WindsorNewsA slice of the pie: Essex County rhubarb farmer harvesting a bumper cropBy Michelle MaluskeUpdated: May 05, 2025 at 6:35PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved The forecast for Windsor-Essex from Environment Canada. Tonight..cloudy. 40 percent chance of showers early this evening. Showers beginning this evening. Risk of a thunderstorm this evening and overnight. Fog patches developing overnight. Low 12. Tuesday..cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers and risk of a thunderstorm. Fog patches dissipating in the morning. Wind becoming southwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 in the morning then light in the afternoon. High 16. UV index 5 or moderate. Tuesday night..cloudy periods with 30 percent chance of showers. Low 10. Wednesday..a mix of sun and cloud. High 19. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. as hundreds of people slogged it out across a muddy riverbed One participant says "it was harder than childbirth", mud race chairman Brian Farrington tells the BBC - find out how the race works Another runner travelled to Essex from the Netherlands wearing the dress his mother wore to his sister's wedding drew more than 20,000 spectators last year and managed to raise thousands of pounds for charity The race kicked off at about 13:00 BST and we've been following all the mucky moments and Akylah Rodriguez and Jodie Halford diving into the mud Lewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race That was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen - watching hundreds of people crawl fight and try to run through thick mud isn’t something you see every day But thousands turned up in Maldon to watch and cheer on the mud racers as they slogged through the 440m (1,443ft) stretch of the River Chelmer at low tide I might even try the race myself next year It was a bizarre experience – but a truly enjoyable one Thanks for following our live coverage of the Maldon Mud Race – we hope you have a newfound appreciation for solid Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBizarre event but we loved every momentpublished at 14:19 British Summer Time 4 May14:19 BST 4 MayJenna MoonLive reporter Hundreds of participants have descended on Maldon in Essex to take on the mud - and while my preference for battling the Sunday scaries isn't to get coated head-to-toe in muck I've been warm and thankfully mud-free here in London but have been eagerly watching events unfold Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'A lot of pain,' says first man to cross finish linepublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 4 May14:04 BST 4 MayJoe Griggs is the first man to cross the finish line this year He describes his coveted victory as "unreal" Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThe fastest woman to cross this year's finish linepublished at 13:59 British Summer Time 4 May13:59 BST 4 MayWe're now getting more details about the winners of Maldon's famous mud race was the first woman to complete the course this year She was all smiles (and mud-free!) as she accepted her prize Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAnyone fancy a cuppa?published at 13:40 British Summer Time 4 May13:40 BST 4 MayMayor of Halstead Andy Munday joined the race dressed as a cup of tea They are among the many people who have now finished the race and are queuing up for the open shower Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRescuers come to the aid of four stuck racerspublished at 13:32 British Summer Time 4 May13:32 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race Four people have had to give up because the water is rising and they just can't move Event organisers have had to get ropes and small paddle boats to help get them out of the water Huge cheers were heard for the last across the line Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSome still stuck in mud - and likely to be there for a whilepublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 4 May13:27 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race and they will likely be there for quite some time But the vast majority are starting to cross the line and they're getting hosed down Most of the mud racers who've finished are in good spirits Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTwenty years of running through the mudpublished at 13:25 British Summer Time 4 May13:25 BST 4 MayFinisher Joel Hicks from Leicestershire tells us it's a fantastic day at the race – this is the 20th year he has participated We looked back through our archives and found Joel smiling in last year's story on the event Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBBC presenters Akylah and Jodie have done itpublished at 13:17 British Summer Time 4 May13:17 BST 4 MayWell done both of you We're expecting a full report on the race soon Jodie and Akylah have made it through the muck Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPeople stuck just before finishing linepublished at 13:13 British Summer Time 4 May13:13 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race People are literally crawling over the finish line Some of them are getting stuck just before the line but they're all being cheered on by thousands and thousands of people Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFirst-timer wins Maldon Mud Racepublished at 13:13 British Summer Time 4 May13:13 BST 4 MayBreakingMatt MackayReporting from the Maldon Mud Race First-time participant Joe has just won Maldon Mud Race "I just tried to get in front of people and tried to stay in front of them," he says about his tactics adding that people can be boisterous and push ahead during the race We're glad your mum doesn't want that dress back Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBeacon Hill Rovers FC smile through the slushpublished at 13:09 British Summer Time 4 May13:09 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race Through all the screams you can hear four men - walking arm-in-arm - singing "oh Safe to say they'll be having a few beers at the clubhouse tonight Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingIn pictures: People crawl and run through mudpublished at 13:06 British Summer Time 4 May13:06 BST 4 MayWhile we appear to have a winner trudging and trying to run through the thick mud Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWinner emerges alreadypublished at 13:02 British Summer Time 4 May13:02 BST 4 MayBreakingLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race People are belly-sliding down the river bank Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingA range of tactics to tackle this course - and one naked manpublished at 12:59 British Summer Time 4 May12:59 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race I've hardly been able to stand up as I walk along the race and try to take photos of the participants One man with a Go Pro camera is naked - I'm hoping a bit more mud might cover him up Another person got close to the finish line quickly Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingStuck in alreadypublished at 12:57 British Summer Time 4 May12:57 BST 4 MayOops - we've already seen people getting stuck in the mud Hopefully this team can work their way out soon Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLet's get muddy!published at 12:55 British Summer Time 4 May12:55 BST 4 MayBreakingAnd they’re off The Maldon Mud Race in Essex has officially begun Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingOlympic bronze medallist set to kick mud race offpublished at 12:54 British Summer Time 4 May12:54 BST 4 MayLewis AdamsReporting from the Maldon Mud Race Olympic bronze medallist Lewis Richardson is the person starting the event "It’s quite a unique event you don’t see too many mud races," he says getting punched in the face or running through the mud He says the best outfit he's spotted so far today is a "Where's Wally?" costume Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLobsters Power Rangers and giant biscuits prepare for the mudpublished at 12:50 British Summer Time 4 May12:50 BST 4 MayWe're absolutely loving the pictures that we've received so far from Maldon Here are some of the best costumes we've spotted so far today as people line up to take part from Great Dunmow are calling out to the sea Rob Faulkner from Windsor is glammed-up and ready to turn his outfit from pink to brown have taken inspiration from the popular '90s children's programme Halstead Mayor Andy Munday and his wife Linda Smith are dunking head-first into the mud Lauren Scotcher and Alison Tuck hope their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumes come to the rescue This group has us going bananas - Dave and Sally Barker Kevin Sisseam and Claire Lunn are hoping to peel out ahead in this race WindsorNewsAverage sales price drops in Windsor-EssexBy CTVNewsWindsor.ca StaffPublished: May 02, 2025 at 3:26PM EDT The Hanover Barons are two wins away from earning the Clarence Schmalz Cup as the Ontario Hockey Association’s Junior C champions for the first time since 1991. Article contentThe Barons are up 2-0 in their best-of-seven series against the Essex 73’s, with the series returning to Hanover on Wednesday for Game 3 inside the P&H Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Essex 73’s won the PJHL’s Stobbs Division over the Lakeshore Canadians, sweeping and beating the Petrolia Flyers in the West Conference Final and beating the New Hamburg Firebirds in five games to earn a berth in the final. The 73’s are Junior C dynamos with seven titles to their name, the most in the province. Essex won the Schmalz Cup in 1975, 1977, 1978, 2002, 2005, 2009, and 2015. The Hanover Barons last won the Schmalz Cup in 1991, defeating the Orangeville Crushers four games to three. Sam Barrett had the game of a lifetime to open up the Schmalz Cup Finals with a four-goal performance for the Hanover Barons in Game 1 of the championship series Saturday at the P&H Centre. The Barons beat the Essex 73’s 6-1 after winning a coin flip to determine home-ice advantage. Barrett scored two of his four goals in the first period, including one scored just 1:57 into the contest as the Barons took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. Hanover’s Alex McGillivray and Essex’s Gabe Barrette traded first-period goals, but Barrette’s marker is the only puck that snuck by Derek Hartley, who made 30 saves to earn the win. Mark McIntosh scored the lone second-period goal before Barrett added two more in the third period, the 10th and 11th of the playoffs for the 20-year-old Owen Sound product. Brogan Colquhoun made 25 saves in the losing effort for the 73’s. The championship series between the Hanover Barons and Essex 73’s moved to Essex for Game 2 and tightened up after a blowout in Game 1 for the Barons. Sam Barrett scored his fifth goal of the series as the Barons won the slugfest by a score of 2-1 to take a two-game series lead. Neither team scored in the first 40 minutes of action as goaltenders Hartley and Colquhoun shut the door. Barrett’s marker at the 6:29 mark of the first period opened the scoring and was the difference maker. McIntosh added an empty-net goal with 52 seconds remaining in the game. Essex scored their lone goal of the contest with just 23 seconds remaining when Matthew Crawford spoiled the shutout for Hartley. Named in honour of Walkerton’s Clarence “Tubby” Schmlaz who served as president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1968 to 1972. In 1974, when the Major Junior A program began operating independently of the association as the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, Schmalz became the league’s first commissioner, a post he held until 1978. He served as vice-chairman of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association from 1979 to 1981, and as chairman in 1981. The association renamed the OHA Junior C Cup in his memory in 1982 and then collaborated with Schmalz’s family to create a commemorative trophy case in the lobby of the Walkerton Community Centre. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Special Olympics athletes from across Windsor-Essex are proving what champions are made of this week “It’s all about the fun,” said superintendent of education Todd Awender “I’m a believer that regardless whether somebody has an exceptionality or not the extracurriculars that take place in school — whether it’s athletics or music — students love those things and that’s what gets them to class to be successful.” Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience The two-day event kicked off Friday with an opening ceremony featuring hundreds of competitors parading the track in their school jerseys before the day’s events began Secondary school athletes were competing Friday while elementary students are on Monday’s competition schedule the kids have huge smiles on their faces,” Awender told the Star “The staff that are involved also have huge smiles on their faces “The competitive piece is not the goal of this event It’s more about the participation and having fun.” Races and competitions are also designed to accommodate non-ambulatory students or those with physical disabilities Awender said the athletes are met with plenty of support particularly from high school leadership students who help run the events He added that many students say its their “favourite day of the year.” is seeing the students smiling and returning to their schools to celebrate the ribbons they’ve earned “It’s really an excellent experience for everybody,” Awender said This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account The Deputy Mayor of Essex plans to introduce a notice of motion on Monday night limiting limit strong mayor powers Rob Shepley's motion would require Mayor Sherry Bondy to clearly state her rationale for using the strong mayor powers given to her by the province last month Bondy would also have to notify all council members she intends to exercise the powers two days before she does Ontario regulation 530/22 does require the mayor to inform the council of her intention to use her strong mayoral powers saying the ability of the mayor to veto council decisions and hire and fire town staff erodes democracy Kingsville and Amherstburg have also expressed concerns about the legislation While Windsor has had strong mayor powers since the summer of 2023 it was extended to another 169 municipalities starting this month Mayor Drew Dilkens has used his powers to veto Windsor City Council's decision to save the Tunnel Bus from the axe during budget deliberations The province said it will allow mayors to override council motions that get in the way of new home construction A fatal crash on Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent has claimed the life a motorcycle rider CK Public Health has reported four more measles exposure sites in Chatham and Dresden Chatham-Kent police are asking for the public's help to find a missing 14-year-old girl Emergency Preparedness Week is underway and Chatham-Kent Fire and Rescue is asking the public to be prepared to protect themselves in case of an emergency Chatham-Kent police say it was a drink and not a dog that caused a Sarnia woman to drive into a ditch in Dover Township Chatham-Kent police are appealing to the public for tips as they try to track down a man who was reported missing on Friday Local health and academic leaders have pledged another five years to sparking innovation and advancing critical research Representatives of the University of Windsor and Windsor Regional Hospital signed a five-year memorandum of understanding Monday at Ambassador Golf Club reaffirming their partnership in the WE-Spark Health Institute Celebrating their renewed partnership in the WE-Spark Health Institute are Michael Silvaggi of St Andrea Steen of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Karen Riddell of Windsor Regional Hospital "This renewal underscores the power of partnership and our unwavering commitment to advancing health research that has meaningful impact," said Dora Cavallo-Medved interim director of WE-Spark Health Institute collaborative research ecosystem that supports discovery improves care and transforms lives in our region and beyond." the group posed for a photo holding sparklers symbolizing their efforts to light the way toward a healthier Windsor-Essex and celebrating all that has been achieved and all that's yet to come WE-Spark officially launched in March 2020 and has since made its mark on the local research landscape accelerating projects providing funding opportunities and helping build a critical mass of health researchers speaks at a signing ceremony celebrating the renewal of a five-year partnership among Windsor-Essex health and academic institutions Cavallo-Medved said she's proud of the work the group has done to come together with a shared vision for health research in the region "We're already starting to see an increase in our capacity and strength to conduct health research and international funding coming to Windsor-Essex for all five partner institutions working together We're also building shared resources that we now have access to in support of the health research we're doing," she said acting president and CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital said WE-Spark is working together to transform ideas into real-world solutions that directly benefit patient care our clinicians and researchers work side by side with partners from across the academic and health-care spectrum resources and a common goal to improve health outcomes for our community," she said "This important work strengthens our ability to attract top talent to our region secure research funding and ultimately deliver higher quality the institute has supported 1,685 active research collaborations and awarded 85 local seed and bridge grants totalling more than $1.4 million It has also leveraged an additional $4.8 million in national and international funding and secured nearly $78 million in external research funding for the Windsor-Essex region WE-Spark has also made an impact through education and training engaging more than 2,068 students in research and professional development opportunities The President of the Board of Directors of Collège O'Sullivan de Montréal, Ms. Joanne Rousseau, is pleased to announce the... Chris Lewis is headed back to Ottawa to represent Essex in the House of Commons The incumbent Conservative candidate clinched his third consecutive federal election win Monday night in the riding of Essex reinforcing the region’s Tory stronghold in southwestern Ontario With 277 of 278 polls reporting as of Tuesday morning comfortably ahead of Liberal challenger Chris Sutton (29,087 votes or 36.6 per cent) and the NDP’s Lori Wightman with 4,044 votes (5.1 per cent) but tonight is a celebration for Essex and a celebration for the region,” Lewis told reporters Monday night among a room full of family “I know that Essex can celebrate tonight because they’ve got someone who is going back that knows how to get the job done If there was ever a time that was vitally important to send somebody back to Ottawa … now is the time.” Lewis said tackling the cost of living and boosting affordable housing locally will be his top priorities “We’re going to continue to pressure the government to ensure that the carbon tax is taken off of everything,” he said speaking after early projections had the Liberals forming the next government campaigned on key priorities such as affordability and rural investment for the region’s greenhouse and farming sector while surrounded by family and friends as he awaited more results waiting to open the presents and not knowing what’s in there “A little bit of anxiety but we’ll get through the night and hopefully the result is what we want.” Sutton said he ran “to give Essex a voice again “I heard from a lot of people while I was campaigning (that) they didn’t feel they were being represented properly,” he said “So that’s what really drove us to really work as hard as we did NDP candidate Lori Wightman described her first federal campaign as a big job but said it was a tremendous honour to run for the riding of Essex and I was in every municipality,” Wightman told the Star “I met so many wonderful people and had so many good conversations.” who held her election night party at Tailgater’s in Essex said she’d need to take a little time to consider future runs for elected office never plan too far ahead so I need to take a little time and kind of regroup.” and part of Lakeshore (everything east of Puce Road) — has been a political battleground between the Liberals and Conservatives followed by Liberal candidate Audrey Festeryga with 15 per cent the riding was held by Conservative Jeff Watson from 2004 to 2014 Liberal Susan Whelan had previously held the riding since 1993 Close to 70 per cent of 109,799 registered electors in Essex cast a ballot this election shows the Essex riding has a population of 131,691 Conservative Chris Lewis (Conservative) — 45,581 votes Chris Sutton (Liberal) — 29,087 Lori Wightman (NDP) — 4,044 Jason Henry (People’s Party) — 834 jkostis@postmedia.com The average sales price for a home in Windsor-Essex continues to drop The Windsor-Essex County Association of Realtors (WECAR) is out with its monthly stats and says the average price in April was $579,910 That's a 0.29% drop compared to April 2024 The association says the number of properties sold last month also fell 416 properties sold in April 2025 compared to 491 in April 2024 That's a year-over-year decrease of 15.27% WECAR says there were 1,203 new listing in Windsor-Essex last month The association says 123 properties sold in the price range of $420,000 to $549,999 and another 115 properties sold in the price range between $550,000 and $699,999 WindsorNewsElection results for Windsor-Essex and Chatham-KentBy CTVNewsWindsor.ca StaffUpdated: April 29, 2025 at 8:31AM EDT As much of the rest of Canada went red Monday night an epic voter shift turned all of Windsor-Essex blue We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentIn a Canadian election often dominated by U.S the Liberal Party of Canada scored a historic comeback on Monday with Prime Minister Mark Carney — leader of a party written off as a sure loser — winning a fourth government mandate But an equally historic turn occurred in Windsor-Essex where the Conservative Party of Canada swept every riding Conservative Harb Gill won Windsor West over longtime NDP incumbent Brian Masse who fell to third place after holding a seemingly unshakeable grip in the riding since 2002 The Conservatives also appear to have taken Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore from Liberal incumbent Irek Kusmierczyk who helped bring a potentially unprecedented amount of funding and investment to the local region during his two terms as MP The official vote was not yet certain Tuesday morning “For Windsor to flip blue is quite something,” said University of Windsor political scientist Lydia Miljan “It does show that the Conservative strategy of gunning for blue-collar support and for union support paid off they were speaking to people where they lived and people were feeling the cost of living I think their strategy and timing played very well for them Gill’s victory marks the first time Windsor West has had a Conservative MP in the riding’s six-decade history you made your voices heard,” Gill told his roughly 70 supporters who gathered Monday night at the Babylon Banquet Hall in Windsor “I am incredibly honoured and grateful for the trust you placed in me.” Masse’s loss after 23 years was part of an epic unraveling for the NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh stepped down early Tuesday after losing his own British Columbia seat — and party status in the House of Commons The NDP went into the election with 24 seats and came out with seven “I have zero regrets about anything that took place,” said Masse “I have nothing but admiration and great experiences and fond memories The hotly contested race in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore was too close to call until after midnight But Conservative Kathy Borrelli apparently unseated Liberal Irek Kusmierczyk “We know that on everyone’s mind is affordability,” Borrelli said Conservative incumbent Chris Lewis coasted to a decisive third consecutive win it means the world to me that you’ve entrusted me once again to represent you in Ottawa,” he said I will do it with humility and I will do it with a bounce in my step and a smile on my face.” Conservative incumbent Dave Epp also easily held onto his seat in Chatham-Kent-Leamington The seismic shift in the Windsor ridings means the region no longer has a representative of the governing party advocating for it But Miljan said that doesn’t leave it out in the wilderness Despite the Liberals winning a minority government and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s own loss in his Ottawa-area riding the Tories gained about 20 seats on Monday “The Conservatives are certainly in play,” said Miljan The fact is that they did increase their vote share to higher levels than when they won in 2011 — but still not enough to topple the Liberals.” She said Carney will also need the Conservatives to fight an American trade war — a vital issue for a border region with an economy intricately tied to the U.S has a Canadian federal election been so focused on a foreign country and its leader this was a referendum on who is best suited to take on U.S President Donald Trump in a trade war and fend off his repeated suggestions Canada become a 51st state Those fears — and a change in leadership to Carney from the increasingly unpopular Justin Trudeau — likely saved Liberal party fortunes the Liberals were so unpopular that some polls predicted they might not secure the 12 seats needed to maintain party status “We’re in sort of unprecedented territory,” said Miljan “Job one now for Carney is to negotiate a trade deal with Trump I think he will need the good will of opposition parties “The pressure is going to be exceptionally high on him to deliver He will need to have some unifying messages And he needs to appeal to Conservatives in some respects.” twilhelm@postmedia.com The forecast for Windsor-Essex from Environment Canada Sunday..cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers Sunday night..cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers Monday..cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers Monday night..cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers Tuesday..cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers Wednesday..a mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of showers WindsorNewsConservative sweep across Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent shocks local analystBy Chris CampbellPublished: April 29, 2025 at 9:05PM EDT Welcome to the Windsor Star’s live blog for the federal election Windsor Staff will be filing updates as information comes in for what many see as a historic election We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle content very long election night wait for voters and candidates in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore but with Kathy Borrelli’s early-morning victory the Conservatives completed a hat trick sweep of three Windsor-Essex federal ridings with Chatham-Kent—Leamington also remaining blue Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore remains a nailbiter to the end Still too close to call in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore with 265 of 282 polls reporting and the Conservatives ahead by just over 500 votes but Windsor-Essex going Tory blue is largely the new reality Harb Gill is headed to the House of Commons We got rid of the NDP!” — elated woman arriving at Babylon Banquet Hall in Windsor ready to celebrate Harb Gill’s Windsor West victory The first Tory win ever in that riding comes as a complete surprise to anyone following the nation’s election pollsters who saw it as a too-close-to-call race between the NDP and Liberals Another Tory who defied the opinion surveyors John Diefenbaker was once asked in 1957 about polls which had him trailing in a campaign that would see him elected prime minister: “I have always been fond of dogs as they are the only animal that knows the proper treatment to give to poles.” With Tory incumbents Chris Lewis in Essex and Dave Epp in Chatham-Kent—Leamington coasting back to victory; Harb Gill somewhat comfortably ahead of the pack in Windsor West; and Kathy Borrelli putting on a heck of nailbiter in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore could the night end up with a federal blue tide spread across our corner of Southwest Ontario Maybe that election eve full-page ad that saw Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens smiling next to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre Too bad a majority of the rest of Canada appears to be going Liberal red But Windsor appears to have become used to not having a seat at the table in the corridors of power with 105 of 278 polls showing him well ahead of the pack the late Tory choice to run in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore is giving the Grit incumbent a major bout of anxiety in a virtual tie: when you’re a candidate looking at the numbers coming in oh-so-close ‘Why didn’t I knock on a few more doors instead of attending the kids’ school recital?’ Windsor West at 35 of 231 polls reporting (Tory lead widening ever so slightly): Surprisingly tight race also in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore with Grits and Tories almost too close to call after 95 of 282 polls reporting: but what was supposed to be a tight two-way race in Windsor West is instead an exciting three-way sprint to a House of Commons seat The Postmedia decision desk projects Mark Carney’s Liberals will form the next federal government in Canada Somber mood at Essex Conservative candidate Chris Lewis’s election night gathering after CBC News projected a Liberal win in the national election pledged during the campaign to kill more than a billion dollars in annual funding to the public broadcaster but with 3 out of 231 polls reporting in Windsor West considered one of the Canadian ridings to watch: was predicted to be a tight horse race between NDP incumbent and Liberal challenger followed by Conservatives (76); Bloc Quebecois (15) and NDP (2) This morning’s fire at the WFCU Centre in Windsor wasn’t the only big challenge Elections Canada had to confront today Polls in Ontario and a big chunk of the rest of Canada have now closed but Elections Canada is apologizing: “Our website is having technical difficulties some of our online services and tools are currently unavailable … working hard to fix it.” Tracking the vote counts in Windsor West and Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore appears a bit challenging LET THE COUNTING BEGIN … Elections Canada tabulators for every polling station from Quebec and Ontario across the Prairies to the Rocky Mountains begin their counting another half an hour ‘cos the west coast is famously laid back … although that province could be the majority make-or-break’er this election To all you fashionably late would-be voters … clock’s ticking If one of these parties wins a majority government you’ll have to live with the results for another FOUR years Elections are when editorial cartoonists get to go to town with biting satire and piercing observations … all in cartoon format Nease was no different during this abbreviated federal election Here’s just some of his work published in the Windsor Star Op-Ed pages over the past five weeks: East Coast polls closed an hour ago and results are flowing in Liberals leading in 22 ridings and Conservatives in nine in Newfoundland & Labrador; Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island For a mix of both Election Night cheers and Election Night tears (there will always be winners and losers why not visit the Election Night gatherings of all three main party candidates in Windsor West Brian Masse (NDP) and his team gather at the Hellenic Cultural Centre 3052 Walker Rd.; while Richard Pollock (Liberal) will be at Cramdon’s Tap & Eatery 2950 Dougall Ave.; and Harb Gill (Conservative) is just a few blocks down the road at Babylon Banquet Hall To the holdouts — grab some ID and get yourself to the nearest polling station to find out what all the excitement is about just visit the very easy to navigate Elections Canada website This wasn’t just an early election (originally scheduled for next October) but also a short election Newly minted Prime Minister Mark Carney got things going on March 23 but I would have preferred a longer campaign where you find out more,” voter Justin Woods said outside a Windsor West polling station “I think we had to do more research on our own because there wasn’t as much time as usual,” he said the average first-time voter who found their way in (“there have been many”) is not your fresh-faced high-schooler-turned-adult but approximately 30 years old this is the first Canadian or Ontario election that has grabbed their attention The sports betting world is in on the Canadian election action (For the technical crowd: L: -480; C: +350; and ‘Any Other Party’: +7500) Downtown Essex might be election party central tonight for the federal riding of Essex with three main parties hosting gatherings But don’t expect any of the candidates to show up before they’ve chased every last voter to the polls (which close at 9:30 p.m.) Conservative Chris Lewis and his supporters are at Michigan Diner Liberal Chris Sutton hosts a gathering at Chuck’s Roadhouse and you can find Lori Wightman and her NDP party followers at nearby Tailgaters Sports Bar Wonderful sight/sound at Harrow’s Portuguese Hall at about 3:30 p.m according to the Star’s Brian MacLeod: when word spread inside the polling station (in Essex riding) that someone had just cast a ballot in their first election the place broke out in applause and cheers Gotta love this country — #ElbowsUp indeed Voting among Windsor Star staffers is at its usual historic high Reporter Taylor Campbell said it took her “less than a minute” to cast her Windsor West ballot in lovely historic Mackenzie Hall (built by a former Canadian prime minister back in the days when Canadian leaders had to work for a living) Star photographer Dan Janisse had to change his voting plans for the day His polling station at the WFCU Centre was forced to shut down Monday morning due to a roof fire they had set up shop a little over a mile away at St The federal riding of Windsor West has a (well-earned?) reputation for poor voter turnout which looks at the professional polls and mashes all the data together with electoral history and other information has the NDP and Liberal candidates in a virtual tie with a vote projection of 35 per cent each (Conservatives 25% and People’s Party 3%) which saw all three main-party leaders visit at least once during this short campaign is one of the ridings being closely watched tonight The beauty and simplicity of voting in a Canadian federal election is being illustrated by electors seen entering polling stations on a magnificent blue-sky day clad in shorts giving you another dusky hour of voting time Perhaps proof that voters in border areas like Windsor-Essex are particularly sensitive on the issue of sovereignty in this election: the federal riding of Essex saw nearly 35,000 voters (!) cast ballots in advance polls over the Easter long weekend That’s about HALF OF THE TOTAL Essex ballots cast in the last federal election in 2021 3 out of all 343 federal ridings across Canada in total number of electors voting in advance polls Still more than FOUR HOURS left to get out and vote (in Ontario) As one poll supervisor told the Star: “Everybody feels like this is an election that really matters “It’s good to see so many people caring about Canadian politics.” “We are seeing first-time voters of every age,” said Molly Ferdinand central poll supervisor at Windsor West polling station at St President Donald Trump posted on social media encouraging Canadian voters to elect a leader who would lead the country to “become the cherished 51st State,” Ferdinand told the Star: “What stands out the most are people who have never voted feel a call to action in some way.” A final Abacus Data federal election poll shows a tight race between the two front-running parties Abacus Data conducted polling of 2,500 Canadians The public-opinion agency’s final likely-voter model which only polls people who’ve already voted or who say they are very likely to vote suggests the Liberal party will claim 41 per cent of the popular vote while the Conservatives will collect 39 per cent The NDP and Bloc Québécois are likely to pick up 10 and six per cent From Postmedia’s federal election live updates blog: in the hopes of becoming the next prime minister There are 343 seats up for grabs and the winner will need at least 172 seats to form a majority government NDP candidate for Windsor West Brian Masse issued a press release on Election Day saying it was special that his entire immediate family voted together for the first time “This was a special moment for my family to be able to vote together for the first time especially during such a crucial election,” Masse said in the release and Elections Canada workers at the WFCU Centre had a busier morning than anticipated A fire started in a few solar panels on the roof of the building so the entire facility was evacuated for the day Voters scheduled to vote at the WFCU had to wait temporarily as Elections Canada quickly set up an alternate polling station at St dschmidt@postmedia.com Additional measles exposure point locations are being reported in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent CK Public Health is reporting two new locations while the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) are advising the community of eight new exposure locations Those who were present during these timeframes in Chatham and are not up-to date with their vaccinations are asked to call CK Public Health at 519-352-7270 ext The health unit asks anyone who visited these locations on the identified dates to monitor themselves for symptoms of measles for up to 21 days from the date of exposure WindsorNewsMeasles cases climb past 100 in Windsor-Essex, but hospital sees fewer admissionsBy Travis FortnumUpdated: May 02, 2025 at 5:35AM EDT LaSalle and Lakeshore did not meet to discuss the issue and instead referred to statements the two towns’ mayors issued last week Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald responded Tuesday with an email to the minister outlining her position where Mayor Drew Dilkens has wielded his strong mayor powers Kieran McKenzie’s notice of motion to oppose the move to grant 169 more municipalities in Ontario strong-mayor powers and to remove them from Windsor was to be discussed Monday Toronto and Ottawa were given strong mayor powers in 2022 were granted the powers the following year the strong mayor powers are set to become law on May 1 All municipalities whose councils have at least six members are being granted strong-mayor powers Peter Courtney to say the province was attempting to “shove it down our throat.”  “We have seen strong mayors put these transformative powers into action to support growth,” Flack said in his letter “Our government’s expectation is that you will make use of these powers in a similar way supporting provincial priorities that will help our province and our communities grow.”  Flack wants the newly named municipalities to use the strong mayor powers to advance the province’s priorities which include building 1.5 million new residential units by the end of 2031 and constructing and maintaining infrastructure to support housing the response from municipal officials has ranged from trepidation to exasperation Municipal officials voiced a series of concerns including undermining the value of a long history of collaboration invoking those powers precludes shared decision-making they do not guarantee input from councillors with different visions and they underestimate the value of building consensus All county municipalities that voted on the issue unanimously requested to be excluded from expansion of strong-mayor powers Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy introduced a resolution Monday to provide immediate feedback to the ministry through a portal set up for response arguing the province is “undermining the local governance model and municipal independence by attempting to advance its priorities and download its responsibilities to municipalities through strong-mayor powers.” By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Headline News will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The resolution also said strong-mayor powers “erode the democratic process” and create “a power imbalance by providing the head of council with special powers that other members generally do not have.”  She called strong-mayor powers an “erosion of democracy on a grand scale.” Essex council will prepare a plan on how to address the strong-mayor powers on April 22.  In Kingsville, Mayor Dennis Rogers issued a video statement on social media April 11 saying strong-mayor powers are “too much power for one person.”  While he vowed not to wield the powers, he wondered whether a future mayor would face such constraints.  At its regular meeting Monday, Kingsville Coun. Tony Gaffan introduced a motion similar to the one passed by the Town of Essex, requesting strong mayor powers not be extended to the Town of Kingsville.  “This is not a tool in the toolbox that should ever exist,” Gaffan said.  Deputy Mayor Kimberley DeYong said she expects virtually all municipalities will oppose the powers. “I would expect 169 resolutions of opposition coming forward to Doug Ford. I’m not sure he cares what we think,” she said, adding that he has backtracked on issues before.  Coun. Thomas Neufeld, while supporting the motion to oppose the powers, wondered whether, given unpredictability in issues recently, going back to the COVID-19 pandemic, there may be a time when strong mayor powers would be needed.  “That is a tool in a toolbox that could potentially be used for the betterment of Kingsville,” he said.  At a special meeting Tuesday, Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara said, “we need to continue to work collaboratively together to find consensus on delivering for our citizens in the community.” “There’s a lot of pieces to this legislation that I can’t put my head around.”  Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue told councillors at the town council’s meeting Monday that the speed of which the powers are being rolled out and the limited time for councils to respond meant the decision was already in place. “I think it’s all cooked in advance,” Prue said. “I think that this is, as far as the province is concerned, a done deal.”  Prue said he vowed during the last election that he wouldn’t use strong-mayor powers if they were introduced, but he too wondered about who would be in his position one day and whether a future mayor would take the same approach.  Leamington Mayor and Essex County Warden Hilda MacDonald sent an email to the housing ministry expressing her concerns after discussing the issue with some councillors. She opposes the expansion of strong-mayor powers, and the lack of opportunity for consultation.  “I sent council my intention and asked them to let me know if they had any issue with it,” MacDonald said. “I felt it was the mayor’s decision, and I felt if council disagreed with me, they’d let me know.”  She pointed to the unanimity of municipalities in the county against the strong-mayor powers as a measure of the strength of the opposition.  “I can see that it seems to be right across the province …  this kind of reaction,” MacDonald said.  LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche told the Star in an email last week “this is not a tool I intend to use.”  She said the diversity of thought among councillors “makes our decisions stronger and has helped build a sense of trust both among council and within our community.”  Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey, in a statement issued last week, said “council members aren’t obstacles to be overcome, they are a critical part of governance.”  Essex and Amherstburg councillors were given an explanation of how strong-mayor powers work before they voted on resolutions to oppose them this week, but there are still areas that are unclear, even to those explaining them. In Essex, Joseph Malandruccolo, director of legal and legislative services, explained to councillors Monday that some strong-mayor powers can be delegated, some can be forfeited and some “the mayor has to accept.”    Under provincial legislation, the mayor must bring to council and ensure a vote on matters that advance the province’s priorities, which can be approved with just one third of council. Within two days, the mayor must veto any bylaws that interfere with the province’s priorities. Council can override the veto with a two-thirds vote.   Those priorities include building 1.5 million residential units in Ontario by the end of 2031 and constructing and maintaining infrastructure to support housing, including transit, roads, utilities and servicing,    The mayor can wield or delegate to council the new powers to hire and fire the   CAO and division heads (with some exceptions), determine the organizational structure, establish committees, assign their functions and appoint chairs and vice-chairs of certain committees.   Powers that cannot be delegated, but can be forfeited, include preparing a budget, vetoing amendments made by council, and to introduce “in-year” amendments if a supplementary tax levy is required.  Coun. Katie McGuire-Blaise wondered whether the strong-mayor could appoint council or members of council to fire a CAO, but Malandruccolo said some of the procedures are still unclear and he plans to respond when council takes up the issue again April 22.  Responding to a question by deputy mayor Rob Shepley on whether one-third of council could approve major developments in Colchester even if the mayor disagrees, Malandruccolo said he wasn’t sure if that situation could occur, but an interpretation of the powers would indicate the issue would have to be introduced to council to vote and that one third of council could indeed pass that motion, whereas traditionally a majority would be needed.  Since provincial priorities involve building more housing, an affirmative vote could not be vetoed by the mayor, Malandruccolo said.  Bondy pointed out that if a developer wanted to build a 10-storey building in Colchester, where major development proposals are controversial, one-third of council could approve the building even if the mayor is opposed.   “That is to me, not strong mayor, that is not democratic at all,” she said.  Malandruccolo said he is still seeking clarification on some provisions of the strong-mayor powers, but he said Bondy’s interpretation is likely correct.  Deputy mayor Rob Shepley said strong-mayor powers “opens the door for corruption.”   He said he discussed the issue with Premier Doug Ford who “didn’t see things the way I see it. I think that’s just a real travesty,” said Shepley.  Tecumseh council, which held a special meeting Tuesday, heard from Robert Auger, director of legal services.  A veto can be used when the mayor is of the opinion that all or part of a bylaw could potentially interfere with provincial priorities, he said.   And any bylaws involving the province’s goals must be approved in writing by the mayor.  However, since the majority of bylaws passed by municipalities could be interpreted as relating to provincial priorities, it’s recommended that the mayor sign a written statement after each meeting indicating approval of the applicable bylaws, he said.  The mayor will be required to provide a proposed budget to council by Feb. 1 of each year. If the mayor does not propose a budget, council becomes responsible for preparing and adopting a budget, said Auger.  If the mayor’s position is vacated during the term, a byelection must be held unless that vacancy occurs after May 31 of an election year. In the past, council could determine whether to hold a byelection or whether to appoint an interim mayor.  Conservative Chris Lewis has been re-elected to a third term as MP for Essex The riding of Essex -- which includes Amherstburg LaSalle and parts of Lakeshore -- has a history of swinging between parties Main issues for the region include agriculture is a former firefighter and small business owner from Kingsville and was seeking re-election after flipping the riding from NDP control in 2019 Lewis has served as the Conservative Shadow Minister for Labour and is focusing his campaign on jobs and economic recovery it means the world to me that you've entrusted me once again to represent you in Ottawa," Lewis told a crowd of supporters He says he plans on being laser focused on not only Essex I'll be meeting with them subsequent to tonight and making sure that everything that they need from this area is brought to the House of Commons," Lewis said Lewis says he will build relationships with other MPs from across the aisle "I have no problem with working across the aisle to ensure that our region is duly taken care of," he said as the official opposition will will hold the government to account It's time for politicians to to work across the aisle and I'm excited to be part of the solution Lewis won his first election with 41.6 per cent of the vote Lewis defeated Ramsey for a second victory in 2021 being re-elected with 41.1 per cent of the vote The riding has a population of roughly 132,000 people with nearly 35,000 ballots cast in advance polls which was the third highest total anywhere in Canada -Reporting by CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell with editing by AM800's Dustin Coffman WindsorNewsConservative Chris Lewis re-elected in EssexBy Chris CampbellPublished: April 28, 2025 at 10:48PM EDT Here’s what you need to know about the riding of Essex for the April 28 federal election: We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe Essex electoral district has a population of over 131,000 and covers 1,246 square kilometres according to Elections Canada 2021 census data and part of Lakeshore (everything east of Puce Road) Tecumseh and Leamington belong to other federal electoral ridings Due to Canada’s 2022-’23 redistribution process the federal electoral district lost the western part of Lakeshore to the riding of Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore for this election Essex has been a politically competitive riding swinging between the Liberals and Conservatives Conservative Party of Canada’s Chris Lewis won the seat in 2019 and 2021 after defeating New Democratic Party MP Tracey Ramsey 70,382 people out of 105,281 eligible voters cast ballots in Essex Essex is a mix of rural and smalltown and suburban communities and cross-border relations due to close proximity to Windsor and Detroit Following advance polling over the Easter long weekend Canada’s 45th federal election takes place April 28 Here are the four candidates on the 2025 Essex ballot: Occupation: Mobile crane operator for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project The first-time candidate said he’s running because he believes the voices of Essex aren’t being heard “Canadians are tired of being ignored by career politicians who are more concerned with political correctness and special interests than with real people I was drawn to the People’s Party of Canada because they stand for common sense “I’m running to serve — not to climb a political ladder I’ll work hard every day to make sure your concerns are heard and your interests are defended “People are deeply concerned about the cost of living Many are frustrated with government overreach and the erosion of personal freedoms There’s also concern over health care accessibility lack of support for farmers and small businesses and the feeling that rural communities are being left behind “Voters want leadership that listens and delivers real solutions—not more empty promises.” Occupation: Incumbent MP; farmer; businessman; former firefighter “My passion to ‘leave the world a better place than I found it’ has always been my focus I have had the honour to serve the great people of Essex It has been the most humbling and rewarding experience of my life “I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that we take care of folks today but also that future generations have an opportunity to prosper in our great country I believe in Pierre’s vision for our country and I trust him with my grandchild’s future I am very proud to put my name forward again this election under the Conservative banner.” Make life “more affordable” for everyone; ensure businesses have government support; advocate for labour and skilled trades workforce; renew the Canadian promise for future generations Occupation: Public affairs director for the Millwright Regional Council “I’ve been advocating for 10,000 millwrights across Canada on different issues that affect everyday workers “The next evolution of what I’ve already been doing is to take that labour experience and knowledge that I’ve gotten over the last 35 years and try to bring it to Ottawa and to have those discussions on what really affects everyday working people.” President Donald Trump’s tariffs; building more homes to address Canada’s affordable housing crisis; ensuring that Canada continues “to grow,” to “get stronger,” and continues “to build.” “A lot of people are confident that we as the Liberal Party of Canada we have the leadership that has the resume the experience and knowledge to make sure that we are addressing all of these concerns “I look around and I see so many people that are struggling more and more every day I see political parties voting against things that will help people in that kind of situation “(The NDP) is a party that works hard for regular people and I couldn’t sit back and not try to do something I’m always making it a point to know what the people that I represent want and the things that are important to them and that’s what Essex deserves — we’re not getting that right now.” Expanding national pharma and dental care programs; ensuring workers are protected against U.S President Donald Trump’s tariffs; addressing Canada’s affordability crisis — including the “cost of groceries.” “We’re going to fight for people to have a chance at a good life and make sure they have a little bit more money in their pocket Essex deserves leadership and representatives that show up for them “We need to start taking care of the people that built this country mholmeshill@postmedia.com Today..mainly cloudy. Showers beginning early this morning. Risk of a thunderstorm. Local amount 5 to 10 mm. Wind east 20 km/h becoming south 30 gusting to 50 this afternoon. High 21. Humidex 26. UV index 4 or moderate. Tonight..showers ending this evening then cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm this evening. Local amount 5 mm. Wind south 30 km/h gusting to 50. Low 13. Friday..cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Wind west 20 km/h gusting to 40. High 20. UV index 6 or high. Friday night..cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers. Low 11. Saturday..cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers. High 13. Sunday night..increasing cloudiness. Low 9. Wednesday..a mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of showers. High 19. Essex candidates tackled some of the region’s most pressing issues Tuesday during a federal election debate hosted by the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce The event featured three sessions — one for each local riding — moderated by Windsor Star managing editor Craig Pearson The Essex debate included Jason Henry with the People’s Party of Canada Liberal Party of Canada candidate Chris Sutton and the New Democratic Party’s Lori Wightman Essex incumbent and Conservative candidate Chris Lewis did not participate Candidates pitched their approach to topics including Canada’s housing supply and supporting the region’s greenhouses and farmers Sutton said an aggressive approach is needed to build more homes such as committing to build up to 500,000 new homes each year He suggested an “out of the box” approach through innovation and technology to creating homes such as different designs or modular concepts needs to take a more proactive role in developing housing subdivisions and using public land to do this,” Sutton said Wightman also stressed the importance of building on public land and said her party has a $16-billion national housing strategy — made up of the Canadian Homes Transfer and the Communities First Fund “Canada needs a plan that benefits people not big corporations,” Wightman said Henry said his party would eliminate “harmful tariffs” and put an “end” to Canada’s trade war with the U.S He said the federal government needs to sit down with Trump to negotiate better solutions and deals that would “benefit Canadians as a whole.” Sutton challenged Henry’s claim that tariffs could be eliminated through negotiation with the Trump administration pointing to the unpredictability of the president and the ever-changing political landscape It’s like a two-year-old throwing a temper tantrum,” Sutton said shifting the focus to protecting Canadian jobs and reducing reliance on the U.S Wightman agreed on the volatile nature of the trade war saying any response from the federal government should be flexible She said the NDP has a plan to “build homes health care and make sure that Canadians keep working” amidst uncertain times In addressing the region’s greenhouse and farming sector Sutton said the Liberals will protect supply management and provide relief to farmers impacted by the tariffs will support farmers by creating more processing plants in Canada and focus on shipping produce east and west Henry said his party would work to cut red tape for small and medium sized farms and reduce government interference that “makes it harder” for farmers to operate efficiently “We’ll empower farmers with the freedom and support they need to succeed today and for the next generation.” Huge numbers of Canadian voters hitting last week’s advance polls could point to a historic rise in voter participation in this federal election We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentAnd the federal riding of Essex saw one of the highest early voter turnouts across Canada More than 7.3 million cast ballots during four days of early voting over the Easter long weekend representing a 25 per cent increased over the 5.8 million recorded in the 2021 election “I’m pleasantly surprised that we’re seeing a lot of engagement in this election,” said University of Windsor political science professor Lydia Miljan “It does seem to me that people are very engaged and there’s a strong emphasis on social media A lot of people are encouraging others to vote so I expect a pretty good turnout on election day.” The promising early turnout challenged Miljan’s concern that voter fatigue especially on the heels of the Ontario election “I would be cautious with those numbers just because it was over a holiday weekend so people had a lot of opportunities to vote on Good Friday and the Easter holiday,” she said people who are going to vote anyway go to advanced polls with nearly 35,000 ballots cast early — the third-highest advance voter turnout in the country Chatham-Kent—Leamington recorded about 25,000 early votes Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore just shy of 25,000 may be an indication of Windsor-Essex’s heightened sensitivity as a border region feeling the pain of U.S “We are getting a lot of love from national media but there’s also that whole sense of civic pride that’s come up this election campaign,” she said I think people on both sides of it are going to say Canada’s relationship with the United States and the rising cost of living are the two major issues driving voters to the polls the leader of the Liberals returned to Windsor the city where the newly minted prime minister had launched his campaign five weeks earlier At the foot of the Ambassador Bridge (the same location where Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford in January launched his successful reelection bid) Mark Carney pledged his party’s plan to build a stronger Canada Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a warehouse rally in Windsor earlier this month that drew thousands He used the event to hammer home his economic affordability strategy who had earlier also visited Windsor on the national campaign trail attending Unifor’s Protect Canadian Jobs rally “I almost think that there’s two elections going on “If you are an older Canadian who’s established and live in Eastern Canada you’re thinking that Donald Trump is an existential threat and you’re putting your support towards the Liberals because he looks like he’s got the resume to deal with Trump if you are concerned about the cost of living and that seems to be the case for a lot of younger Canadians the message that’s resonating with you is Pierre Poilievre’s.” mmazak@postmedia.com Measles cases are skyrocketing in Windsor-Essex According to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's (WECHU) website there have been 62 confirmed cases so far this month The health unit says since the beginning of the year there have been 106 confirmed cases in Windsor-Essex Earlier this month Mehdi Aloosh urged residents in the area to get vaccinated against measles He said most of the confirmed cases are in Leamington and Kingsville and said measles is easily spread among unvaccinated populations The health unit also had concerns with large gatherings over Holy Week and Easter and felt the gatherings could lead to a very high transmission of the virus WECHU announced five potential exposure points on Wednesday afternoon WECHU reminds those who may have been exposed to contact the health unit and monitor for symptoms of measles that may appear seven to 21 days after exposure WindsorNewsGet to know your candidates: EssexBy Michelle MaluskeUpdated: April 15, 2025 at 6:53PM EDT \n Chris Lewis - Conservative - elevator pitch - Essex\n Essex County Conservative candidate gives CTV Windsor his elevator pitch.\n \n Chris Sutton - Liberal - elevator pitch - Essex\n Essex County's Liberal candidate \n Lori Wightman - NDP - elevator pitch - Essex\n Essex County's NDP candidate gives CTV Windsor her elevator pitch.\n The forecast for Windsor-Essex from Environment Canada Wind north 20 km/h becoming light near noon Tonight..increasing cloudiness early this evening 40 percent chance of showers before morning 40 percent chance of showers in the morning Risk of a thunderstorm in the morning and afternoon Friday..cloudy with 70 percent chance of showers Friday night..cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers Saturday..cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers Voter turnout was at or above the national level in two of the three federal ridings in Windsor-Essex Elections Canada says more than 67 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the federal election-more than 19.2 million people A total of 80,189 of 109,799 registered electors topping the 66.9 per cent participation rate in the 2021 federal election The newly formed riding of Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore which saw Conservative candidate Kathy Borrelli take the seat from Liberal incumbent Irek Kusmierczyk by 233 votes A total of 70,019 out of 105,426 registered electors in the riding where Conservative newcomer Harb Gill unseated longtime New Democrat Brian Masse a total of 54,894 of 94,427 registered electors The figure is above the 53.4 per cent of eligible voters in the riding who took part in 2021's vote The voter turnout figures from Elections Canada do not include electors who registered on election day While this election was widely expected to see increased turnout it did not surpass the record set in March 1958 when 79.4 per cent of eligible electors voted But turnout was higher than in the last federal election when 62.6 per cent of eligible voters headed to the polls The Windsor-Essex County Sports Hall of Fame has announced its class of 2025 and it includes a long-time member of the AM800 family the former AM800 sports director and current play-by-play voice of the Windsor Spitfires will be inducted into the sports hall of fame in the builder's category says Beller is being inducted for his years of sports broadcasting "People ask me about who should be in the Hall of Fame Steve Bell is one of those who every year people ask When is Beller getting in?' I say it's close Steve Bell is going in this year," he says The list of inductees announced Tuesday at the Windsor International Aquatic Centre also includes former Canadian Olympic track and field stars Melissa Bishop-Nriagu and Noelle Montcalm a five-time national champion with the University of Windsor Lancers who competed in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo I was thoroughly honoured just to be represented among the former inductees in past years and present I've represented my country on the big stage but to be represented where I grew up is a pretty big honour," she says a former world boxing champion and former AM800 on-air personality says she's been representing Windsor ever since she came to the University of Windsor in 1995 "When you get a chance to walk by the hall of fame when you're at the aquatic centre the athlete in everyone-I don't care if you're five years old or 50 years old-you say I want to be part of that group.' You look at how special from NHL players to NFL players to Olympians I'm so honoured to be a part of that crew," she says Basketball coach Andy Kiss and football official Bruce Carter will also be inducted in the builder's category This year's winner of the Bob Turner Award given annually for exceptional service in coaching and mentorship is long-time football coach and track official Morgan Clark Also celebrating induction into the hall this November are local football legends and former NFLers Tyrone Crawford who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks Both were elected as part of the 2024 WECSHOF class but deferred induction to this year Plaques of the past inductees are displayed at the WFCU Centre and the Windsor International Aquatic Centre Tickets are available at Riverside Physiotherapy Clinic at 832 Lauzon Rd and at Nantais Sport Shop located at 1485 Tecumseh Rd Click here to find more ticket information Amazon plans on spending $4 billion in the next few years to expand its delivery operations to rural areas across the country, and Vermont is part of that plan bringing jobs and better service to the Green Mountain State A lot in the off Saxon Hill Road has been waiting for a developer and Amazon took an interest in creating a 107,000-square-foot "last mile" distribution center The plan has not been approved by the Essex Review Development Board yet The board has had two meetings to hear Amazon's proposal along with public comment with another meeting is planned for May 16 Amazon officials have said they hope to get the facility operating by the end of the year in 2026 product will make its way to the Vermont building from warehouses primarily in New York as there is no Amazon operation in the Green Mountain State third parties like the United States Postal Service Public opinion at the two meetings have shown there is concern about Amazon opening a center in Essex Residents' concern of increased truck traffic and the potential of taking away customers from small local businesses has been echoed at the meetings and across social media Amazon New England's head of economic development Jonathan Greeley said they have been conscientious of respecting the city and residents of Essex when drafting this proposal Amazon's Last-Mile director of startup operations Zach Smith said they work to address and mitigate traffic concerns well before any project breaks ground often making plans to work with traffic controllers and not sending trucks out during peak times of day Some residents have mentioned the environmental concerns associated with a large warehouse operating all times of day Greeley said that the site off Saxon Hill was always going to be developed Amazon is just the company who showed interest He said many acres of the land will not be touched including a wetland north of where they plan to build the 22-acre development The representatives said they are anticipating approval from the Review Development Board and believe that this distribution facility will broadly serve Vermont customers for the better It will also provide up to 200 job opportunities in the area Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com. but the new county levies would come on top of those Essex County is facing $1-billion in upper-tier infrastructure needs so it has no choice but to impose its own development fees Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara said at the April 2 county council meeting He previously said about $850 million of that is for roads much of which will be spent over the next 10 to 15 years “One billion dollars — so one way or another it’s either going to be paid through property taxes or … we can reduce that amount through development charges,” McNamara said Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara seen during a meeting of Tecumseh town council on Feb said Essex County faces a $1-billion infrastructure bill council hired Toronto-based Hemson Consulting to prepare a background document making the case for development fees under Ontario’s Development Charges Act Hemson’s Stefan Krzeczunowicz presented the case to councillors April 2 but two councillors wanted the process stopped in its tracks and another expressed reservations “I had concerns when this was first brought up and this report has done nothing to alleviate those concerns,” said Kirk Walstedt deputy mayor of the Municipality of Lakeshore “I know the developers and builders would be upset it’s all passed on to the homeowners or to the buyers.”  A new county development charge won’t help in addressing the need for affordable housing Walstedt said: “We seem to have got along fine without it “I don’t even want to proceed any further with it so I’ll vote against the motion to even take it to the public at this point in time because I think it’s just heading in the wrong direction.”  new construction specifically aimed at affordable housing is exempt from development fees The concept of making sure current residents aren’t the ones paying for new growth is a widely held tenet of municipal planning Development fees on new construction are a key tool to pay for expanded municipal services required to accommodate that growth Developers pay them and they’re often passed on to the buyer in the form of higher housing prices the fees pay for such things as highway expansion and long-term care (which includes residential facilities Recommendations unveiled by Hemson consultants at the meeting suggest $12,998 per house $7,871 for multi-unit housing and $6,917 for other residential units Non-residential units would face a charge of $46.50 per square metre The fees represent the most the county could collect under the Development Charges Act with a total estimate of as much as $320 million over the course of the levy Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey said the fees will have a “negative impact to our region.”  Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey is also among the opponents of proposed county development fees on residential construction Councillors were not being asked to approve the fees April 2 merely to receive the report showing how they would work Calling affordable housing the “challenge of our time,” Bailey said: “This is a cash grab to be able to pull (money) from the upper and the lower (municipalities) at the same time LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche also had reservations “I agree with the comment that growth should pay for growth,” she said I am concerned with the numbers being presented as we are in a housing crisis and we’re already seeing builders slow down with what’s been going on the past 18 months “I’m afraid that this is going to have a negative impact on the region.”  LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche pictured at the town’s council chambers on Oct has reservations about proposed development charges in Essex County A majority of councillors nevertheless voted to receive the report and to begin holding public consultation sessions in all seven Essex County municipalities Hemson’s Krzeczunowicz said his report looked at projected population and housing growth in the county which is expected to increase by 32,000 people in the next 10 years and by just under 50,000 by 2041 after increasing by more than 30,000 since 2011 is looking at a new headquarters and two new substations as well as hiring paramedics and buying equipment to maintain service levels The maximum funds available through development charges for land ambulance service would be about $6.9 million including a $4-million upgrade of Sun Parlor Long Term Care Home in Leamington could recover $18.5 million through development fees Waste diversion could recover $2.4 million But the biggest expense facing the county by far are road upgrades and construction that could be funded by $291 million in development fees intersection improvements and active transportation initiatives Comparisons to other upper-tier municipalities show Essex County’s proposed fees would be near the higher end but council heard some of those fees looked at were set several years ago and can be expected to rise Wellington County charges about $11,500 in development fees Middlesex County $5,665 and the Region of Waterloo charges $25,000 Chatham-Kent was not included in the study since it’s a single-tier municipality but councillors in their motion asked Henson to add it to a follow-up report If the proposed development fees are approved combined with local development charges and area-specific development fees residential charges in the county’s municipalities would be:  Sarnia’s total development fees in 2023 were $44,942 Kingsville Deputy Mayor Kimberley DeYong asked if the fees could hinder growth Krzeczunowicz said that isn’t considered when preparing fees but he noted the county fees would be about two per cent of the current $560,000 average price of a house in Windsor and Essex County who also said she thinks new growth should pay its way inquired about rolling out fees at a lower level then increasing them each year to get to the upper limit after a few years Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy pictured during Essex County Council regular meeting on Wednesday wonders if development fees in Essex County can be phased in gradually Krzeczunowicz said the deficit in needed funds to pay for services during that time would not be permitted to be collected from higher development fees later and would likely be covered by existing taxpayers A complicating factor may be Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s plan to cut municipal development charges in half for multi-unit residential housing if he is elected prime minister The government would then work with provinces and territories to make up the lost revenue for municipalities for a period of five years bamacleod@postmedia.com  CK Public Health and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) are each advising the community of one new exposure location the possible exposure location includes the Dresden Old Colony Mennonite Church Building on McCreary Line in Dresden on April 20 from 9:30 a.m Those who were present during this timeframe in Chatham and are not up-to date with their vaccinations are asked to call CK Public Health at 519-352-7270 ext the possible exposure location includes the Central Erie Shores Walk-In Clinic on Princess Street in Leamington on April 16 from 11 a.m The health unit asks anyone who visited this location on the identified date to monitor themselves for symptoms of measles for up to 21 days from the date of exposure The WECHU has confirmed 58 measles cases in Windsor-Essex in the month of April 40 percent chance of showers early this evening with risk of a thunderstorm Wind west 40 km/h gusting to 60 becoming light late this evening Wednesday night..cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers Thursday..cloudy with 70 percent chance of showers Friday night..cloudy periods with 30 percent chance of showers Saturday..a mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of showers WindsorNewsSevere thunderstorm watch in effect for Windsor-EssexBy Melanie KentnerPublished: April 29, 2025 at 1:50PM EDT WindsorNewsWeekend Preview: Windsor-Essex events Easter long weekendPublished: April 17, 2025 at 2:57PM EDT We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentOn Monday morning two local Liberal candidates gathered supporters at Windsor’s riverfront to officially launch their political pursuits while an NDP incumbent began his campaign with supporters that afternoon as Prime Minister Mark Carney has said,” said Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal candidate for Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore the confidence and the calm to unite Canadians against this unjustified unprovoked economic trade war that President Trump has unleashed on Canada and this community.” said Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods — some looming and some already imposed — is the No 1 issue at the doors he’s knocked on over the last seven days “We’re laser-focused on defeating the unjust and unprovoked Trump tariffs against this country and against our community,” he said “We’re focused on building the strongest economy in the G7 that’s going to work for all Canadians and all workers.” the millwright said his desire to protect jobs — something he said he’s endeavoured to do as director of public affairs for the Millwright Regional Council — spurred his political ambitions we need somebody that understands … how tariffs are going to affect workers,” Sutton said and the only way to make that change is to get involved “I think we need a stronger voice that understands the industries around here We need somebody that’s willing to stand up and speak for communities here.” the incumbent NDP candidate for Windsor West launched his ninth run for office Monday night at his Walker Road campaign office that I’m going to continue to make sure that I stand for the principles of Windsor West,” he said the files that I’ve worked on over the last number of years we’ve been able to get results for those things.” cementing protection for Windsor’s Ojibway National Urban Park But he also said the “stakes are different” in this election because of Trump’s trade war and threats against Canadian sovereignty The importance of fighting back against those hostilities cannot be overstated you get a member who’s been investing a lot of my extra time on relationships in the U.S.,” said Masse “I’ve worked with different parties and different politicians over the years to get results on things the following candidates had announced that they are running in Windsor-Essex ridings: tcampbell@postmedia.com A dramatic drop in local Code Black events — periods when no ambulances are immediately available to respond to emergency calls — highlights a series of improvements for the Windsor-Essex Emergency Medical Services in 2024 Some key negative numbers have been trending downwards The number of minutes local ambulance crews spent in Code Black dropped 79 per cent last year — to 358 from 1,701 in 2023 which occur when only one to three ambulances are available to 6,231 minutes in 2024; and Code Yellows which occur when four to 10 ambulances are available The service also saw a 7.3 per cent drop in offload delays from 19,319 hours in 2023 to 17,915 hours in 2024 Those are periods when paramedics must remain with patients until the hospital officially takes over care Delays occur when that process takes more than 30 minutes is responsible for fewer periods of Code Blacks There are several reasons for the drop in Code Blacks including the work of the Windsor Essex Ontario Health team collaboration with local hospitals and deployment last year of two additional ambulances The provincially mandated Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team is composed of more than 40 health-care organizations and home and community care providers that work together to develop solutions to local health-care needs Red and Yellow calls increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic The higher call level stemming from that period continues to decline. The service also improved its “sudden cardiac arrest’ response times and in four of the five categories for other service calls paramedic crews are expected to meet that target 55 per cent of the time that target was hit 64 per cent of the time Other calls are graded in the Canadian Triage and acuity Scale (CTAS) in which patients need to be seen by a physician immediately Level 5 is when patients need to be seen by a physician within 120 minutes The Windsor-Essex EMS improved its response time against those targets by two per cent in Levels 2 4 and 5 (response in these categories ranging from 10–14 minutes) and held steady at 69 per cent for Level 1 for which the response time is eight minutes The improvements come at the same time as the number of EMS calls is increasing Average call volumes for the local EMS are expected to increase by 4.5 per cent annually through 2030 While the service handled 65,707 calls last year requiring extra resources being deployed in certain incidents (A paramedic on the scene may additionally require an advanced care paramedic or a second crew to help lift patients.)  The service has had paramedic patient navigators at the Emergency 911 Centre in Windsor since 2022 which is helping to direct resources in a more efficient manner Patient navigators direct the flow of resources across the region “They’re helping to balance the flow across the region in collaboration with all three hospitals (and) emergency departments,” Lammers said “The hospital emergency departments and the paramedic managing the flow across the region to make sure that no one site is getting overloaded.”  More than 99 per cent of the calls for response to the EMS are Code 3 and 4 incidents during which vehicles respond with no lights or sirens (16.4 per cent) during which vehicles use lights and sirens Code 4 calls increased by five per cent last year Code 3 calls decreased in 2024 mainly due to the efforts of the Mobile Integrated Healthcare Community Paramedicine program That department works proactively with residents who use 911 frequently Members identify services the resident can access which helps cut down on calls for emergency help and on trips to hospital emergency departments A reduction in Code 3 impacts ambulance deployment because they tend to be low-acuity calls which often take longer to offload at the hospital because the triage system requires high-acuity calls being addressed first The service will be moving to a new triage system being deployed provincewide called Medical Priority Dispatch in 2027 The MPDS helps prioritize and triage 911 calls so paramedics can be dispatched sooner “We can get very specific with that and start tailoring our resources,” said Lammers “It will immediately drop the code for responses bamacleod@postmedia.com WindsorNews‘I don’t see the merit’: Essex County mayors push back on Ford’s expanded strong mayor powersBy Sanjay MaruUpdated: April 10, 2025 at 7:07PM EDT says the organizer of a Windsor-Essex election forum on the topic Incumbent candidates from all three Windsor-Essex ridings representing Canada’s major national parties gathered Wednesday for a town hall focused on senior’s issues The panel of candidates at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594 included Liberal Irek Kusmierczyk (Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore) “I see my primary responsibility as making sure that seniors have a chance to express themselves and that they’re at any table talking about seniors issues,” said Larry Duffield an advocate for the Windsor-Essex chapter of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) and the Ontario branch of the National Association of Federal Retirees They don’t get asked what their opinions and views are making sure that we do have a chance to express our views and hopefully they will be heard.” Duffield said the town hall was all also about encouraging seniors to vote About 60 people attended Wednesday’s event Each candidate had two minutes to respond to questions about the impact of U.S and programs like old-age security and retirement savings Kusmierczyk said Mark Carney’s Liberals support a National Seniors Strategy that calls for strengthening the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) increasing Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) “so that the seniors who built this country can live in dignity.” Another key priority for the Liberal party is protecting PharmaCare and Dental Care programs introduced through the coalition with the NDP along with building more affordable housing for Canada’s aging population and improving accessibility in communities “One of the biggest scourges that we see in our community is isolation,” said Kusmierczyk “We have to make sure that we’re making investments and making sure that our communities are accessible.” would maintain the current dental care coverage and existing agreements with provinces and territories on child care and PharmaCare He added the Conservatives would keep the age of retirement at 65 let seniors hold onto their Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) longer and support working seniors by allowing them to earn up to $34,000 tax-free we’re going to stop scams targeting our seniors by passing the Stop Scamming Seniors Act to force banks and telecoms to block fraud in real time and delay suspicious transactions,” said Lewis Masse called for stronger legislation to guarantee lasting protections for seniors “We also support the UN Convention on rights of older persons,” said Masse noting that the NDP’s plan protects seniors “That puts us into an international framework which is critical for us to show leadership Then a future government will be held to further responsibility Video evidence, NHLer testimony raise questions in world junior sexual assault trialThe National |May 2Video11:28 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |11 hours agoVideo1:19 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle content“I have no doubt that if this initiative is discontinued the direct result will be homelessness for multiple people,” Kevin Matte director of outpatient mental health services at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare told councillors ahead of their vote to discontinue the program County council earlier this month decided not to hire a new service provider to run its Intensive Supportive Housing Program county officials will work with the City of Windsor to use available funds to transition residents to other programs while efforts to lobby the province for more money continue A request for proposals by the county to continue the service received only two responses One did not meet the criteria and the other came in with a patient care cost of $100 a day rising to $111 a day after several years — significantly higher than the $60 a day the province provides for the service Hiring that company would have meant having to raise $500,000 from the tax levy in the first year County councillors who spoke on the issue said the province needs to provide more funding for homelessness initiatives It pays for 25 to 35 people — it is currently not full — who require medical or mental-health supports and who might otherwise be homeless to live in one facility A service provider would need to have a personal support worker present at all times with a registered practical nurse onsite during weekdays An executive director with a mental health background would also be onsite to address issues as they arose Another requirement is for mental health expertise to always be available onsite but how much money is it saving by keeping high-needs individuals out of the hospital or off the streets or out of our shelters?”   who is also director of legislative and legal services would result in more demand on other county services “There will be costs if the people utilizing the current Intensive Supportive Housing Program are left homeless,” Sundin wrote “Anecdotal evidence suggests that homelessness results in increased costs to the shelter system The City of Windsor is responsible for providing social services in Windsor and Essex County Windsor funds regional homeless initiatives for the city and the county using financial support from upper levels of government Essex County was allotted almost $2.5 million in 2025 supplemented by more than $448,000 from the county tax levy Supportive housing programs have typically included permanent housing supervised care and other supports for low-income individuals who require some assistance with activities of daily living Both the city and the county started a more intensive housing support program in 2022 with one facility located in Windsor and one in Essex county While the city funds its program in part from the municipal tax levy The county’s Intensive Supportive Housing Program expires on March 31 Councillors decided to work with the city using funding from the Safe Restart program — money from the provincial and federal governments aimed at helping recovery from COVID-19 — to help residents of the Intensive Support Housing program transition to other programs “It’s not like the whole program is being turned over to the city,” Jennifer Tanner Windsor’s manager of homelessness and housing support “The city and the county are just going to work collaboratively together on helping support any residents who may be displaced.”   The county will continue to maintain its other homeless support programs including a Homelessness Hub in Leamington an emergency shelter program and a dedicated homelessness street outreach worker Councillors had agreed in January it was important to maintain Essex County homeless initiatives Several delegates spoke out against ending the Intensive Supportive Housing Program at this month’s county council meeting “Homelessness exacerbates mental health challenges making recovery nearly impossible,” Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Kevin Matte said which cost the community far more in the long term “Rates of mental illness and addiction are increasing at rates that are putting significant strain on our health and social service system,” said Ciara Holmes acting executive director of Family Services Windsor Essex Those supported by the program “often face significant barriers to stability addiction and chronic health conditions,” she added “The potential consequences of discontinuing this program include increased homeless strain on emergency services and greater reliance on shelters “The cost of inaction may be higher than the amount requested to keep the program going.”   executive director of the South Essex Community Council also urged councillors to continue the program: “We are seeing that the needs of some of the people we serve are more urgent and more complex than they have been in the past.”   Sundin later told the Star he was confident that with the city and the county working together all of the residents in the Intensive Supportive Housing Program will find places in other programs or facilities County council passed a separate resolution calling on the province to increase funding of homelessness prevention to municipalities and it invited local MPPs to appear before council on the issue Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island has launched its 11th annual Staycation Expo as the pro-Canadian push for staycations and supporting local gathers momentum we’re reminded as the chaos comes out of the White House that we have to support local,” said tourism bureau CEO Gordon Orr And I think that this Staycation Expo is a prime example of that.” Campaigns to stay and support local have intensified over the last several months as U.S President Donald Trump kicked off a trade war and repeatedly declared it should become a 51st state Orr said keeping it locals helps employ more than 11,000 people in the tourism and hospitality industry “Our festival season is jam packed right from May through October,” he said We’ve got a lot of our tourist businesses that are open for business and ready and welcoming you with open arms About 70 exhibitors set up Friday in Devonshire Mall Devonshire Mall provides the tourism association the space for free to allow local producers and operators to highlight what they do “Some are selling their products,” said Orr “Urban Art Market is celebrating jewelry and crafts made by local artisans.” Made It Market and a chance to win a $500 Devonshire Mall gift card a digital guide to buying local “bounty from the county,” is also being featured There are tastings in a lounge area for the EPIC Wineries and Barrels Samples will be available from local wineries you can actually purchase it right on site,” said Orr The expo also marks the release of the 2025/2025 Official Visitor Guide it has 92 pages of jam-packed content featuring 260 businesses profiling them and really a movement to help support local,” said Orr “And to remind people that as family and friends visit you from out of town this summer season get them off the living room couch or away from the dining room table and get out and explore Windsor-Essex.” The free visitor guide is available at the Staycation Expo and the Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island office at 98 Chatham St You can also go to the association’s website to request a hard copy in the mail or check out the digital version Federal New Democrats have announced Lori Wightman as the official candidate for the riding of Essex Wightman grew up in River Canard and currently lives in Amherstburg She says the New Democrat Party aligns with her values "I'm looking at neighbours and friends and children struggling more and more every day and when it came time to that there was going to be an election you know what I'm gonna throw my hat in because you really can't complain," Wightman said Wightman previously served as administrative director and president of the Amherstburg Community Foundation She says she also led the 2016 Essex County Library Workers strike as CUPE Local 2974 union leader for 13 years "I have that leadership experience there," Wightman said "I spent the entire strike on the lines with my members spent time in an office somewhere doing behind the scenes stuff but I feel like if you're going to represent people you need to stand up for them and stand beside them." Wightman says there's currently two main issues facing Essex "There's the standard one of we need affordable housing but there is also the very current one of the tariffs from the U.S.," she said "I think both of those things have people worried I think that the tariffs result in problems with job security Conservative Chris Lewis is the incumbent MP in the riding of Essex Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call an election imminently Essex County Ontario Provincial Police are reminding the public of the laws for bus stop safety OPP are reminding drivers to watch for school buses stopped on the road with alternating red lights flashing drivers approaching a stopped school bus or behind a stopped bus that has its overhead red signal-lights flashing need to stop before reaching the bus and not proceed until the bus moves or the Drivers that fail to stop can face stiff fines the maximum fine is $2,000 and six demerit points The Essex County OPP state they will have enhanced patrols throughout the coming weeks to ensure drivers are following the rules of the road WindsorNewsTalks of Essex County police service receives little supportBy Robert LothianPublished: April 03, 2025 at 6:00AM EDT The mayor of Essex feels that dogs in the town are ending up in the Lakeshore dog pound 'too frequently.' Sherry Bondy says they really need to look at what's happening in Essex when it comes to dogs at large The dog pound is made up of four member communities-Essex 154 dogs were admitted to the Lakeshore Dog Pound or 43 per cent of the total dogs admitted to the dog pound according to a report going to the dog pound committee There were 48 (30%) from the Municipality of Lakeshore Bondy says the model of the Lakeshore Dog Pound is that they are billed capital costs and on "dog days" or the number of days a dog from a given municipality is in the pound "The more dog days we have in the pound We're only able to keep dogs there for three days Clair College or the {Windsor-Essex County} Humane Society." The final figure on what each municipality will pay is still being calculated Bondy says dog tag fees help pay for the pound "It is important for residents to not only have a microchip because we know residents like to microchip their dogs and we can quickly identify the owner of that dog and return that dog as soon as possible," she says The Lakeshore Dog Pound is jointly funded by the municipalities of Lakeshore The goal of the Joint Dog Pound is to maintain animal control in Essex County through the promotion of responsible pet ownership but each municipality is responsible for their own animal control The Dog Pound is located at 914 Puce Road in Lakeshore When a stray dog is brought to the pound by the animal control officer from one of the municipalities or is received from the public, every attempt is made to locate its owner. Once a 72-hour period has lapsed, the dog may then be moved to St. Clair College Veterinary Program for assessment care and possible adoption or to the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society. Three new measles exposure points are being reported in Windsor-Essex, and one new exposure point in Chatham is being reported.  These possible exposure points occurred between April 16 and April 17.  The locations within Windsor-Essex includes: The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit asks anyone who visited the locations on the identified dates to monitor themselves for symptoms of measles for up to 21 days from the date of exposure. As of April 23, the Health Unit has confirmed 29 measles cases in April.  Those who were present during these timeframes in Chatham and are not up-to date with their vaccinations are asked to call CK Public Health at 519-352-7270 ext. 5902. Flanked by fellow area Conservative running mates Chris Lewis opened his Essex campaign office on Talbot Street in the town of Essex on Wednesday the member of Parliament for the riding since 2019 is looking for his third straight win in the April 28 federal election “We’re going to make sure we’re building … affordable housing,” Lewis told supporters packed into his campaign office  “We’re going to support small- and medium-sized businesses because without small- and medium-sized businesses “You can’t support a social program if you don’t have a taxpayer and you don’t have a taxpayer unless you have businesses So we’re going to be the common-sense Conservatives The same ones that that you know and love.”  Chatham-Kent—Leamington Conservative candidate David Epp and Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore candidate Mark McKenzie joined Lewis for the campaign office opening It’s about Essex and it’s about Canada,” Lewis said what it’s really about is future generations.” He quipped about why the Conservatives have yet to reveal their full party platform ‘So why don’t you put your platform out?’” said Lewis “Is he running for the Liberals or Conservatives?”   “I think he’s a Conservative,” Lewis continued Promising to run an “incredibly positive campaign,” Lewis stressed he is a strong supporter of party Leader Pierre Poilievre saying he will create a bright future for his grandson “I trust Levi’s future with Pierre Poilievre Chris Sutton has announced he’s running for the Liberals; Lori Wightman is the candidate for the NDP; and Jason Henry is running for the People’s Party of Canada