All council candidates recently received a very short questionnaire from a concerned taxpayer regarding the Ojibway Park area. As with all other questionnaires I have responded to, in my attempt to be open and transparent, here are my responses:

1) Do you support the Big Box development directly adjacent to Ojibway Prairie?

The city of Windsor has conducted a study named the Commercial Land Use Policy. The study concluded Windsor is oversaturated with commercial spaces and no new commercial development is needed without first using up existing empty spaces. Also, Windsor-Essex has less than eight percent forest coverage, the lowest in all of Ontario.

Having spaces like the Ojibway Prairie are not only beneficial from a recreational and environmental standpoint, but also an educational standpoint. In that small space are rare species of plants and animals that do not exist elsewhere. We do not need another commercial space.

For the time being, the pending development would need to be stopped first and then we need to look more in depth at how to preserve and protect that area from future development. It isn’t just Ojibway that is threatened by encroaching development, but also the Spring Garden ANSI, Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park and Black Oak Heritage Park.

2) Would you be willing to reverse the decision of the Big Box development Windsor made in 2007?

When elected, not only would I be willing to reverse the 2007 decision to permit the big box development, I would also be willing help you convince the other councillors that preserving the lands is the most beneficial solution for Windsor. If you view my platform, including my ‘Green Jobs Policy’ and my ‘Let’s Help Windsor Grow’ Municipal Food Plan, my goal is to help convert Windsor into the green Mecca of North America. Sensitive lands such as the Ojibway Prairie, the Spring Garden ANSI, Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park and others are integral to achieving that vision.

3) Would you be supportive of creative solutions to alleviate the issue above i.e. land swaps, partnerships, etc.?

I absolutely would be supportive of creative solutions to alleviate the issue. However, to ensure this does not happen again, we need to instil a new mentality at City Hall and eliminate the old “any development is good development” way of thinking.