Background on the National Urban Parks Program
Through partnerships with Indigenous governments and organizations, municipalities, provinces and community partners, Parks Canada is collaboratively working to create a network of national urban parks in Canada’s large urban centres. The shared objectives of conserving nature, connecting people with nature and advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples are the foundation of the Interim National Urban Parks Policy.
A designated national urban park represents a large, predominantly natural area situated in or near a major urban centre. The park is formally designated by Parks Canada, developed through a collaborative process, and part of a network of national urban parks. National urban parks are distinct from both municipal parks and national parks. While municipal parks are typically managed locally and national parks are federally administered protected areas, national urban parks are collaborative spaces established through partnerships among multiple land administrators and partners. They bring together protected lands near or within major urban centres, where people live, work, and visit, under a shared approach to stewardship, conservation, and public access.
Background on the proposed national urban park in the Windsor area
The proposed national urban park in the Windsor area reflects the collaborative, partnership-based approach that is at the core of Parks Canada’s National Urban Parks Program. Since 2021, Parks Canada has been working closely with rights-holding First Nations, public land administrators within the Ojibway Prairie Complex and other partners to advance a shared vision for protecting nature, advancing reconciliation, and strengthening connections between people and the natural environment.
The proposed national urban park is located within the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy and protects the nationally significant Ojibway Prairie Complex. The lands intended for designation include protected areas administered by the City of Windsor (302.6 ha), Parks Canada (13.6 ha), the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Ontario Parks (67.9 ha), and Essex Region Conservation Authority (40.3 ha), as well as the 19.2 ha of the former Windsor Raceway property recently acquired by the Ontario Conservation Accelerator. There is potential for additional lands to be added by partners in the future. These areas form one of Canada’s most significant remaining examples of Carolinian ecosystems, including rare Tallgrass Prairie and Black Oak Savannah habitats that are of considerable ecological and cultural importance.
The area supports exceptional biodiversity and plays an important role in regional ecosystem health. More than 50 federally and provincially listed species at risk have been documented within the proposed park landscape, including species such as the Massasauga rattlesnake, eastern foxsnake, and slender bush-clover. The Ojibway Shores, transferred to Parks Canada in 2023, is a crucial connection between the Detroit River ecosystem and the globally rare prairie and Black Oak Savannah habitats of the Ojibway Prairie Complex.
Involvement of First Nations
First Nations involvement is foundational to the National Urban Parks Program. Caldwell First Nation, Walpole Island First Nation, Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, and Chippewas of the Thames First Nation are represented on the project’s Partner Committee, which provides guidance and direction throughout the planning process. Parks Canada continues to work collaboratively with First Nations toward shared governance approaches for lands under its administration. First Nations communities, urban Indigenous residents, and Indigenous organizations have been and will continue to be engaged to help shape the future vision of the park.
Designation and Next Steps
With the federal funding announced in 2025 and strong collaboration among partners, the project is continuing to advance toward designation. The work completed to date, including public and First Nations community engagement, technical studies, and the pre-feasibility assessment, has established a strong foundation for future planning. Next steps include completing the interim operational plan and undertaking additional public engagement before all partners sign a binding designation agreement. As the project moves forward, Parks Canada and partners remain focused on building a national urban park that protects significant natural and cultural values while creating opportunities for stewardship, learning, recreation, and community connection for generations to come.
A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature
The initiative also contributes to Canada’s broader conservation objectives. National urban parks are a key component of the federal government’s efforts to protect more nature while improving access to nature for people living in urban centres. The proposed national urban park in the Windsor area supports the vision outlined in A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature, which identifies the designation of up to 15 national urban parks by 2030 as an important action toward achieving Canada’s terrestrial conservation targets.
Additional Information and Studies:
The project website was launched in November 2022 as part of public and stakeholder engagement, which occurred from November 2022 to June 2023: https://letstalk.citywindsor.ca/national-urban-park-windsor.
The pre-feasibility report, which is the outcome of the first phase in the Parks Canada policy designation process, was completed and released in April 2023: https://parks.canada.ca/pun-nup/potentiels-candidates/windsor.
National Urban Parks program website
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