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NEWS BACKGROUNDER

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WPS accused of not "listening" to judge's decision in Brisco case

WindsorOntarioNews.com Dec 12 2024

A national legal defense organizations says the Windsor Police Service “had not been listening” to a judge who stated the 2022 Ottawa Freedom Convoy “was legal.” Instead, says the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, “they had been listening to how politicians and newspaper headlines were characterizing the protest.” The centre is providing legal help to WPS Const. Michael Brisco (photo) in a case that has made national headlines. Brisco was convicted of discreditable conduct “a serious blemish on an otherwise perfect record of service” for privately donating cash to the Freedom Convoy, though there is “no evidence” it went to the protesters who blocked the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor at the same time. His punishment was losing 80 hours of pay. The legal group is in Ontario Divisional Court today to overturn the conviction. “The conviction of Constable Brisco sent a chilling message to all Canadians: illegally hacked information can be used against you. If you donate to the 'wrong' cause (as determined by your employer, the government or other authorities), you can be publicly exposed and punished.” Brisco’s name was revealed when a GiveSendGo donor list was “illegally hacked,” the group says, noting Windsor Police are “apparently condoning this illegal activity.” In a fundraising appeal the Centre says Brisco “should have the same right to donate privately and confidentially to the causes of his choosing, like every other Canadian, regardless of his profession.”

Photo: Justice Centre

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Tradeoffs converting one-ways to two

WindsorOntarioNews.com Nov 18 2024

Converting streets from one-way to two-ways is easier said than done. City staff responded to a question from downtown councillor Renaldo Agostino who wondered if two-ways would help bring business back downtown and improve road safety. There are nine such streets. First, says the report, “a two-way conversion should not be implemented to prioritize vehicular transportation and businesses while not considering the impacts on other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.” One-ways carry 10-20 per cent more traffic and “congestion and delay are reduced” but encourage higher speeds. And they “do not pose a major inconvenience” since “regular” drivers know the network. Converting could eliminate some traffic signals due to less traffic. There’s a “high possibility” on street parking could be eliminated because more centre turn lanes would be required and need for new bus stops. One-ways also provide “high quality” cycling because of width, such as new bikeways for Victoria and Pelissier. “Another benefit to maintaining one-way street systems is that they limit the number of motor vehicle movements at intersections and simplify decision-making for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, especially the elderly and those with accessibility needs.” But studies haven’t concluded one type is safer than the other. Truck and transit might have to be rerouted on two-ways and “may limit the ability of motorists to pull over and move out of the way of an emergency response vehicle.” But one-ways tend to produce more pollution since they have “out-of-direction travel, which increases the average driving distance between any paired origin-destination points.” However, with one-ways, “coordination of traffic signals is more easily attained for one-way streets; this results in improved traffic and bus transit flow with fewer stops, less idling, and lower emissions.” But, yes, research indicates “two-way streets create higher levels of economic activity and improve the livability of downtown areas” because drivers can see storefronts better and traffic signal timing slows traffic “giving drivers more exposure to local businesses.”

Photo: Google Street View

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City's waste firm under attack

WindsorOntarioNews.com Nov 4 2024

Attacks against GFL (Green for Life) have been continuing in the Toronto area and police continue to investigate one that occurred in Windsor this past summer. The Windsor Police Service has appealed for help identifying arson suspects after six commercial vehicles at a GFL facility on Tecumseh Road W. were deliberately set on fire just before 5 a.m. on June 27. Nobody was hurt, but the fires caused an estimated $1 million in damage. This is amidst continuing violence in Toronto directed at GFL Founder & CEO Patrick Dovigi. Sault Ste. Marie native Dovigi started the company in 2007 and from seemingly nowhere it has grown to be one of the biggest waste management firms in North America with 2023 revenue of $8 billion, ranking third. The garbage magnate is mystified by the violence in what’s considered a highly competitive industry, stating last Friday “I wish I knew” who is attacking him and the company. Gunshots were fired at the company’s Weston Rd. office in Toronto last week, just the latest of several reported arsons and shootings. His home in the exclusive Rosedale neighbourhood was shot at in late Sept. Shortly afterward, more shots were fired at another Toronto home believed owned by one of Dovigi’s associates but Dovigi disputed that. Meanwhile, he shrugged the violence off. “I’ve been in business for 20 years,” he told the National Post. “Who’s going to scare me? This is not the ‘Sopranos.’ ” Other police agencies are also investigating attacks on industrial properties related to GFL. The Toronto Star confirmed that on July 1 a suspect set fire to six large trucks at a Vaughan industrial yard operated by Green Infrastructure Partners — a construction firm owned partly by GFL. Nobody was injured in either home shooting. As for the Windsor arson, Toronto Police wouldn’t link it to their investigation of the shootings. “That’s not a connection I’m able to confirm,” a spokeswoman said, adding no arrests have been made. In 2016, the City of Windsor chose to keep its waste and recycling service outsourced and retained GFL for seven years. Windsor first contracted with GFL in 2010 after city outside workers went on a prolonged strike.

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Numerous motorists make mistake and take ramp to Canada, never to return?

WindsorOntarioNews.com October 7 2024

It may seem hard to believe but many motorists – presumably all Americans – have made the error of taking the Ambassador Bridge ramp from I-75 when it clearly states “Bridge to Canada, No Re-entry to USA.” Comments on Facebook have a wide variety of people admitting to making the false run end ending up in proverbial never-never land. “Coming from Toledo I had been to Detroit well over a hundred times but for some stupid reason and having a bit of road rage on my way to a Lions game back in 2011 I accidentally turned in there and thankfully they were cool about it and let me turn around having our Lions jerseys on probably helped I had weed on me too…..I accidentally got off on this damn thing when they first put it there. I had a gun and a bunch of weed on me. I damn near pissed on myself! Why they design it like that….. Happened to my ex-husband and I 15 years ago. They detained us for over 3 hours. We were down there because he just moved here and had a job interview somewhere over there. I was driving because he didn’t know his way around. (Obviously I didn’t either ) We made a wrong turn and we were screwed. His driver's license was from Chicago Illinois and he's Hispanic so..... Been there, done that..... When you don't wanna leave the country….. By mistake I took that exit a few years ago. I went into duty free and they directed me to a waiting area in my car where, after a half hour wait, a customs officer came and let us go. So my question is, why did they design it this way? WTF?..... The exit isn’t the problem, it’s finding the stupid duty-free shop and where to park! Had that happen last Sunday….. Probably better to go to Canada, have lunch and come back. Lol”…..And at least one person with common sense: “Read the sign. It's not that hard to do.”

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Lot 16. Windsor's own Area 51

WindsorOntarioNews.com Sept. 20 2024

You’ve probably heard of Area 51. But Windsor has its own Lot 16. That’s a parking lot between Ouellette Ave. and Goyeau St. along the river and owned by the city. There have been long time complaints about the parking lot from residents across the street related to noise, loitering, partying and car driver “burnouts." Downtown councillor Renaldo Agostino asked how these could be prevented. A report to City Council says as much as $62,000 could be spent on a barrier and related measures. But that “may not resolve” the issues. “There's a likelihood that these challenges could simply shift to nearby parking lots to the east (Lot 34) and/or west (Lot 5), necessitating a broader approach to effectively address these concerns.” Ironically, when the city installed gates and fencing to address a similar problem down the road at the Festival Plaza “the challenges shifted to Lot 16.” And closing the lot altogether would result in a shortage of parking spaces. “The elimination of Lot 16 and its 86 spaces will leave only the 48 spaces at Lot 5 to service the nearly 1.3 km stretch of riverfront parkland from Glengarry to Caron Ave.” The area includes “popular destinations” like Dieppe Park, various memorials, gardens, The Great Canadian Flag and Bistro at the River. Another problem with a gate is it can by bypassed. “Vehicle(s) park in the lot before the gate restricts access. Even if it is just a single vehicle from the group, the vehicle will drive out to open the gate, and the other vehicles then drive in.” Another option is simply the status quo by police monitoring and “continued parking enforcement though the current contractor.” Still another would be hiring security largely overnight but that could run almost $100,000. Security cameras are yet a further option but lack of technical infrastructure makes that impossible. And closing the lot altogether would lose the city $80,000 in revenue. Exploring Area 51 might be easier.

Photo: Google Satellite View

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Anyone for pickleball? City of Windsor is exploring more court options

WindsorOntarioNews.com Sept. 11 2024

As the pickleball craze continues (Amherstburg just broke ground on a set of new courts) the City of Windsor is exploring adding the increasingly popular hard surface game, lauded mainly by people of a certain age. The city’s master recreation plan has set out improvements for all hard courts such as pickleball, tennis and basketball. The goal is “Flex Court sports tiling, or other alternative court surfaces that offer a longer warranty of 7 to 10 years, to determine if these are more cost- effective options compared to replacing the traditional and /or asphalt concrete.” An example is new Forest Glade courts (photo) of a material similar to fiberglass. As well, the plan calls for pickleball court lining in existing city tennis courts. “Potential locations include Garry Dugal Park, Remington Booster Park, or other locations to be determined by City staff.” That process has begun with pickleball lines overlaid on all existing tennis courts, excluding Central Park and Forest Glade Optimist Park. As well, pickleball configuration is set up in four out of six gymnasiums within the recreation centres. Those include the WFCU Centre (WFCU), Forest Glade Community Centre (FGCC), Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex (CPRC) and John Atkinson Memorial Community Centre (AMC). Among the four, the WFCU and AMC feature multiple-court configurations, each with three courts. The remaining gyms (CPRC and FGCC) are designed for single-court use. The city could add a fifth location at Optimist Community Centre but says replacement for the unsuitable current floor court would cost at least $150,000. The city is also increasing time slot availability. The most popular bookings are at the WFCU and AMC.

Photo: City of Windsor

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Recycled material sales down markedly

WindsorOntarioNews.com August 9 2024

In virtually all categories, sales revenue for recycled materials collected locally were down substantially in 2023 compared to 2022. The local waste authority’s annual report says this was a result of “exceptionally strong market conditions for the majority of recyclable materials” two years ago. Revenue last year was $2,643,177 representing an average $140/tonne for all products. That compared to $225/tonne in 2022. In various categories, old newspaper was down more than half from $872,000 (rounded) to $425,000. Cardboard was almost down by half from $1 million to $594,000. Hardback (cardboard/boxboard mix) lost more than half from $245,000 to $217,000. Fine paper saw a precipitous decline to $1100 from $7100. Mixed fibre was dramatically down to $6600 from $54,000. Aluminum cans suffered a loss from $840,000 to $683,000. PET (plastic water bottles) dropped from $980,000 to $409,000. High-density polyethylene (laundry soap bottles) dropped from $244,000 to $156,000. Polycoat and gable top (milk cartons) saw only a meagre $45 income versus $7000 the previous year. Mixed metal earned $13,000 compared to $20,000 previously. Mixed plastics (tubs and lids, clamshells, trays) earned only $23,000 versus $86,000. The sole category that saw an increase was clear glass from $849 to $4436. In fact, last year had the third lowest income for all materials sold since 2015. In 2022, the agency earned $4,681,016 and in 2021 $4,967,436 – a record. Back in 2015 the agency still earned more than it did last year - $3,101,234. Of all the recycled materials, aluminum cans and foil generated the lion’s share of revenue at 25.9 percent followed by cardboard at 22.5 per cent, old newspaper at 16.1 per cent and PET at 15.5 per cent. Clear glass – ironically the only category that saw an increase in revenue - generated the least at 0.2%.

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In London, "staggering amounts" of safer supply went to black market

WindsorOntarioNews.com July 23 2024

While Windsor’s SafePoint supervised drug consumption and treatment site remains on pause due to the province withholding funding as it reviews such sites’ safety, an investigation into a similar site in London found extreme abuses of its services. Adam Zivo, director of the Centre for Responsible Drug Policy, found that “staggering amounts” of safer supply opioids “are being diverted to the black market.” These are “predominantly eight-mg tablets of hydromorphone, an opioid as potent as heroin — to mitigate the use of riskier street substances.” Zivo said that while advocates say such sites save lives, “safer supply clients often divert (sell or trade) their free hydromorphone to acquire stronger substances, which then floods communities with the drug and fuels new addictions.” London piloted the country’s first safer supply program in 2016. But since the program was “greatly expanded” in 2020 hydromorphone seizures “have exploded.” London police deputy chief Paul Bastien confirmed, “In 2019, we recorded fewer than 1,000 (hydromorphone) tablets seized. That number increased sharply in 2020 and continued to climb gradually until last year when the number of tablets seized increased nearly five-fold over 2022, to over 30,000. Based on seizure data for the first part of 2024, it appears likely that this year’s total could match or exceed last year’s.” Meanwhile local addictions physician Sharon Koivu called the 3000 per cent increase in seizures “unbelievably concerning” and said that “what the police confiscate is just a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of pills that are actually being diverted.” Said Zivo in a National Post article, “Dr. Koivu said that, based on her clinical experiences, diverted safer supply hydromorphone is obviously causing new addictions and getting into the hands of youth. Dozens of other doctors across Canada have publicly said that they are witnessing similar trends — and even harm reduction activists themselves have begun to acknowledge these issues.” London police are nearing completion of an investigation into safer supply diversion.

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Celebrated forensic pathologist once taught at the University of Windsor

WindsorOntarioNews.com July 10 2024

Celebrity forensic pathologist Werner Spitz once taught at the University of Windsor. The acclaimed pathologist, who figured in cases from JFK’s and Martin Luther King’s assassinations to OJ Simpson and Jonbenet Ramsey, died at 97 this spring in St. Clair Shores, MI. Spitz, born in Germany, moved with his family to Israel and became a pathologist. His first major case was investigating the death of Israel Prime Minster Golda Meir’s husband Morris Myerson, who was found dead in a Tel Aviv flat but died of a heart attack. Spitz moved to the United States. Forensic pathology was a new science which Spitz helped develop. He taught at the University of Windsor and Wayne State University. He became Chef Medical Examiner for metro Detroit’s Wayne and Macomb counties and claimed to have taken part in 60,000 autopsies. In acclaimed criminal cases, Spitz testified for the parents of Mary Jo Kopechne, who died in a car crash driven by Sen. Ted Kennedy. In the mid-1970s he reviewed President John Kennedy’s death, concluding that while the original postmortem had been “botched” Lee Harvey Oswald was indeed the correct killer. Spitz also confirmed the finding of the original autopsy in the death of civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Spitz testified successfully in the civil trial of OJ Simpson that small semicircular cuts on Simpson’s hand were fingernail gouges left by deceased wife Nicole Brown Simpson as she struggled with him. Spitz's testimony in music producer Phil Spector’s 2007 trial that the alleged victim had shot herself, contributed to the jury failing to reach a unanimous conviction, though Spector was later convicted in a retrial. In the Jonbenet Ramsey case Spitz concluded the six-year-old child beauty queen was likely killed by her nine-year-old brother, for which he was sued after DNA evidence disclosed otherwise, and the case was settled on undisclosed terms.

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Transgendered woman wins $35 K from Rights Tribunal over Windsor tanning salon complaint

WindsorOntarioNews.com June 25 2024

A transgendered Indigenous woman has been awarded $35,000 from the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal for humiliation and “victimization” following a 2018 encounter with a Windsor tanning salon. Identified only as “AB” the applicant, who at one time headed a local transgender support organization, alleged discrimination when she requested a leg wax from Mad Max Windsor Inc. (“Mad Wax”), which appears to no longer exist. According to tribunal testimony, when AB called the studio the woman who answered at first said the salon did not provide services to trans women and then said, “I don’t know.” Testifying before the tribunal the staffer denied the studio did not serve trans clients and said she didn’t know what transgender meant and passed the request to the owner. “The applicant and individual respondent (owner) had very different recollections of what was said during their subsequent phone call,” said the Tribunal. The owner said he thought the caller wanted a Brazilian wax but admitted on cross-examination he had just “assumed” so. The applicant also said the owner “repeatedly misgendered her by referring to her as male or having male body parts, despite the fact that she never told him she had male genitalia.” The owner denied this but “admitted” he may have done so. The customer also said the owner had no one on staff who could provide services to “someone like you” but the owner said he had no one on staff at that time but denied using the derogatory phrase. The owner said AB threatened “trouble with the tribunal” and a "media circus” which AB denied. No service was ever provided. Adjudicator Karen Dawson found the owner did “repeatedly asked the applicant about her genitalia and assumed she was seeking a Brazilian wax.” Nor did AB make threats. AB posted a video on the organization’s Facebook page warning clients not to use the studio. The video was taken down after one hour. The owner said the video “prompted him to contact three media outlets to ‘set the record straight.’” No media published stories. But after a human rights complaint was laid the owner issued a press release leading to media coverage. Dawson found discrimination because the owner “asked her about her genitalia and repeatedly misgendered her during their phone call.” As well the “timing of the media outreach and the repeated misgendering of the applicant in the release (AB was not named in it or media stories) and in interviews was intended to cause the applicant embarrassment and undermine her complaints.”

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Windsor's Jenny Coco is an owner of problem-plagued The One, TO "supertall" skyscraper

WindsorOntarioNews.com June 11 2024

A prominent Windsor developer is one of the owners of the problem plagued and iconic The One tower considered to be Canada’s first “supertall” skyscraper. The residential, hotel and commercial building has been years in development at the corner of Bloor and Yonge streets in downtown Toronto, and one of the city’s most prestigious locations. The project, which began in 2015, went into receivership last fall. The One is co-owned by Sam Mizrahi and Coco Group’s Jenny Coco. Now the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has put the building up for sale with a minimum price of $1.2 billion to pay creditors though the entire debt is $1.5 billion due to defaulted loan payments. After being placed in receivership the project's management was transferred to Alvarez & Marsal Canada Inc., which has since revamped the building’s budget, timeline, and design, with the aim of making it more attractive to buyers. The first round of bids is due July 30 and the second Sept. 24. The One, to be 85 stories, has been plagued by unsold condo units, mainly because of an overly optimistic luxury market. More than 70 per cent of the large upper-floor condo units remain unsold, and of the 19 sold units, nine buyers are in default. “There is an extremely limited market for units of the size and sale price of those located in the upper levels,” a report by the new manager says. The company has submitted a redesign to increase the number of units per floor from two to four, adding 88 new units to the upper levels. Construction has reached the 57th floor but won’t be completed by a previous target of next March. Coco, now headquartered in Toronto, was founded in Windsor in 1964 and owned by Jenny Coco, CEO and Rock-Anthony Coco, President. According to its website the company has established itself “as one of Canada's largest road-building construction companies.” In 2022, the family “fully transitioned its core business into a family investment office.” The focus is on “opportunistic real estate investments and strategies across asset classes and capital stack in gateway markets within Canada and USA.”

Photo: Google Street View

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In Windsor-Essex, who's the wokest public organization of them all?

WindsorOntarioNews.com May 28 2024

It appears you can’t attend any official public meeting or log on to any publicly-funded organization’s website these days without seeing a Land Acknowledgement, indicating respect for the former lands of Indigenous peoples. But some organizations are more explicit – or “woke” - an overemphasis or trying to prove social consciousness - as critics might say, than others. All City of Windsor meetings begin with “acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations, which includes the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi. The City of Windsor honours all First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and their valuable past and present contributions to this land.” This is pretty similar to other organizations. But the most detailed WON discovered belongs to the Greater Essex County District School Board. “We acknowledge that we are on land and surrounded by water, originally inhabited by Indigenous Peoples who have travelled this area since time immemorial. This territory is within the lands honoured by the Wampum Treaties; agreements between the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Lenni Lenape and allied Nations to peacefully share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. Specifically, we would like to acknowledge the presence of the Three Fires Confederacy (Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi) and Huron/Wendat Peoples. We are dedicated to honouring Indigenous history and culture while remaining committed to moving forward respectfully with all First Nations, Inuit and Métis." The Windsor Public Library’s is short and sweet. “We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations, which includes the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomie. The City of Windsor honours all First Nations, Inuit and Metis people and their valuable past and present contributions to this land.” And in an apparent nod to the gay/Pride community its logo sports rainbow colours. Meanwhile, you can’t even get past the front page of the Art Windsor-Essex (formerly Art Gallery of Windsor) (photo) website without a land acknowledgement in bold letters staring you right in the face. “We want to state our respect for the ancestral and ongoing authority of Walpole Island First Nation over its Territory.” The gallery was also one of the first to have all-gender washrooms. Even the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority, builder of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, has one. “We would like to acknowledge that the land where the Gordie Howe International Bridge project is being constructed sits on Anishinaabe Territory.” The WDBA also sports other woke statements, criticized as not being germane to essential or traditional corporate missions and emphasizing identity politics and therefore discriminatory themselves. These are its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility, and Environmental, Social and Governance clauses.

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Only urgent care, not emergency, will eventually remain downtown - critic

WindsorOntarioNews.com May 13 2024

The expectation a “satellite emergency department” will remain downtown once the new regional hospital is built is false, says a longtime campaigner against the new acute care hospital, Philippa von Ziegenweidt of Citizens for an Accountable Mega-hospital Planning Process (CAMPP). In a letter to City Council regarding its new “Strengthening the Core” plan to boost the downtown, the critic says “the language surrounding the facility (not the Hotel- Dieu Grace Heathcare campus, pictured) being planned in Windsor is misleading, and diminishes the risk to the area. While the public has been repeatedly promised a ‘satellite emergency department,’ the small print indicates very clearly it is to be an Urgent Care Centre. This, she says, repeats exactly what the city of Brampton did. “Built in 2017, (the UCC there) was located on the site of Brampton’s aging downtown hospital. All hospital services were transferred to the new Civic Hospital, approximately 10 km from the city’s downtown core.” But according to the UCC website it is open for “care when your illness or injury isn't an emergency, but just can't wait.” These include sprains, strains or broken bones, minor burns, nose and throat complaints and cuts that might need stitches. “Patients are told to visit the emergency department for care related to serious injuries, illness or conditions, especially if they are experiencing symptoms and have an existing chronic condition, including heart disease, kidney disease, or diabetes,” von Ziegenweidt says. “This is a far cry from the healthcare services provided to Windsor's downtown population today" by Hotel-Dieu Grace Heathcare.

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Dwight Duncan's post-politics includes U Windsor and high profile research org

WindsorOntarioNews.com April 29 2024

Former Windsor political heavyweight Dwight Duncan popped out from relatively obscurity last week with a jointly written op-ed in the Financial Post (see front page). Duncan is one of the former high profile Canadian Liberal politicians who have come out against his own party over the capital gains inclusion rate increase in the recent federal budget. Duncan, 65, was one of Windsor’s best-known politicians, formerly serving on city council before jumping to provincial politics and serving in the Ontario legislature from 1995 to 2013. He held several cabinet positions including finance minister and deputy premier under then Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty. In the op-ed Duncan wrote as a senior fellow of the CD Howe Institute, a long time Canadian non-profit policy think tank. But post-politics his endeavours have taken him into the worlds of law and corporate consulting. He first joined the prominent Toronto law firm McMillan as a business advisor. Currently he is Senior Advisor for Canadian Investor Relations at Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP. A spokeswoman for CD Howe confirmed he has been a senior fellow there since 2019. He’s also involved with the Global Risk Institute – an organization advising corporate clients on risk management - and MS Society of Canada. He’s also Executive-in-Residence at U Windsor’s Odette School of Business. Besides last week’s op-ed Duncan “wrote a couple of intelligence memos” in 2018 and 2020, the spokeswoman said. In 2018 he wrote that Canada was “unequivocally facing an existential crisis in competitiveness.” The other memo, written at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic on March 18 2020, called Extraordinary Events call for Extraordinary Responses. “Governments around the world are wrestling with the reality of how limited their powers are in the face of a global economic tsunami,” he wrote to the country’s finance ministers. “Regardless, they must devise and implement a significant fiscal stimulus.”

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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

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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

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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."

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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

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"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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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