Plans are in place to continue planting vegetation at the Blue Water Bridge as part of a multi-year naturalization project involving Aamjiwnaang First Nation and the Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL).
A formalized key agreement between the two parties was announced in August.
Chief Operating Officer Karen Richards said FBCL wanted Aamjiwnaang's expertise to oversee the phased project.
"We're tackling some environmental challenges to mitigate flooding risks by our increasing, really frequent and heavy rains, and we want to do it in a manner that's really respectful to the historic land," she said.
Self-sustaining native plants will be placed on sections of the 5.5 acre grass field, near a stormwater pond, to improve water management.
Richards said a wide range of plant varieties may be utilized, such as black-eyed Susans, sunflowers, and hemp. However, it depends on what's available.
Richards said at this time, the project does not have a firm timeline since planting is weather-dependent.
"We're thinking it would really run over the next two -- potentially three years," she said. "We are hoping to do some additional planting -- again, depending on the weather -- later this summer and early into the fall."
Some initial planting was done in June as part of an employee recognition event and as part of the unofficial start of the naturalization project.
"We actually had staff from Aamjiwnaang Greenhouse partner with our employees and we did an initial planting that really revitalized the landscaping surrounding the Souls Memorial," Richards said. "The Souls Memorial was commissioned in 2003 to commemorate the long history of First Nations gathering in that area."
The new plantings in the circular ring around the memorial symbolizes the Anishnaabek Medicine Wheel.
"Utilizing native plants to complement that idea of the Medicine Wheel and finding plants associated with that and the colouring, I thought it was so clever of Aaron [Plain] to put it together like that and to choose those plants," said Aamjiwnaang Chief Janelle Nahmabin. "His expertise is definitely valued here, and it's nice that it can be reflected under the bridge."
Nahmabin said it's nice to work in collaboration with the FBCL and be able to utilize the First Nation's greenhouse, as a lot of work has gone into rescuing and growing native plants over the years.
"This kind of capacity really shows, no pun intended, the bridge building with the federal bridge authorities and with Aamjiwnaang First Nation," said Nahmabin. "It appears, with the information I've received, there's going to be over 5,000 plants that are going to be placed there and it looks like there's going to be opportunities for volunteers as well. So it truly can be looked at as a community initiative, not just for Aamjiwnaang First Nation, but the broader community and everyone working together to naturalize that area."