County Council Highlights for September 3, 2025

Warden Highlights Suicide Awareness Month, Hospice Campaign

Warden Hilda MacDonald in her opening remarks highlighted that September is Suicide Awareness Month, a cause “near and dear to the Paramedics who work for Essex-Windsor EMS.”

It is important, the Warden said, that we all work together to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and always remember that we are not alone – to reach out if we are struggling, because help is always available.

“It’s OK to talk about mental health struggles and, quite often, talking about these feelings is the first step on the road to wellness,” she said.

As well, the Warden reminded everyone that September is the month for the Face to Face Campaign, which supports Hospice of Windsor and Essex County.

Over the past 22 years, more than $1.7 million has been raised for the Fairley Family Transportation Program, which works with Essex-Windsor EMS to fulfill the final wishes of terminal patients. This particular Hospice project is named the G.E.N.I.E. Program, which stands for Granting Exceptional N’ Impactful Experiences. The Warden called it an “incredible initiative that embraces joy and the enduring power of love in the face of incredible sadness.”

The Windsor Star this week reported on a particularly touching G.E.N.I.E. moment, when EWEMS Paramedic Daina Waterfield and EMS District Chief Sarah Bezaire transported a terminally ill mother to the backyard of a family home in Belle River, so that she could attend her daughter’s wedding ceremony. Waterfield and Bezaire tended to the woman’s needs during the service, even shielding her from the hot summer sun.

“This is but one example of the good work being done by our Paramedics, and the good works being funded by the Face to Face Campaign,” the Warden said.

Lastly, the Warden reminded everyone that a week from this Friday, on September 12, the County’s second annual Outdoor Accessibility Fest-for-All takes place in Amherstburg. The event is a great way to learn about accessibility issues, and to champion inclusion as well as the building of barrier-free communities.

This year’s event is at the Libro Centre, home to Canada’s first Miracle Baseball League, whose players will showcase their skills, as will members of the Windsor Ice Bullets Sledge Hockey Team, and the Rose City Riot parasports club.

The event, which goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is free to the public. Learn more on the Outdoor Accessibility Fest-for-All page!

Procurement Overages Absorbed by Budget Surpluses

Council received a report, in accordance with the County’s Procurement Policy, summarizing the particulars of four projects that had exceeded their budgets.

The policy stipulates that the Treasurer will monitor and report to Council on projects that were over budget but less than 10 per cent above the Council-approved amount.

In all four cases, departmental surpluses covered the overages, said a report to Council.

Council Approves Regional Housing Needs Assessment

Over the next 10 years, more than 15,000 new housing units will need to be built to meet the housing needs of a growing Essex County and 2,250 of those need to be affordable rental units, with 750 of those deeply affordable ones, County Council was told Wednesday night.

The Housing Needs Assessment conducted as part of the Regional Affordable Housing Strategy concluded that 80 per cent of all households do not have sufficient income to purchase a home in the County and more than 20 per cent of all households lack the necessary income to pay market rents. As well, 8,900 households in the County are paying more than 30 per cent of their monthly income on housing, with about 3,000 households paying more than 50 per cent of their income on housing.

“Housing affordability remains one of the most urgent challenges facing households living in the County,” said consultants in a presentation to Council. “As of December 2024, 9,845 active applicants were on the centralized waitlist for an affordable unit to become available in our region.”

The Regional Affordable Housing Strategy is founded on five insights that give rise to three strategic pillars and a range of suggested actions.

The five insights highlighted in a presentation to Council are:

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.

The three strategic pillars are:

1. Stimulating a Future-Focused Range of Housing Options: This pillar focuses on the ongoing and future residential development trends in Windsor-Essex, and how the city and county can encourage the creation of housing that meets the needs of existing and future residents.
2. Igniting a Thriving Housing Sector: This pillar focuses on strengthening the housing sector, increasing access to affordable, culturally appropriate, and supportive housing options.
3. Improving Housing Access for those in Greatest Need: This pillar focuses on the population groups of greatest need within Windsor-Essex. People experiencing homelessness and households in core housing need in the region are a priority for deeply affordable housing solutions.

Six “low cost, high impact” priority actions were identified for Council to consider in the future:

1. Identify, make available, and pre-zone surplus lands and infill development opportunities to provide low-cost sites to be used for new purpose-built affordable rental housing developments.
2. Pre-zone lands in both existing and new greenfield neighbourhoods that can be used for both small and large-scale purpose-built rental housing units, that can accommodate a diverse range of unit sizes to meet the evolving needs of families, single person households, and households with low and moderate incomes.
3. Prepare and Adopt Housing CIPs that offer targeted incentives to stimulate and support the creation of purpose-built affordable rental housing across the County.
4. Streamline planning and building regulatory review and approval processes, to expedite and accelerate the construction of new purpose-built rental housing developments, and to reduce the cost and time it takes for new rental housing to be built.
5. Partner with community housing providers and developers to utilize new technologies, innovative building designs, and federal and provincial funding sources to service sites and construct housing that is targeted to low and moderate-income households.
6. Allocate financial resources to new housing reserves to be used to invest in priority action affordable housing initiatives, including projects undertaken with the participation of community partners and senior levels of government.

Any specific funding requests associated with these recommendations “will be presented to Council as part of future budget processes as needs are identified and the potential costs for same can be determined,” said a report to Council.

Council Supports Elect Respect Pledge

Council voted to send a letter to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and others supporting the Elect Respect pledge, an initiative against harassment and abuse meant to “restore civility and respect to the public square” and “rebuild a culture where everyone – candidates, elected officials, and the public – can participate in democracy free from fear or intimidation.”

Council Passes Preservation of Tree Canopy and Natural Vegetation Policy and By-Law

Council approved a Preservation of Tree Canopy and Natural Vegetation Policy and By-Law.

“The Corporation of the County of Essex recognizes the environmental, economic and health benefits of trees, natural vegetation, naturalized areas and biologically diverse ecosystems and as such is committed to preserving and enhancing the natural heritage system within the County,” says the policy. “This policy supports the continued collaborative initiatives between the County, local municipalities, developers, landowners, public/private agencies and the general public that seek to preserve and enhance tree canopy and natural vegetation in the County of Essex through consultation, planning and action.”

Pelee Island EMS Base Lease Formalized

Council supported the formalizing of a long-standing lease for the Essex-Windsor EMS base on Pelee Island, which will undergo renovations with financial support from the Township of Pelee.

EWEMS has informally leased the island base for a nominal sum of $2 per year since taking over for Sun Parlor Ambulance and over the years has spent time and resources retrofitting the base to ensure it can meet the needs of a modern ambulance service, said a report to Council.

“To date, the County has been unable to identify a better alternative for its Pelee Island Base, and due to the current arrangement, it makes little sense to do so,” said the report.  

The base has one apartment with a kitchenette, but about $85,000 is now required to construct an additional apartment at the base as two Paramedics are posted there at all times. The Township has agreed to contribute $20,000 to these improvements and the balance is expected to be funded within the existing EWEMS budget.

Council Approves Letter of Support for Invest WindsorEssex

Council voted to send a letter in support of an application to the Trade Impacted Communities Program being coordinated by Invest WindsorEssex.

Invest WindsorEssex will apply for funding from the $40 million grant program to support local manufacturing and agri-businesses affected by trade disruptions.

“The Windsor-Essex region is particularly vulnerable to trade disruption due to its dependence on cross-border trade, especially in the automotive and agri-food sectors,” said a report to Council. “Our geographic ties to the U.S. market and local business ecosystem make us highly sensitive to cost increases and trade policy changes.”

Council Receives AMO Advocacy Update

CAO Sandra Zwiers updated Council on advocacy undertaken at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa in August.

The CAO and Warden Hilda MacDonald met with Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, to ask for provincial assistance in building a grade-separated interchange at the intersection of County Road 22 and County Road 19/Manning Road.

“The Windsor-Essex region is on the cusp of historic economic growth, driven by transformative projects that promise to generate tens of thousands of jobs, inject hundreds of millions of dollars into government coffers, and ignite an unprecedented surge in residential, commercial and industrial development,” said the submission to the province. “However, the full economic potential of these historic projects may not be realized without substantial provincial support for necessary infrastructure enhancements.”

The County requested $60 million from the province which, combined with $45 million from the County, would allow for the expedited construction of a grade-separated interchange at the most congested and dangerous intersection along County Road 22, a vital economic artery providing access to the Highway 401 and the new bridge and battery plant.

The CAO and Warden highlighted for the Province the considerable work the County was doing to improve transportation infrastructure in the area. Last year the County constructed a two-lane roundabout at the intersection of County Road 42 and County Road 43/Banwell Road and is constructing another one this year at the intersection of County Road 42 and County Road 19/Manning Road. This year, the County is investing $98.1 million to enhance its road network, including $67.6 million for capacity expansion.