to Parks Canada.
Part of the Ojibway National Urban Park is located in Francis' ward, however, he was also not invited to the announcement.
He says things would not be the way they are without Masse.
"Let me be clear, Ojibway National Urban Park would not happen if it wasn't for the efforts of Brian Masse," Francis said.
Francis says he doesn't understand how there could be an announcement of any sort on the Ojibway file without Brian Masse being present.
"It just doesn't make any sense to me personally to be honest with you only because I know the amount of work this guy's put into it. To exclude him from an event, if it was by accident or whatever. I don't know it can be done by accident. Everyone knows the history on this file."
Francis says he's giving credit where it's due.
"I think the announcement is fantastic. I have to give credit to Andrew Dowie and the provincial government for transfering that land over to Parks Canada, he said. "I think it's another step in the process of the Ojibway National Urban Park."
Francis added that he did not get an invited either even though parts of Ojibway fall under his ward.
"You know I'm just a city councillor. You know I don't necessarily expect to get invited to things like this even though they are in your ward. I mean usually you do. Doesn't happen all the time," he said. "But for someone like Brian who's been working on this for year after year after year at the federal level, who's really championing this and pushing this across the finish line, I think it's much more important that he gets invited than anyone else."
Masse told AM800 that he was invited last minute by Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh, after Dowie learned Masse wasn't invited to the event.
Bill C-248 will be debated on Friday for the final time before going to a vote on Wednesday, April 26.
If passed next week, the proposed Ojibway National Urban Park will be over 900 acres wide and would include Ojibway Shores, Ojibway Park, Spring Garden Natural Area, Black Oak Heritage Park, the Tallgrass Prairie Park and the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve.
-With files from AM800's Rob Hindi, Meagan Delaurier & Rusty Thomson