County Council Highlights for June 4, 2025

Warden marks start of festival season and Pride Month

The County of Essex recognizes Pride Month by flying the Pride flag in June, Warden Hilda MacDonald noted as she opened Wednesday’s council meeting by wishing everyone a happy Pride Month.

The warden also highlighted Italian Heritage Month and all the festivals and celebrations taking place this June in municipalities across the county. Festivals on tap this month include the LaSalle Strawberry Festival, Amherstburg Open Air weekends, Carrousel of the Nations, Taste of Tecumseh and the Father’s Day Stroll the Street in Belle River.

June is “the beginning of festival season in Essex County and a time when we can start to unwind for the summer,” MacDonald said.

As well, she reminded road users to be patient and courteous, especially when encountering construction and line painting crews.

Council updated on tourism initiatives

Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) representatives updated council on the organization’s initiatives and presented statistics showing the growth in tourism since 2021.

The region saw a total of 5.6 million visitors who spent $856 million in 2023. Of those visitors, 1.7 million were from outside of Canada. Tourism employed 11,507 people in the region in 2023.

The TWEPI presentation also included statistics for some of its initiatives, including a Night Market Hop, Barrels Bottles and Brews, the W.E. Heart Local program, EPIC Wineries, its Summer Event Guide and its 2025/2026 Visitor Guide.

Council supports LaSalle’s call for health travel grant

Essex County Council supported a call by the Town of LaSalle for the Ontario Ministry of Health to establish a grant system similar to the Northern Health Travel Grant program in Windsor-Essex County to provide support to the residents of Windsor and Essex County when they need to travel long distances for specialized medical services or procedures at ministry funded health care facilities.

An advocacy letter will be sent to Ontario’s Minister of Health, area MPPs and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

Housing Needs Assessment report approved

Council approved a Housing Needs Assessment report produced as part of the Regional Affordable Housing Strategy being developed by the County of Essex and City of Windsor.

The county requires the Housing Needs Assessment to apply for federal funding programs. The assessment provides an overview of Essex County’s housing situation and also breaks it down to paint a picture for each of the seven local municipalities.

A presentation to council included five key insights from the assessment:

1.     There is a need to stimulate an increase in the supply of purpose-built rental housing.

2.     There is a need for more housing affordable to a broad range of income levels.

3.     There is a need for a greater variety of housing options to reflect changing household structures and growth patterns.

4.     There is a need for more community housing options, including supportive and accessible units.

5.     There is a need to improve access to permanent housing and related supports for those experiencing housing instability.

Updated boundary agreement with Chatham-Kent approved

Essex County Council has endorsed an updated version of a boundary agreement with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent that has been in effect for over 25 years.

The boundary between the Essex County and Chatham-Kent runs along Kent Road 1, which is recognized as a shared road. The updated agreement includes a new section covering permits, which Chatham-Kent will be responsible for reviewing. It states that once the agreement is approved, applicants will only need one permit (not two) when a utility crosses the road allowance.

Former county roadway to be officially transferred to Windsor

A portion of what was County Road 42 between Lauzon Road and the railway tracks west of the Windsor Airport that fell within the City of Windsor limits after a boundary adjustment in 2003 is finally being transferred to the city.

It is not known why the oversight happened, but it was uncovered in 2024 when city council instructed its administration to change the name of the roadway between Lauzon Road and Devonwood Avenue to Cabana Road East, says a report to council. Essex County Council voted to immediately transfer the roadway to Windsor and authorized the warden and clerk to execute the required documents.

Council defers discussion on road rationalization study consultant

Councillor Crystal Meloche withdrew her notice of motion calling for the hiring of a consultant “to conduct a comprehensive road rationalization study that will assess the current county road system, define appropriate classification criteria, provide funding recommendations, and propose a future road network plan for the County.” Council voted to defer discussion on the issue until budget deliberations later in the year.