Mr. Speaker, Ojibway Shores is an ecological national treasure. These 33 acres of land on the Great Lakes are home to rare flora, fauna, and countless species at risk. The steward of this public property is the Windsor Port Authority, which has tried to bulldoze this property to the ground. However, citizens have united to protect the land named for our aboriginal heritage and to stop unnecessary environmental degradation.
In a classic shakedown, the port now wants $10 million for a 30-year lease to not develop this property. The money is to come from a community benefit fund in one of the most economically challenged areas of Ontario, Sandwich Town. This is obscene. The public should not be asked to pay for land it already owns, and the money should not be taken from a community that needs those funds to reduce poverty, increase health, and protect heritage and a better economic future for those most disadvantaged.
The Prime Minister just approved a new border crossing for a private American citizen, a billionaire. It is time to make amends, protect Sandwich Town, protect the environment, and make sure that we protect those who are Canadian first.