Windsor Moves Closer to Establishing National Urban Park with Federal Investment
Windsor, ON – Canada is taking a significant step toward enhancing urban green spaces with the development of a national urban park in Windsor. Federal, municipal, and First Nations leaders gathered in the city on Saturday to reaffirm their commitment to the project and announce substantial funding to support its creation and long-term sustainability.
Chief Nikki van Oirschot of Caldwell First Nation, Windsor City Councillor Kieran McKenzie, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, and Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for Windsor-Tecumseh, were among those present for the announcement.
The federal government confirmed an investment of $36.1 million over five years to establish the national urban park, along with $4.6 million in annual ongoing funding to support its operations. This funding will help advance a park designation agreement this year, ensuring long-term conservation and accessibility for the region’s residents.
Ensuring Canadian families can access nature close to home—to play, recharge, & appreciate the beauty in life’s small moments—is at the heart of our Nature Strategy.
We’re working to create a national urban park in Windsor for families do just that—for generations to come. pic.twitter.com/iHZeuskkIx
— Steven Guilbeault (@s_guilbeault) March 9, 2025
The proposed parklands and waterways hold deep cultural and historical significance for the First Nations communities that have stewarded them for millennia. Located within the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy, the national urban park initiative seeks to uphold Indigenous leadership and environmental stewardship while providing Windsor residents with greater access to protected natural spaces.
Since the project’s inception in 2021, it has brought together multiple partners, including Parks Canada, the City of Windsor, the Town of LaSalle, the Province of Ontario, Hydro One Networks, and the Essex Region Conservation Authority. The collaboration aims to enhance conservation efforts, promote public engagement with nature, and advance reconciliation through shared stewardship of the land.
The initiative builds on years of advocacy from local stakeholders and Indigenous groups committed to preserving these lands in perpetuity. As work progresses toward formal designation, the park is expected to contribute to biodiversity protection, climate resilience, and the health and well-being of Windsor’s growing urban population.
This national urban park will be part of a broader federal initiative to create a network of such parks across Canada’s largest urban centres, ensuring that millions of Canadians have access to green spaces while supporting the country’s conservation goals.
