The Ontario Conservation Accelerator has secured 19 hectares of the old Windsor Raceway site to broaden the area for the proposed Ojibway National Urban Park.
With this new addition, the park will cover 443.6 hectares, which includes land from Parks Canada, the City of Windsor, the Province of Ontario, and the Essex Region Conservation Authority.
“It’s literally right next door, and it’s right across from those provincial lands which are so significant. So we’re really thrilled, and we hope that this is the continued growth of the footprint of the park,” said Charlotte Le Frank of Friends of Ojibway.
Parks Canada provided $11.2 million to help with acquiring this property. Additional funding came from Friends of Ojibway and private donors associated with the Ontario Conservation Accelerator.
“We’ve achieved this amazing first step of protecting this land, permanently, so it can become a part of this park,” said Kristyn Ferguson, Managing Director of the Ontario Conservation Accelerator. “We’re thrilled now to be a part of this amazing partner committee. We were welcomed so warmly into the fold and we’re discussing with all partners what the future of the park could look like.”
The initial phase involved cleaning up a site that has been empty for several years.
“The site hasn’t had a lot of active management over the last several years so when our partners who are taking us take care of the park, Parks Canada, Friends of Ojibway Prairie and local volunteers went in they found 1,800 kilograms of garbage,” said Ferguson. “They worked together to pull that out of the site which is really the first step towards that restoration where we can now start to think about what else does the site need to bring it back to that thriving ecological condition.”
Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature Julie Dabrusin visited Windsor for announcing this land acquisition. She noted that Parks Canada is in its “final stages” regarding designating this as a new National Urban Park.
Next steps include creating an interim operational plan, engaging with public and First Nation communities, and establishing designation agreements among partners.
<p“Today’s announcement represents a significant leap forward in our collaborative effort with partners to designate a national urban park in the Windsor area. The acquisition of 19 hectares of former Windsor Raceway land, along with other lands being considered by municipal, provincial, and federal partners brings us closer to making this vision come true as we enter final stages for designation," said Dabrusin. "I am proud to work alongside our many community partners and First Nations to protect nature advance reconciliation and ensure that more Canadians-especially those living in urban areas-can experience benefits from being outdoors while feeling connected to nature.”
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