Windsor Votes 2026: Mowing of city parks becomes election issue

Homelessness, housing and cost of living have been hotly debated issues in Windsor's election season. But candidates are also talking about city parks, specifically whether or not they're mowed. Stop naturalizing city parks. They look terrible. Cut the grass and make the whole area usable and enjoyable. We will reverse this. And for 2027, we will return the park that you're used to back to you, properly cut for your enjoyment. The issue dates back to the summer of 2025. Sections of 22 municipal parks across the city were designated for reduced maintenance or naturalization. That meant no mowing. The idea was to allow native plants and grasses to grow naturally for ecological and environmental reasons. And it saved the city money, almost $500,000. Now, 15 months since the program began, Drew Dilkins says there's been plenty of public feedback. People don't like it. Dilkins is among the Windsor candidates promising that certain city parks will get mown. Some ward councillor candidates have made similar pledges. But Sandy MacDonald, a Windsor horticulturalist, says naturalization does not mean neglect. The process requires research, monitoring and patience. I think very long term, sites which are naturalized, the soil will naturally improve over time. They actually can become carbon sinks. Beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder. I think when it's getting closer to vote time, everything becomes an issue for someone or the other. Meanwhile, one Ward 10 resident just wants something done about Remington Booster Park now. They call it the ecological area, which serves no purpose. The youth of tomorrow don't have no place to play soccer. We are a bunch of dog walkers too who live here, but we cannot walk our dogs over there too because there are ticks. I don't know what purpose it serves. Mayoral candidate Fred Francis says it was Dilkins who brought the park naturalization initiative to council in the first place. Francis says he's always believed in well-manicured parks with properly cut grass. But another mayoral candidate, Kat Pasquitch, believes that reversing the naturalization program is short-sighted. Instead of promising mowing, she says she'll do a proper review of specific areas, taking into account community feedback. Dolson Chen, CBC News, Windsor.