A violent dispute between neighbours over protecting future Ojibway National Urban Park Land

Couple’s effort to protect nature turns violent WARNING GRAPHIC: Windsor couple says someone has been cutting down trees along land set to be part of the Ojibway National Urban Park.

WARNING: Graphic content

A Windsor couple says their neighbour has been cutting down trees on land that is destined for the future Ojibway National Urban Park.

Jack and Victoria Kitson live on property that borders the Spring Garden Nature Area. They believe their neighbour is chopping trees on protected land to extend his backyard.

“I’m hoping that the city’s forestry department will actually goes out and look at the damage that's been done to the supposedly future urban park. Take action against the person who's destroying that area,” said Jack.

The city tells CTV News they have “received a complaint of tree cutting on city lands and we are investigating under bylaw 135-2004 and 131-2019.”

On April 10, Victoria heard a chainsaw noise coming from behind their home and went to investigate. Jack says his wife was hit in the head with a flashlight when she confronted the neighbour about cutting trees.

“It split her head open, had five stitches. She had to be taken to the hospital. They gave her a CT scan because they thought he had cracked her skull. It could have possibly killed her,” said Jack.

Windsor police confirm to CTV News there is an ongoing investigation into the incident and an arrest was made at that location as a result.

CTV News reached out to the neighbour who declined an interview but denied the allegations. He claims he was attacked first and did not hit anyone in the head.

He had “nothing to say” when asked about the tree cutting complaints.

Local politicians could not comment on this specific case but say protecting the future national urban park is their top priority.

“We want to protect our green spaces. The great thing about creating an Ojibway National Urban Park is it really unites all of us,” said Irek Kusmierczyk, Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP.