NEWS BACKGROUNDER
Ambassador Bridge reviewing structural safety after Baltimore
WindsorOntarioNews.com April 14 2024
The Ambassador Bridge is reviewing its structural safety after a container ship collided with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsing a main span and killing several workers. “We are reevaluating everything from top to bottom,” Matt Moroun, chairman of the Detroit International Bridge Company, which owns the Ambassador Bridge. “The Key Bridge is a wake-up call.” He was speaking during the Michigan Chronicle newspaper’s Pancakes & Politics Speakers’ Forum last week. He was a panelist on the topic Big Projects, Big Future. “I’m not going to say that everything is fine and we don’t need to look at it,” he said. “I read an article in one of the two major papers that 20 freighters a year lose steering at some point in their voyages.” The Baltimore Harbor bridge disaster may have seemed a one-off but there have been as many as almost 300 occasions between 2012 and 2022 when Great Lakes freighters, tankers and cargo ships lost propulsion, steering or electrical power, The Detroit News reported. “There are new threats and we need to respond and take precautions in new ways,” Maroun said. “We’re working with Customs and Border Patrol and Canada’s Border Services as well as Homeland Security. They’re asking for and working with us to develop new plans.” His comments were also made in light of the Canadian truckers’ Covid blockade in 2022 which saw the bridge shut down for seven days, curtailing a huge volume of international trade. The bridge has also undergone major restorations over the past decade which saw replacement of the original main span deck, repairs of concrete piers and badly rusted railings; the sidewalk was also removed.
Photo: Ambassador Bridge
No major solution for parking lot noise
WindsorOntarioNews.com March 27/24
Wheelies in Parking Lot 16. Yet another annoyance for downtown residents. "The problem is after hours partying and cars performing burnouts," Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino asked council last fall. "It’s my understanding that we have been losing this battle for at least a decade" and asked options for alleviating it. Not many, it turns out. The 86-car lot is just west of Ouellette Ave. along the riverfront. City staff say that "repurposing" the lot wouldn't have the success one might think. For one thing, "noise and loitering" may "simply shift" to nearby parking lots including immediately west beside the Great Canadian Flag and Bistro restaurant. Moreover the city has maintained the lot as part of its riverfront master plan. Both lots are "typically well utilized" during the warmer season. Eliminating the lot would leave only 48 spaces in neighbouring Lot 5. Both lots serve "popular" attractions like Rotary Plaza, Festival Plaza and Dieppe Park, home to numerous memorials and monuments and 30,000 sq. ft. of gardens. As well, monthly parking permit holders would be "displaced." The lot also generated $120,000 last year. Solutions are problematic. A barrier gate activated after 10 pm would cost some $60,000 and could be "bypassed." Police enforcement is not "continuous." Nightly contract security would cost almost $100,000. Security cameras are technically not feasible due to lack of conduits and connectivity.
Photo: Google maps
Calculating city WFH staff fluid but fewer as Covid-19 recedes in mirror
WindsorOntarioNews.com March 12 2024
The City of Windsor can't release numbers of staff who are working from home as a result of a "hybrid" work policy that began with Covid. The city mandates office staff can work from home a maximum of two days per week. But determining how many staff are doing so at any given time is fluid. Those numbers are department based and "the number of days (none, one or two per week) an employee is able to work from home is agreed upon by the employee and their direct manager/supervisor and is subject to change based on the needs of the corporation and the functions of the position," the city’s human resources director Vincenza Mihalo told WON. She said "there is no set number" on those WFH "on a given day or in a given month." Mihalo said those WFH are fewer as Covid recedes in the rear view mirror. "As Covid-19 has receded, the number of staff working from home has decreased, however as per the Hybrid Work Procedure, any staff who are interested in working from home are able to submit a Hybrid Work Application." The city's "Hybrid" work policy is extensive, encompassing two substantial documents. The first, the Hybrid Work Program, runs to 19 pages and the second, the Hybrid Work Procedure, is 12 pages. The program covers everything from the kind of home internet connection ("10/10 Mbps is expected") to ergonomics (employees “must allow” city safety staff to "inspect their designated work location via pictures and/or video chat to ensure that it meets City standards for ergonomic wellness and health and safety.”) Staff must also protect records confidentiality ("the privacy and confidentiality of City data must be maintained the same as when working in the office."). Staff must also work only on a "corporate-issued laptop." Asked if this has incurred increased costs to the city, Mihalo said, "Since COVID-19 the Information Technology department has made a concerted effort to replace redundant computers with laptops, if that is the preference of the employee and department. It would be difficult to quantify any costs associated with laptop replacement since technology replacement is an ongoing City operational cost."
Work begins on A'burg's long awaited King's Navy Yard Park extension
WindsorOntarioNews.com January 30 2024
Work has begun on Amherstburg’s long awaited King’s Navy Yard Park southern extension. The riverfront park, considered the municipality’s “crown jewel,” is undergoing early stage work to stabilize the shoreline. This entails removing old docks (Duffy’s marina, tavern and hotel used to be located there), upgrading the steel break wall and installing rock walls for shoreline protection. Other debris, like old wood and steel piles, is also being removed. Part of the work is in the river itself and will be completed by March, the town says, which is also the start of fish-spawning season. Some trees will be removed but this will be “selective … taking those necessary to properly stabilize the shoreline as these two individual properties become one.” As well, the town will plant two trees for every tree removed. To this day town residents still talk about the uproar over the removal of almost 20 trees in the same park over a holiday weekend back in 2007. The trees were cut at night with critics saying it was done only to improve the view of residents in the then new Salmoni Place condominiums, located further north adjacent to the park. The action resulted in the town’s entire parks advisory committee resigning, decrying town administration’s disregard for their input. The town almost a decade later implemented a new tree bylaw designed to protect trees on public property. After the current sub-surface work is completed landscaping and concrete walkways will be installed. A public festival plaza and transient marina is also part of the eventual plan. However, among public comments, several residents opposed construction of any amphitheatre based on costs and noise.
Photo: Town of Amherstburg
"Canada's National Newspaper" creating pop-up bureau in City of Roses
WindsorOntarioNews.com January 5 2024
We should be so honoured. The Globe and Mail, which bills itself as Canada’s National Newspaper, has opened up a pop-up bureau in Windsor. The Toronto-based organ has finally taken notice of the major economic developments that are taking place in Canada’s Motor City. The Conference Board of Canada says the Rose City should have the highest economic growth of any Canadian municipality in 2024. “We have chosen Windsor this year. It is on the front line of economic regeneration with the construction of the Stellantis NV and LG Energy Solution Ltd. electric-vehicle battery plant,” the newspaper says. The Globe has created pop up bureaus in the past in Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Fort McMurray. It says that Mayor Drew Dilkens “has aggressive plans to build, including on floodplains and farmland. How does an economic renaissance shape the debate about development?” Issues like these the newspaper will explore. “Our editorial board visited the city earlier in the fall. A range of writers and photographers will be in the city to convey, over time, a greater understanding. In addition to news reporters, The Decibel podcast will host a series of shows from Windsor. Writers and photographers will record city life.” Interestingly, it took a local citizen to spark the newspaper’s interest. The announcement came during a major feature last month on the city, written by Jason Kirby.
Are these cities? The Globe thinks so
WindsorOntarioNews.com Dec 3 2023
Did you know Lasalle and Tecumseh were cities? Niether did we. But The Globe and Mail, which considers itself one of Canada’s national newspapers, lopped these Windsor bedroom communities among 100 for the “most livable” cities in the country. The “first inaugural” ranking had Tecumseh at #47 and LaSalle at #92. Windsor, which is actually a city, didn’t make the cut. The next closest Ontario community was Middlesex Centre (#89) near London. The top-ranked city was Victoria, British Columbia. “Whether you’re graduating from college, starting a family or business, navigating midlife changes, embracing retirement or embarking on a new chapter in a new country, our project can help you find the most livable city for you,” the Globe said. The newspaper used the term "cities” even though it analyzed municipalities “with a population exceeding 10,000.” The newspaper used 44 variables in 10 categories “we’ve identified as particularly crucial to quality of life in a community.” These were Economy, Housing, Demographics, Health Care, Safety, Education, Community, Amenities, Transportation and Climate. But some were “more important” than others. For example, Economy and Housing were weighted “more heavily than less significant categories, such as Climate and Amenities.” And within each category certain variables in turn were more important than others, such as “proximity to a grocery” store over closeness to a library, “recognizing the former’s greater impact on an average person’s quality of life.” The writers stated that despite the higher rankings “no community is perfect” with Victoria suffering some “middling scores” for health care and housing. The data came from Environics Analytics, CMHC and Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Image: The Globe and Mail
Don't jump to immediate conclusion on new Windsor-Detroit train connection
WindsorOntarioNews.com Nov 17 2023
It’s probably not worth rushing to a conclusion that cross-border train service in Windsor-Detroit is just around the corner. Yes, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens released a “fact sheet” about a proposed Toronto – Chicago route that could conceivably pass through the city later this decade. But railways' spokespeople on both sides of the border are cautioning not to jump to any conclusions. “VIA did not release this document and we believe it is premature to be holding this discussion in the public sphere. We can confirm that we are in private discussions with different partners, including Amtrak, to evaluate the possibility and estimate the potential costs of a project of this kind,” VIA Rail rep Jamie Orchard told Trains magazine. “No funding requests have been made and VIA has not committed to financing this project. Of course, we will be communicating with the community in due course if any decision is made regarding this project.” The route would use both Via and Amtrak lines (Toronto to Windsor and Detroit–Chicago respectively). For its part Amtrak would only say said the fact sheet is “conceptional and drawn up to assist the parties in our discussions for a possible future service.” The prospect is exciting because it could see trains cross the city from the more than 100-year-old Detroit River rail tunnel to the Walkerville station, adding another transportation service and an economic driver. Stateside, a new platform would be built at the age old, but now mostly renovated by Ford Motor, former Michigan Central station building near the Ambassador Bridge. The train would make use of upgraded Essex Terminal Railway (ETR) tracks to cross the city. But despite any pooh-poohing the fact sheet (WON has seen a copy) does have some gravitas calling the route a “project opportunity” and listing “benefits to Windsor," “key project elements,” and a detailed route map.
Bridge makes deal with Detroit neighbourhood over future properties
WindsorOntarioNews.com Nov 3 2023
The Ambassador Bridge is expanding its footprint in Detroit but in doing so will donate numerous properties to the adjoining neighbourhood. The company has made a deal with the City of Detroit and the local Hubbard residents’ association. The expansion would allow the bridge to expand its current plaza. The bridge last weekend issued a press release indicating it has kept its promise to both the city and association. In doing so, the bridge will donate 10 properties to the group along with $20,000 per property to assist in redevelopment. It’s also transferring property to the city that will be part of the existing Roberto Clemente Recreation Center on Bagley Avenue. Other transfers: a former Greyhound bus company building on W. Fort St., owned by the bridge, with the property split in two with the larger piece going to the neighbourhood. The bridge company would also construct a berm long 16th St. to buffer the area from industrial uses in the east. Finally, the company would build a new 16th St. between West Lafayette and West Fort to improve entry and egress to the neighborhood. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan called the deal a win-win for the bridge and community so it can expand its “badly needed” plaza while respecting “the residential character of the community and provides it some real benefits.” The company also assured it will not be buying more properties, long a neighbourhood fear, and similar to what it has done in west Windsor for future company expansion. The deal still needs official City of Detroit approval.
Photo: Google Street View
Bad weather and cyber attacks? Oh yes
WindsorOntarioNews.com October 17 2023
Can a little bad weather affect your cell phone and internet use? You bet. And, if telecommunications are interrupted, users can fall victim to crime. Windsor has far from been immune to severe weather, including massive late summer storms and flooding and of course our typical summers featuring heavy rain and sometimes tornadoes. Online security firm First Onsite says catastrophic weather can create “an environment of fear, urgency, chaos, and uncertainty — prime conditions for cybercriminals to thrive in.” At some level people already know this. A survey found almost 40 per cent felt if a disaster struck their community or workplace would be at greater risk for cyberattacks. Ultimately that could jeopardize a firm’s business and even employees’ job security. Ice storms, for example, could affect everything from loss of the internet to downed cable lines to interruption of satellite signals. Where’s the crime? Well, when people suffer communication loss they may panic, exposing themselves to criminals. “In their desire to get help quickly, they may inadvertently fall prey to a threat actor by clicking on a link or web site or providing personal information including credit card details to a fraudulent party,” First Onsite’s Mark Hubbard says. “Threat actors will also set up fraudulent sites to collect money to help with recovery or collect data for those impacted by the weather event. Systems providing cyber protection could be down or compromised.” Hubbard says companies should above all else have redundancy. That means land as well as satellite internet connections and, on the ground, as basic as adding emergency generators to the power mix. Should you have a communications failure it could corrupt data and damage hardware. “If data has not been backed up, corrupted data may not be recoverable, equipment may not be recoverable,” Hubbard says.
Bridge Authority has joined increasingly controversial ESG movement
WindsorOntarioNews.com Sept. 29 2023
The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), the Crown corporation overseeing the construction and future operation of the Gorgie Howe International Bridge, has signed on to the increasingly popular and also somewhat controversial corporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) set of guidelines. This, says the WDBA in a statement, is a “testament to the team’s commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility.” The authority says it had essentially been operating within the guidelines or “four anchors” of ESG all along. These are commitments “to steward a healthy environment, enhance the local community, create a thriving corporate culture and ensure responsible corporate conduct.” By formally signing on to an ESG plan the corporation now has a “roadmap for the organization to actively support the creation of a thriving and sustainable future for employees, bridge users and the communities where we operate throughout the project’s life cycle.” Thee include concepts like “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility”, “Being Bolder on Climate Action” and “Moving Faster on a Path to (Indigenous) Reconciliation,” aligned with federal and UN goals. But the program has been controversial as corporations put their “social consciousness” above traditional corporate goals. It’s been described as a “woke wish list” or “virtue signaller’s charter.” A company that has more non-white or female board members, or conducts racial equity audits, can gain a higher score with some investors like private equity funds and qualify for more investment, regardless of economic performance or return on investment, which is traditionally what investors have looked at. Free market think tank The Committee To Unleash Prosperity said shareholders were “foregoing billions of dollars in shareholder returns” to comply with ESG goals. And investment firms themselves are increasingly skeptical. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink announced he’d no longer use term ESG. And RBC Capital Markets found 56% of sustainable-fund debuts have re-labeled the products “thematic” rather than ESG.
Foundation grades local accessibility
WindsorOntarioNews.com Sept. 14 2023
Four local businesses met the Rick Hansen Foundation standards for accessibility. These are Family Services Windsor-Essex, KOODOO at Devonshire Mall and Telus at both Devonshire and Tecumseh malls. A fifth undisclosed organization was surveyed and didn’t meet criteria. The Foundation does voluntary audits to determine if public buildings meet accessibility standards for the disabled. “It is essential that we understand who people with disabilities really are if we are going to develop meaningful access in our communities,” Foundation CEO Doramy Ehling says. Having accessible buildings is more than important when you realize that disabled people make up “the largest minority group” and there are 2.6 million of them in the province. “This was the thinking behind the decision of organizations in Windsor to participate as one of 16 Ontario municipalities in an accessibility rating of key public spaces,” Ehling said. While the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) has helped create a level playing field” it is “not enough” on its own. “Participating organizations recognized that there was a gap between code minimum and the real needs of the community of people with disabilities, and that the only practical way of addressing that gap was the RHF Accessibility Certification program.” Koodoo came out on top was an 82 per cent rating, followed by Telus at 81 per cent at the same mall. Telus at Tecumseh Mall had a 69 per cent rating. Family Services, at 1770 Langlois Ave., scored 68 per cent. Factors audited included parking, building entrances, corridors, reception and waiting areas.
Alleys a write-off unless you want increased costs and annoyed residents
WindsorOntarioNews.com August 30 2023
Yes, alleys might be unsightly, inconsistent, and even vary from block to block. But cleaning them up “might lead to unfavorable responses from residents who are directly impacted both in terms of the physical task of cleaning up the alley and the potential imposition of fine(s).” So says a city council information report which recommends no action but presents scenarios for improving these city-wide back lanes. The city has 147 km of both paved and unpaved alleys. Most of the paved alleys are “deficient” and only seven of 79 “adequate.” Alleys are maintained on an “as-needed” basis and the city doesn’t “reconstruct” them. Gravel alleys are regraded twice annually. Grass alleys are the responsibility of abutting property owners. The city spends $200,000 on annual maintenance on paved ones and $75,000 on gravel alleys. “Due to their limited public visibility and relatively low usage, alleys often receive minimal attention and fewer resources allocated towards them,” the report says. In one scenario, administration says the city could increase paved alley maintenance to as much as $600,000 a year. Greater enforcement of existing bylaws over garbage containers and residents’ responsibility for maintenance could be stepped up. But this will result in increased costs and “possible negative public relations.” The city doesn’t remove snow from alleys but could at, again, increased costs, as much as $1.6 million. Special equipment for the narrow lanes would be required.
Photo: Google Street View
You can fight a city parking ticket, but...
WindsorOntarioNews.com August 6 2023
It is possible to fight a City of Windsor parking ticket. Just don’t be overzealous – in a good way – about it. A Michigan woman paid for parking at the Dieppe Gardens municipal parking lot, the kind where you pay into a machine and a ticket emerges, which you’re supposed to put on your windshield showing when the time is up. Not being familiar with the setup she paid and pocketed the ticket instead. Sure enough, upon returning to the car a couple of hours later there was a ticket. While the motorist was miffed, the $27.50 fine was paid online within a couple of days. That was the mistake. It turns out had the fine not been paid it likely could have been successfully fought. Replying to a mailed appeal (the appeal form available on the city’s website) a Parking Enforcement Office staffer left a voice mail message. The clerk stated: “Unfortunately we don't do refunds and once the ticket is paid it’s considered done and dealt with and there's no dispute option.” However, the clerk said that for “peace of mind” she would shred the paperwork “so that there's no record of that number anywhere in our office.” The clerk added that had the ticket not been paid “it could have been looked into further.” What’s that saying about no good deed goes unpunished?
No more petitions for four-way stops
WindsorOntarioNews.com July 21 2023
Say goodbye to neighbourhood petitions calling for four-way stops. City staff are recommending an updated “warrant” policy based on new provincial guidelines which include several new criteria for the intersections while saying four-ways can provide a false sense of security. Stats that don’t fit the criteria can result in “reduced effectiveness of other traffic control devices, result in overall poor stop sign compliance, create a false sense of security for pedestrians, increase the number of rear-end and fixed object collisions, increase instances of mid-block speeding, delay emergency vehicle response times and increase noise and air pollution,” a report to the city’s transportation committee says. Incorporating “petitions or school zones” is “not recommended” because “other effective tools and practices are available to deal with speeding or pedestrian safety.” The new policy should be seen in the context of a wide variety of new methods to reduce motorists’ speed such as traffic bumps, lane narrowing, speed feedback signs and traffic circles. The guidelines say four-way stops should only be considered in a handful of cases, such as where traffic signals are needed but can’t be installed immediately or where there are a high rate of collisions and other less restrictive measures haven’t worked. The guidelines say they should be used for roads with speed limits of more than 60 km/h, on most bus or truck routes or as a “means of deterring the movement of through traffic in a residential area.” A four-way would be justified on a major road if, among other things, total vehicle volume on all intersection approaches exceeds 500 vehicles per hour for each of any eight hours of the day. And for minor roads, 350 vehicles for the highest hour recorded.
Despite staff shortages, parking enforcement took in $1.25M last year
WindsorOntarioNews.com July 7 2023
Parking enforcement brought in $1.25 million last year after seeing a drop of $630,000 in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020 the city only made almost $165,000, also due to Covid. But in 2019 it drew $943,000 and in 2018, $1.26 million. City administration says these revenues “are an important non-taxation component” of the city’s operating budget. City Council is being asked to extend a contract with the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, which took over parking services from the city in 2010. But there have been problems with fulfilling parking enforcement, which motorists just may be happy about. There has been high staff turnover, resulting in “numerous unattended shifts.” This has resulted in some areas of the city being “unenforced” and “in some circumstances unsafe to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.” The result is increasing officers’ beats “dramatically” over a wider geographic area, “concentrating on higher travelled areas to enforce safety related infractions.” Nevertheless, city staff say they are “satisfied” with the contractor, noting cost savings “compared to previous models.” And should a new contractor be chosen there would be higher costs associated with new equipment and staff training. Service would decrease and complaints from the public would increase because of officers’ initial errors. “It is likely the level of service would take in excess of one year to reach current service levels, as a new contractor would need to become familiar with the nuances of enforcement within the City of Windsor.” And last but not least, city revenues would also decline. The Commissionaires say they’ll pass on the four per cent rate increase to give officers more money - $20.92 from $19.50 or more than a seven per cent raise.
Recent public meeting bans have "fundamental" differences - lawyer
WindsorOntarioNews.com June 23 2023
While recent decisions by local public bodies to ban the public from in-person meetings may have similarities in threats to free speech their contexts are very different, a Windsor lawyer says. Daniel Ableser, an advocate for government accountability, says recent decisions by the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) and Essex County Council (photo) have “fundamental differences.” The school board June 14 issued a notice that in-person meetings have “indefinitely” been suspended to allow business to take place in a “safe and secure” setting in the wake of parent opposition to board policy to prevent parents from knowing about children’s gender identity. Essex County Council also suspended an in-person special meeting to discuss a new Official Plan after a crowd of hundreds gathered in the council chamber and lobby in what municipal officials said was an intimidating manner. The meeting was resumed weeks later but virtually. “County Council was faced with an entirely unpredictable event where 500 people showed up to a planning meeting,” Ableser said in comments to WON.com and in a Facebook post. “The school board has had a few people with undesirable views show up from time to time.” Moreover, “they did not have some unprecedented audience size emergency they had to respond to. The school board has had MUCH larger audiences in the past and been able to manage. This Board of Trustees simple doesn't appear to prioritize openness as a governing principle.” And now County Council has resumed regular in-person meetings while the board has not. County Council “immediately prioritized returning to regular order.” Finally, Ableser thinks the board’s action may be a pretext to “suspend a trustee while having no audience present to object. This may be a first step in a bigger attempt to remove people whose views are undesirable to the political majority.” Trustee Linda Qin has locked heads with board officials, complaining of lack of transparency regarding what she says are controversial student books.
Yes, Windsor has "narrow" streets
WindsorOntarioNews.com June 8 2023
Did you know Windsor has narrow streets? These are defined as being less than four metres (13.1 ft.) in width. The city identified just a couple but they are interesting. One is Penang Lane, which doglegs 200 metres from Tecumseh Rd. E. north to the Via Rail tracks, and lines up with the Ganatchio Trail/Little River Extension on the other side. The other is Homedale Blvd. It runs south from Wyandotte St. E. to Raymond Ave. But beyond there it broadens. Penang resembles nothing much more than a back lane or alley. There is a No Exit sign at Tecumseh Rd. “Penang Lane cannot be upgraded to current City standards as it has both right-of-way and space constraints,” city engineering staff say in a council report. Homedale (photo) is another matter. While also measuring 3.7 metres wide for a total of 672 metres over two blocks, the street “could be upgraded” to city standards. However, as the road is in “very good” condition it will be “quite some time” before it is widened. And strangely enough, despite its narrow width, two-way traffic is permitted. Believe it or not, this is not abnormal. “In the case of low speed, low volume local streets, the Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads allows for a single lane to serve both directions of traffic. In these cases, drivers turn out at driveways or other gaps in the parking lane to allow opposing vehicles to pass.” But despite this perceived inconvenience widening may not be a panacea. Widening could result in “increased traffic.” Another option would be to convert to one-way traffic north-bound only” (no explanation why that direction). If residents wanted a change they could likely reguest using criteria like Traffic Calming (i.e., speed bumps) with as many as 60 per cent of at least 50 per cent responses favoring it.
Photo: Google Street View
County joins the big leagues with use of public screening devices if "necessary"
WindsorOntarioNews.com May 27 2023
Edmonton did it in 2016. And Toronto introduced them in 2020. And now Essex County Council is joining those big leagues by introducing metal detectors. The move comes in light of what was described as a rowdy and intimidating meeting in April that saw hundreds of people mill about the lobby outside a county council meeting to discuss updating the municipality’s official plan. The meeting was called to an abrupt end by Warden Hilda MacDonald minutes after starting. A crowd showed up en masse concerned the plan contained provisions for “15-minute cities” which presumably would limit their mobility. There were no such specific references. (See NEWS BASCKGROUNDER April 11 2023 and COMMENT May 10) In the aftermath council passed several policies. They’re to “promote respectful and safe interactions” between the public and municipal officials, “promote respectful and orderly behaviour” at meetings and generally “balance the rights” between the two groups. According to county spokesman Don McArthur, wo is also an Amherstburg town councillor, a new provision, the Visitor Policy, “allows for the use of metal screening devices should the County deem it necessary.” Adds McArthur, “The policies are meant to provide a mechanism to deal with those who refuse to act appropriately, with what is and what is not appropriate being spelled out in the policies." Brian Lambie, spokesman for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, said he couldn’t indicate how many other municipalities use detectors as these would be matters discussed independently and not taken up with the provincial organization.
Board has only banned one book
WindsorOntario News.com May 11 2023
The Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) has banned only one book, a sex ed manual called It’s Perfectly Normal. “The information I have received from the Superintendent is that we have removed one book so far from our libraries: It’s Perfectly Normal,” spokesman Scott Scantlebury said. The illustrated book’s full title is It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health is written by US educator Robie Harris and has had several editions since first being published in 1994. According to Wikipedia the book has won “multiple accolades and appraisal for its accurate information and its normalization of body changes and human sexuality.” But it also has been one of the most controversial books “because of its graphic images that some consider inappropriate for the targeted age range.” The author has written several other books, many of which have appeared on the American Library Association’s Most Challenged Books list. While earlier editions discussed common questions related to families, sexuality and reproduction the latest edition includes “sexual identity” topics like gender. The school board released the information to WON.com in the wake of a school board controversy over another book, Push, cited by Trustee Linda Qin, for using the “n” word. The novel by Sapphire was made into the movie Precious. Qin also raised a question about a ruling against a motion to fly a Christian flag at schools. The board’s policy allows specifically the national and provincial flags and “the local municipality or other special purpose flag.” That flag should “align with the board’s values, support the principles and expectations of the board’s Safe School Policy, equity and Indigenous Education Protocol and is consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code and is not directly connected with any political or religious group or cause.”
Vroom, vroom. S National residents indifferent to short cut & high speeds
WindsorOntarioNews.com April 25 2023
It was a good idea – maybe. The city tried to bring traffic calming measures to one of Windsor’s famed high-speed thoroughfares. But the proposals just didn’t fly with residents of the near eastside neighbourhood. Ironically, more people outside the area were in favour of slowing vehicles down. The strip is the notorious South National St., a long time shortcut between Pillette Rd. and Jefferson Blvd. It runs along the south side of the CNR track, now used by Via Rail, for about a dozen blocks. In fact, a couple of city councillors - Gary Kaschak and Renaldo Agostino - wanted to determine the feasibility of traffic calming on the street along with a cyclist crossing at Balfour Blvd. and pedestrian crossover at Westminster Blvd. The street was actually earmarked for traffic calming a few years ago. Most traffic travels well over the speed limit at almost 70 km/h – “a high degree of speeding,” says the report to City Council - and almost 12,000 vehicles use it each day. Almost 40 per cent use it as a short cut. And there have been 17 collisions over five years, most at South National and Jefferson turning left. A median would have been constructed to prevent this. But a mailout to all residents failed miserably, with only 19 out of 156 returned and 26 per cent (five out of 19) agreeing. More people outside the area – 45 per cent – supported the concept. Planners say some aspects could still be incorporated as standalones. These would be the pedestrian crossover, the cyclist uncontrolled crossover (part of the future Reginald St. bikeway) and physical separators between the north side multi-use trail and car lanes.
Photo: Google Street View
Report may have been the source of controversial “15-minute city” concept
WindsorOntarioNews.com April 11 2023
A special meeting of Essex County Council April 5 was interrupted by loud protesters, forcing its postponement to find a “bigger venue” to accommodate more of the public, county Warden Hilda MacDonald said. The disruption apparently occurred after protesters (photo) swarmed the lobby amidst concerns that the county was embarking on a “15-minute city” plan. This is where all neighbourhood services including work, education and shopping, be located within a 15-minute walk or bicycle ride, reducing auto dependency and promoting healthy living and urban “sustainability.” MacDonald, who banged the gavel several times to try to quell the loud voices, insisted the meeting had “nothing to do” with the concept - “you can trust me on that.” Where protesters got the idea from is unclear. But there are hints of the concept, which may have been interpreted or misinterpreted as such, in a background report, One Land, One Climate, One Future, Together. Among points raised were to “identify targets for intensification and redevelopment within all or any of the lower-tier municipalities, including minimum targets that should be met before expansion of the boundaries of settlement areas is permitted.” Neighbourhoods should be “mixed use, compact, pedestrian-oriented neighbourhoods and city and town centres designed for people, are the building blocks of healthy, active and vibrant communities. Parks, schools, places of worship, compact pedestrian-scaled shopping and entertainment districts and employment opportunities situated closer to where people live, should be easily accessible by foot, bicycle, transit and the automobile.....Shorter block lengths, a finer grain of block sizes, sidewalks, trails, bikeways and five-minute walking distances to neighbourhood activity centres and to transit stops should be provided to encourage healthy active lifestyles, to reduce energy use and to provide greater independence for those who cannot or chose not to drive automobiles.” This latter statement, in fact, was written as far back as 2006 in the county’s Healthy People, Healthy Places document.
Windsor’s Lancaster bomber’s UK heritage base is site of controversy
WindsorOntarioNews.com March 27 2023
While the Windsor Lancaster bomber undergoes the final touches of a massive restoration a controversy is brewing in the country which was the original home of Lancasters, the United Kingdom. British authorities have proposed that the Royal Air Force Scampton air base be converted into an immigrant detention centre which would house up to 1500 asylum seekers, an issue with which Windsor is also currently dealing. There is considerable opposition to the proposal, not on anti-immigrant grounds, but to preserve a long-cherished site that played an instrumental role in the Second World War. Scampton also played a role in the famous “Dambusters Raid” of 1943 which saw 19 of the planes drop “bouncing bombs” to destroy three German dams. The planes would fly below anti-aircraft fire allowing the barrel-type explosives to skip across water and hit the side of the dams, destroying three and damaging a third on the Ruhr River. While the raid was a success eight aircraft never returned. But while Scampton is being proposed for immigrant settlement, there is also a plan to turn the base into a business innovation and hospitality hub, part of Britain’s “levelling-up” strategy to increase economic development in the country's poorer regions. “If the decision goes ahead, it will be a historical tragedy, as well as an economic one — the revamp of the site would have provided thousands of jobs,” the Daily Mail newspaper says. One historian calls the base “the embodiment of Britain’s aviation past.” Meanwhile, restoration of Windsor’s Lancaster, built in Canada and which never saw war service, is predicted to be completed by spring of next year. The plane was removed from its Jackson Park pedestal in 2005 because of concerns about weather damage. The Canadian Aviation Museum at Windsor airport is completing the restoration.
Downtown merchants may stave off vandals with European-style security
WindsorOntarioNews.com March 13 2023
It’s unconventional, at least for a Canadian city. And some may argue it isn’t particularly pretty. But a way downtown storeowners may prevent future break-ins, or at least smashed plate glass windows – costing hundreds of dollars in repairs and additional insurance premiums - is to adopt a technique long used in Europe: security shutters or blinds. Walk through virtually any European city, small or large, after dark, and many of the thriving daytime stores – from humdrum haberdasheries to elite boutiques, even restos and cafes - have steel blinds tightly pulled down over their storefronts. It may be a forbidding look though par for the course across Europe, but perhaps not as unsightly as the heavily gated or grated look of inner city storefronts that abound in US cities like in our neighbour Detroit. One company, U.S.-based Rollac, distributes the ShopGuard Shutter. Its sales literature says ShopGuard “is a commercial security shutter that is designed to protect your business from unwanted visitors.” It features a single wall design “that rolls compact for minimum installation space while providing commercial strength for protection.” The shutters can be “easily installed” either on the inside or outside of a commercial building. The shutters have advantages in addition to protecting against vandalism including from noise and UV. Don’t like the solid blind look? The company also makes blinds with open grids, aesthetically more pleasing than US inner city heavily gated looks. And, once installed, storekeepers could put a positive spin on them – “Hey, we’re bringing a little bit of Europe to the city core!”
Photo: Rollac
Star plant closure's wider implications
WindsorOntarioNews.com February 27 2023
It’s not just the loss of 75 jobs at The Windsor Star printing plant next month that could result from the closure of the last physical presence of what’s being called the city’s longtime ”heritage” newspaper. (The Star's downtown newsroom closed last year.) It’s matters like the plant being a regional print facility and its role in being a charity sponsor as well as the possible loss of the newspaper's decades-old archives. Unifor, the union representing Star plant workers, has asked support from city council to save the Star’s decades' worth of archives. “Please protest that the history of those archives be moved to a City of Windsor public outlet such as our library,” it says in a letter. “This history of Windsor through our journalists/photographers/printers/engravers does not belong to (publisher) Postmedia but to our community.” The union points out the plant has also printed regional newspapers like the Sarnia Observer and the Chatham Daily News but won't anymore. “Postmedia will continue to decimate printed product throughout our communities." And Unifor notes the venerable Goodfellows Christmas charity newspaper will now be without a sponsor. “Windsor Star printed the Goodfellows newspaper as a community service which has now turned into more Postmedia profit.” The Star’s plant closure will see the more than 100-year-old local newspaper now printed in Toronto with advertising inserts completed in London. The finished newspaper will then be trucked back to Windsor.
Photo: Google Street View