Matchette Road Corridor
On January 15, 2018, Council through the 2018 Budget process (B25/2018) authorized the Chief Administrative Officer the authority to approve the funding required for the ecopassage study from the budget stabilization reserve fund (to an upset limit of $25,000) if the various sources of potential grant funding did not materialize or were insufficient. After extensive review and research, Administration was not able to secure any funding, therefore the entire $25,000 required to conduct the study will need to be taken from the budget stabilization reserve. As of the writing of this report, Delegation of Authority report CAO 176/2019 has been completed and is pending approval for funding to commence this study.
Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions has been selected from the Environmental Engineering roster to conduct the study. They designed the Eco passages incorporated into the Herb Gray Parkway, which is proximate to the Ojibway Park and Ojibway Prairie Nature Reserve.
The scope of the proposed study includes:
- the analysis of available background data to identify passage/connectivity opportunities as it relates to existing and future constraints (utilities, transportation, natural heritage, etc.) of the corridor,
- identify the appropriate solution(s),
- evaluate available alternative solutions; and
- provide a recommendation with cost estimates.
It is expected that the work will take approximately 3 months to complete, with a midspring completion. The project early stages will commence in the New Year.
Malden Road Corridor
To further promote awareness of Species at Risk road mortality in the Ojibway Prairie Complex as well as along other roads in Windsor and Essex County, WECEC coordinated a Green Speaker Expert Panel on Mitigating Species at Risk Road Mortality.
The event was held on October 30th, 2019 and discussion included current measures taken to protect Species at Risk, as well as Eco Passage project examples and other options to decrease road mortality.
Panel experts included Jonathan Choquette, Lead Biologist – Ojibway Prairie Reptile Recovery from Wildlife Preservation Canada who is currently researching and implementing protection strategies in Windsor; Rick Levick, President of the Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation which is home to Eco Passage projects; Kari Gunson, Principal Road Ecologist at Eco-Kare International and author of the "Wildlife on Roads: A Handbook"; as well as Dinu Filip, President of ACO Systems and installer of Eco Passages.
of Eco Passages. Over 60 people attended the event including media, City councillors, administrative staff and interested community members.