This post is the seventeenth in a series in which we reached out to municipal candidates to ask their heritage platform. Responses will be posted in the order received.
Natasha Feghali was the seventeenth candidate to respond. She is running for the Ward 5 seat in the City of Windsor – the catchment area of which is eastern area of Windsor which includes the neighbourhood of Riverside.
Jackson Park Bandshell
Yes, I support the City of Windsor undertaking a feasibility study for the restoration and future use of the Jackson Park Bandshell. Before making a long-term decision about an important heritage asset, Council should have reliable information about its structural condition, restoration costs, potential uses, accessibility, ongoing operating costs, and opportunities for partnerships and outside funding.
The municipality should play a leadership role in bringing residents, heritage experts, community organizations, and other stakeholders together. Any decision should be financially responsible, evidence-based and consider both preservation and practical community use.
Strengthening Heritage Conservation Across Windsor
The council has an important responsibility to protect Windsor’s history while allowing our city to grow. I believe we can do both.
As Windsor continues to develop, Council should take a proactive approach to identifying and protecting significant heritage properties and landmarks, working with property owners and communities, and encouraging adaptive reuse where appropriate.
This is important across the entire city, including Ward 5, where we have landmarks and places that tell the stories of the neighborhoods and communities that helped build Windsor. Heritage is not limited to one part of our city or only to our most prominent buildings. Every ward has places with cultural, architectural and community significance.
Our landmarks are vital to Windsor’s culture and identity, and significant heritage places should be preserved wherever possible. At the same time, we need housing, investment and economic development. Good planning means finding ways for growth and heritage conservation to work together.
My favorite Heritage Landmark: Jackson Park
My favorite heritage landmark is Jackson Park because it is connected to my own Windsor story.
I was featured in the first edition of the Windsor Star’s Prom Edition, and my photograph for the feature was taken at Jackson Park. It is a memory that has stayed with me and gives the park a special personal significance.
That connection is also a reminder of why heritage matters. Landmarks are more than buildings, structures, or pieces of land. They are places where generations of Windsor residents create memories and where our individual stories become part of the larger story of our city.
Jackson Park is one of those places for me, just as landmarks throughout Ward 5 and across Windsor hold meaning for so many residents.
Our heritage tells the story of where we came from, and protecting significant landmarks ensures that story remains part of Windsor as our city grows.
To follow Natasha Feghali’s campaign, visit her website.
English (Canada) 
English (United States)