MP Brian Masse is celebrating after the Liberal government agreed to support his private members' bill to create the Ojibway National Urban Park.
"This is a good development because we want the bill to be united with all of parliament and the more we get on board the better to get it through the Senate right away and get it done before the Gordie opens up because we only have a limited amount of time," said Masse.
Previously, the Liberal party did not support the private members' bill because it had launched its own process to develop national urban parks at locations throughout the country. While this process has not been completed there were some discussions about whether the parks would be protected by legislation.
"We want this to be done right. My process is actually the legislative process. The one that they were looking at, they still hadn't figured out what it was," said Masse. "It was going on behind closed doors and didn't have the safeguards that we wanted and it didn't have the partners."
The bill is scheduled for third reading in the House of Commons at the end of April. This is the final step in the legislative process before it goes before the Senate.
"When all of parliament speaks in favour of something it sends a message to the Senate. We're already working with the Senate as well, so that will make sure that, hopefully, it will go really quick through the Senate," said Masse.
The Ojibway National Urban 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.
Property purchased outside the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve, April 6, 2023. (Photo by Maureen Revait)
As part of the process to create the park, the Federal government has just purchased a home on Titcombe Road. The house is just outside the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve, across from Ojibway Park. The property will become a part of the park's development.
