Environment Committee on Oct. 28th, 2022

[Chief Mary Duckworth]

Meegwetch.

The vision—and we've talked about the vision for Caldwell First Nation through our indigenous lens—is to be able to protect the land. It's to be able to ensure biodiversity. It's really important for us, knowing that the bridge is there too, and ongoing, and that we are exploding with housing. The vision is to have that green space so that when you come off that bridge and it's really hot outside, you can come down and go into the national park and you'll feel it and see it and the water.

I see it as I explain it to you, but the vision is for all of us, not just for Caldwell, so I say meegwetch.

[Fred Francis]

Thank you for the question.

The vision really is to connect Ojibway to the last piece that's missing right now onto the Detroit River. From our perspective, from the city's perspective, we have an opportunity to create something that's going to make not only Windsorites but all Canadians proud, and for decades to come, and not only for now, but to continue to improve it throughout the decades. It really would be something 50 years from now if future generations of Canadians would look back and say, “They really did something good here.” That's our vision.

[Mike Fisher]

From the Friends of Ojibway perspective, we'd really love to see a solution that represents our community and that is very collaborative, with all parties working together on something that we as a community can be proud of. Ultimately there would be legislation for protecting endangered species in the ecosystems and something as expansive as possible to provide a large footprint to protect corridors and allow for the protection of species. To reinforce what's been said, we'd really love to see something that the community can be proud of, something that's legislated and ensures optimal protection for ecological integrity and provides as wide a footprint as possible, because we want to protect as many lands as we can.

Thank you very much for the question.

[Janet Sumner]

Thank you very much for the question. I'm actually going to quote a young person I know. When he was eight or nine, sitting in Rouge National Urban Park with the meadow around him, he said, “It's so quiet here.”

He didn't have a screen in front of him. He didn't have anything that he was playing with. He just had the ability to absorb the quiet and appreciate the species that are there. That park is surrounded by development. It has Highway 401 running through it.

My vision and my hope is that Windsor will have this great a jewel. I think my experience with the Windsor process is that everybody starts to stand up and come to the table and wants to make this the gem that it can be. It's just an incredible parcel of land. I've walked various parcels, and that shoreline is amazing.

We also have American friends who have come to see it, and they are looking with great hope for Rouge National Urban Park to be created. They see it as a sanctuary for birds.

That's my vision and that's my hope for Windsor.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you. That takes us right up to four minutes. That was a nice wrap-up.

Thank you, Ms. Thompson. Thanks to all the witnesses who shared their perspective on this project. Thank you, Mr. Masse.

We'll be doing clause-by-clause study on November 15. On November 1 we will dive into Bill C-226 on environmental racism. We'll go on with that and then come back to this bill on November 15

Thank you, everyone, for participating. Have a wonderful weekend.

The meeting is adjourned.