County Council Highlights for May 7, 2025

Warden pays tribute to local veteran who died in April

Warden Hilda MacDonald paid tribute to Second World War veteran Charles Davis, who died April 10 at 102 years of age.

He had planned to attend liberation commemoration ceremonies in the Netherlands this month after “never missing an opportunity to pay tribute to those with whom he served,” MacDonald noted at the beginning of Wednesday’s Essex County Council meeting.

Davis joined the 69th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery of the Royal Canadian Artillery in 1941 when he was 18 years old. Three years later, he drove a truck loaded with ammunition onto a beach in Normandy, France. He continued to serve his country in Europe until 1946.

“His sacrifice, his long and active life, and his dedication to recognizing and remembering Canada’s fallen soldiers are truly remarkable,” the warden said. “We are forever grateful and extend our condolences to his family and many friends. Charles Davis, we will not forget you.”

MacDonald also welcomed summer and co-op students who joined the County of Essex staff this week and reminded observers that the County of Essex is holding public information meetings about its development charges initiative over the coming month. For more information go to our Development Charges Initiative web page.

Accessibility Advisory Committee has busy year planned

The Essex County Accessibility Advisory Committee invited council to join them for the raising of the accessibility flag in front of the County of Essex Administration Building on May 26 at 10 a.m. The flag is being raised for National AccessAbility Week, May 25 to May 31.

Committee members also updated council on their other accomplishments and plans for the coming year, including an Accessibility Fest-for-All in Amherstburg on Sept. 12.

Invest WindsorEssex provides update about its work and strategic plan

Invest WindsorEssex facilitated $422 million in new investment and the creation of 1,260 new jobs in the first quarter of 2025, representatives said in a presentation to council.

Canada Qiuming Auto Parts Ltd. is planning to make a $10-million investment to add a stamping line to its plant in Essex County and add 50 jobs. There are four other expansion projects worth $43 million that will add 220 jobs to be announced, Essex County Council was told.

Invest WindsorEssex is also developing a five-year strategic plan, a draft of which is expected to be completed in June.

Traffic review of County Road 42 intersection results in minor change

A “stop ahead” sign on Renaud Line north of the intersection with County Road 42 will be moved further from the intersection to give drivers more time to react, says a report prepared following a traffic review.

The review, requested by the Municipality of Lakeshore and supported by Essex County Council, found that the existing two-way stop signs and flashing beacons above the intersection are the appropriate safety measures for the current conditions. However, the report notes that traffic impact studies for a proposed development north of the intersection may determine other measures will be needed in the future.

Council adopts formal Indemnification Policy

Essex County Council has adopted a formal Indemnification Policy that protects employees and council members when they are appropriately exercising their duties.

Naming of council members or employees in legal proceedings related to their work is rare and there haven’t been any recent cases, a report says. “By adopting a formal Indemnification Policy, Council will remove any uncertainty and both employees and members of Council can perform the tasks required by them on behalf of the County, with certainty that they will be protected as long as they are appropriately exercising their respective duties.”

Tecumseh annexation of Monroe Island supported

Council approved a by-law supporting the annexation of Monroe Island by the Town of Tecumseh.

Both the town and the Municipality of Lakeshore, where the island is located at 440 Brighton Road, passed by-laws in April authorizing the boundary adjustment. The island property is connected by a driveway bridge to the road in Tecumseh, making it more cost effective for services to be provided by the town, says a report.

Human Resources team busy in 2024

The County of Essex Human Resources team facilitated 138 job postings in 2024 and received a total of 8,248 applications – 7,572 external and 676 internal, says an annual update to council.

“These numbers highlight the County’s ability to attract external talent while promoting growth from within,” says the report. It also notes there were 46 applications in 2024 for the county’s tuition reimbursement program, which supports employees pursuing further education and training aligned with their roles and career paths.

‘Canada First’ language added to Procurement Policy

Council has amended Essex County’s Procurement Policy to favour Canadian suppliers in response to U.S. tariffs.

The change is consistent with Ontario’s recently adopted Procurement Restriction Policy, which restricts participation of certain U.S. businesses in provincial procurement. It will apply to procurements below trade agreement thresholds of $353,300 for goods/services and $8.8 million for construction. It also includes the following exceptions:

·         Situations where no viable alternative suppliers exist and procurement cannot be delayed;

·         Cases where the procurement is conducted under existing vendor-of-record arrangements; and

·         An overarching commitment to comply with trade agreements and other legal obligations.

A tariff-related escalation clause that sets out how and when vendors can increase prices due to tariffs has also been added to the Procurement Policy.

“To date, a review by the County’s Procurement Team indicates that few existing contracts directly involve U.S.-based suppliers,” says a report. “Some exceptions include specific products such as ambulance equipment, IT hardware and software, for which no viable non-U.S. alternatives are currently available. These contracts will continue to be monitored closely to assess risk and availability.”

In February, council directed staff to explore a “Buy Canadian” procurement strategy after the U.S. administration announced plans to impose hefty tariffs on goods from Canada.

Council also voted to have the County treasurer discuss targeted municipal property tax relief with the treasurers of the local municipalities in order to make suggestions about providing relief to businesses impacted by tariffs and bring back a report to Council.

Consultant to assess Sun Parlor Home building and service

Council approved hiring a consultant to conduct a comprehensive analysis and feasibility study of the Sun Parlor Home building, and review its service delivery.

The work is to be done by Bessant Pelech Associates Inc. at a cost of up to $190,000, of which $50,000 was approved by council in 2024, says a report. The study of the building will identify viable options for upgrading the Leamington long-term care home to provincial standards. The service delivery review will focus on roles and responsibilities of staff, governance structure and succession planning.

Council was also presented with a declaration of compliance stating Sun Parlor Home fulfilled its obligations under its Service Accountability Agreement with the province in 2024.

Mary Benson Albers and Claudia den Boer are providing interim leadership at the Sun Parlor Home while the county is in the process of recruiting a permanent director of health and community services/administrator.

Notice of motion calls for hiring of road rationalization study consultant

Councillor Crystal Meloche from LaSalle introduced a notice of motion calling on council to “authorize the hiring of a qualified, independent 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.”

The motion will be debated at a future meeting of council.