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By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice

How to protect Canadian agriculture from Donald Trump’s tariffs dominated the talk at the Kent Federation of Agriculture’s all candidates meeting April 17.

Around 150 people attended the event at the Retrosuites Derby Room to hear from five candidates vying to become Chatham-Kent–Leamington’s next Member of Provincial Parliament. And while the submitted questions ranged from affordability to infrastructure to supply chain management, the discussion kept circling back to Trump.

Candidates speaking at the one-hour session included incumbent Conservative MP Dave Epp; Seamus Fleming for the NDP; People’s Party of Canada candidate Trevor Lee; Liberal candidate Keith Pickard and Green Party representative James Plunkett.

The staid older crowd was mostly quiet, with the loudest applause coming in response to comments from Pickard that Mark Carney is the man to lead Canada through the turbulent Trump years.

The mostly civil meeting that saw candidates answer seven prepared questions took a slight turn at the end as Epp and Pickard took shots at each other’s parties.

“This election by far is the most important election of our lifetime, ” Pickard told the crowd. “As I said in the beginning our sovereignty is at stake. We need a strong government. And Mark Carney is the person to negotiate a trade deal to support Canada. Without a doubt Poilievre will not be able to garner the respect that Carney will get with Trump. You will not get the same trade deal.”

Pickard never missed an opportunity throughout the meeting to point out that dollars flow to the candidate that has a sitting member of the governing party in power.

“It’s essential that we tell the story of Chatham-Kent–Leamington and bring those funds back,” Pickard said.

Citing a decade of “Liberal ineptness,” Epp countered that “common sense says you don’t put the arsonist back in charge of the fire that they lit.”

Using Pickard’s words that dollars flow to the governing party representative, Epp called the practice “pork barrelling” consistent with Liberal “corruption.

“Make no mistake, I’ll advocate for good business, sound policy for this region and for any region,” Epp said, pointing out the Liberals “never talk about” their fiscal record or their record in agriculture.

“Why? Canadians need hope and to be put first for a change,” he added.

Lee echoed Epp’s comments.

“I agree with Dave, we need hope,” he said. “It’s not good here in Canada. Families are split, people are struggling to put food on the table. People can’t find or buy homes. We need to get Canada back to a position where we’re strong internationally and nationally. And fight for everybody and our neighbours… the People’s Party will do that. ”

With the exception of Lee, who said retaliatory tariffs would just make things more expensive, the candidates agreed that strong measures are needed to counter the threat posed by U.S. economic policy.

Epp said the Conservatives would look at removing inter-provincial trade barriers, institute a robust plan to train 350,000 apprentices, maintain Canada’s agri-business supply chains and facilitate an east-west energy corridor.

“We need to improve our position and our ability to trade and build on our strengths with other countries so we can face Trump’s tariffs,” Epp explained.

However, Pickard said the Liberals will remove all inter-provincial trade barriers by July 1 and focus on expanding agri-business across the board.

All of the candidates laid out plans for protecting agriculture, with Fleming saying the NDP will ban foreign speculation on farms and increase spending and long-term loans to the agri-business sector.

Fleming said the Chatham-Kent area has been “let down” by government, particularly in the area of rural health care.

“This election is not just about tariffs, it’s about making way for the next generation of farmers,” he said, noting the federal government has supported big grocery corporations such as Loblaw Companies Ltd.

Lee said the farming sector needs to eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers, return to a smaller, more sustainable farming model and get rid of supply chain management.

Plunkett said Canada needs to hold back the resources the United States needs until Trump drops the tariffs, which will help farmers.

He said the Green Party will also focus on clean energy and affordability for all, reducing the use of chemicals to protect citizens and farmland.

By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice

Following what officials call a “rigorous recruitment process,” Chatham-Kent has appointed its first deputy chief administrative officer.

Dave Taylor, the municipality’s current director of legal services, has been named to the post, according to a municipal media release.

Taylor, a lawyer who holds a law degree and a master’s degree in public administration from Western University, brings a wealth of knowledge to the role, according to a municipal press release. A Chatham-Kent employee since 2012, Taylor holds a certificate in long-term care leadership, and is also a municipal law instructor in the law government program at Western.

According to the release, Taylor’s new portfolio will focus on overseeing several divisions within Chatham-Kent, but he will also be tasked with advancing Chatham-Kent’s advocacy efforts with senior levels of government. This will include communicating C-K’s unique needs and opportunities to the provincial and federal governments, with a focus on financial sustainability.

The release stated Taylor has experience in municipal advocacy, having led parts of the efforts to lobby the province in the wake of the 2021 Wheatley explosion.

Taylor brings extensive volunteerism to the job as well and currently sits on the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance board.

Previously, he held seats on the boards of the Chatham-Kent Community Foundation, Restorative Justice Chatham-Kent and the Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre.

Taylor said he’s looking forward to the job.

“I am thrilled to continue my journey serving our amazing community in this new capacity,” Taylor explained. “Throughout my career, I have been inspired by the passion and commitment of our mayor, council, and community groups to make Chatham-Kent a great place to live, work, and visit. I am committed to using my new role to continue the municipality’s goal of delivering quality services and improving Chatham-Kent for all of our citizens.”

The deputy CAO role was created following the retirement of C-K general manager of corporate services Cathy Hoffman, the release said. Her responsibilities will be redistributed amongst the executive management team.

Mayor Darrin Canniff, Entegrus president & CEO Jim Hogan, Oxford County CAO Ben Addley, Leamington CAO Peter Neufeld, Chatham-Kent CAO Michael Duben and Hoffman were part of the decision-making team that reviewed applications for the position.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

During the recently held Provincial Election – and during other past upper-tier elections – the County of Essex used its website and social media to advance its priorities.

 

Tecumseh Deputy Mayor Joe Bachetti, who is also the Deputy Warden for the County of Essex, asked if Administration had any plans to put out a list of its priorities during the current Federal Election.

 

Administration has had some internal discussions and a list of priorities has been created, CAO Sandra Zwiers noted at the April 2 meeting, when this matter was brought up.

 

Back in 2021, during the previous Federal Election, there were four priorities, Zwiers relayed. They included affordable housing, infrastructure funding, strategic business investment, and universal broadband internet.

 

“Today’s announcements have certainly changed the landscape and the influence of the federal government as it relates to tariffs and its impact on Windsor-Essex businesses,” Zwiers said. The announcement in which she referred was US President Donald Trump’s on automotive tariffs.

 

“This is something on top of everyone’s minds.”

 

She suggested updating the 2021 priorities to include the tariff conversation.

 

“I think it is very important that the federal government backstop and support local businesses who are on the frontlines of these decisions that are completely out of their control,” Zwiers said. “And we would be looking to advocate to the federal government – whichever party wins – to make sure Windsor-Essex businesses are fully supported in that.”

 

Other priorities could include removing interprovincial trade barriers.

 

“We want to have a country with federal leadership that understands Canadians’ economy should help fund itself,” Zwiers said. “And working together across our provincial boundaries, I think, is very important and something we should be advocating for, particularly for Essex County.”

 

From the 2021 priority list, infrastructure funding and affordable housing are things that are relevant for the County to advocate for in the present, she noted.

 

Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara believes the Canadian government needs to maintain funding on the Great Lakes, let the US know the need to protect fisheries, and the importance of clean water and source water protection of the Great Lakes.

 

That will be added to the priority list.

 

Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy hopes whoever is elected as the Essex MP will meet with County Council after the election.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

How County of Essex Council could even start the topic of potentially exploring regional policing still needs to be determined, if Council even chooses to explore the option at all.

 

Essex County Council will be able to decide whether or not to direct County Administration to provide a report on the cost-estimate for engaging a consultant to perform a feasibility study for regional policing at the June 4 meeting.

 

Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy made that a Notice of Motion at the April 2 meeting. She noted it is a big file, a big ask of County administration to explore, and something the Town of Essex is also looking at.

 

That will give time for County Councillors to go back to their municipalities and connect with their municipal staff and Councillors on the matter.

 

She would also want County Council to get any historical reports at the County-level on policing.

 

“I’m not even saying I am going to support the motion that I am going to raise, but I am all in favour of gathering information,” Bondy said. “I think it is diligent to actually have information.”

 

This was the outcome on the matter last week, after Amherstburg Mayor Michael Prue initiated the conversation.

 

At the March 5 meeting, Prue put forward two Notices of Motion in forms of options for County Council to consider as it relates to regional police. They were introduced to County Council for discussion at the April 2 meeting.

 

He hoped County Administration could report on both options in the future, so County Council could consider them in the future.

 

Option 1 asked County Council to direct Administration of the County of Essex to work with local municipalities to explore options for traditional regional policing models for the County of Essex and that it be in place for January 1, 2029. Administration would report back as

soon as possible.

 

Option 2 asked County Council to direct Administration of the County of Essex work with local

municipalities to explore possible options for a collaborative approach to policing in the long-term, where the Police Board, Command, and Corporate structures are held at the County-level and local communities are provided with options for flexible service delivery models to meet local needs and pricing.

 

The Option 2 model should be built upon the premise that any municipality can opt-out of the program if they have other means of providing policing to their community.

 

In having the County coordinate, there would be one Chief of Police, one administration, and municipalities could opt-in or opt-out. LaSalle, in having its own service, may want to opt-out, for instance, Prue noted.

 

“This would allow the local municipalities to determine their wants and needs, and potentially save money for each one of the municipalities that currently uses the OPP,” Prue said.

 

The 2029 timeline would allow the County to discover if there is a better model going forward than the ones local municipalities are using at this point.

 

Through his motions, Prue noted that the Town of Amherstburg Policing Contract with the

City of Windsor ends on December 31, 2028 and the City of Windsor has decided not to renew this contract with the Town of Amherstburg.

 

“We in Amherstburg found ourselves in a particularly bad situation a few months ago,” Prue said when they learned the contract with Windsor Police Services will be terminated.

 

That follows the decision made a few years back, when Amherstburg decided to do away with its own police force. It does not have its own police equipment, cars, radios, and soon will be without its own police officers.

 

Council for the Town of Amherstburg wanted to look at five options: Ask Windsor Police to reconsider, see if LaSalle Police would be interested, create its own – though that was thought to be cost-prohibitive, approach the OPP, or approach the County of Essex to see if a new structure could be put in place to assist all municipalities of Essex County.

 

He also noted that five of the seven local municipalities in Essex County are currently receiving policing services from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

 

Because the County is not currently in the business of providing police services, Essex County CAO Sandra Zwiers suggested retaining a third-party consultant to unpack the options and work on the costing, instead of having administration create the report.

 

“This is not a new conversation for County Council,” Zwiers said, believing there are at least two feasibility reports on file that were created over the last two-to-three decades. One was completed prior to the 1999 amalgamation, the other a few years after amalgamation.

 

Funds could also be set aside in the 2026 Budget to get the consultant.

 

The Town of Essex was to discuss a report on policing at an April 7 special meeting, which Bondy will send to members of County Council.

 

“That report could give us awesome information as well,” she noted.

 

“We need to have a fulsome conversation, but I don’t want to have a knee-jerk [reaction],” Bondy said. “I think residents, generally, think we can do regional police and they think we can do it really easy. And they think we can do it cheaper.”

 

As someone involved in municipal Council for over a decade, she is a little more of a realist. Bondy noted the Town of Essex pays a little over $3M for its policing. The start-up costs alone will cost residents millions.

 

She respected Amherstburg’s position, and noted regional policing in theory makes a lot of sense.

 

“But I think it is going to be really expensive.” Bondy was also skeptical the opt-in, opt-out option would be sustainable for the County.

 

If County Council was going to talk about retaining a consultant at budget time, Bondy believes resolutions from the local municipal Councils would be needed first in addition to hosting public consultations.

 

In Essex, Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley said, nostalgia says there is a desire for the municipal police. But, it is not a reality, he said.

 

He believes what there is currently in terms of policing is working for Essex, and there is room to make it better.

 

Perhaps there could be a hub and spoke system that would better serve the community and allow for more policing, which residents would like to see.

 

Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara said his municipality has had an OPP contact since 1947. A recent survey conducted in Tecumseh provided the OPP with a 90% approval rating.

 

To start a regional police department, it would cost astronomical dollars, he added.

 

Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers put forward a motion to postpone the matter to the May 7 meeting, and that the two previous reports on regional policing be distributed for Council review and consideration. This motion failed.

 

LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche thought this was an important conversation, and felt terrible for Amherstburg’s situation.

 

“We do love our LaSalle Police,” she said, noting LaSalle was not looking to change its model.

 

Hiring a consultant on this matter, Meloche anticipated, would be high.

 

If there are municipalities in the area interested in creating a regional police service, perhaps they can look into this together. LaSalle would want to opt-out at this point, as it knows it is not interested in changing its model.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Essex Council learned 2024 was a quiet year in terms of complaints lodged to the Integrity Commissioner.

Integrity Commissioner for the Town of Essex, Bruce Elman, presented his annual report for 2024 during the April 7 meeting.

“There was very little activity, and that is really good,” Elman told Council. “So, this is a positive development and pretty consistent with 2023, as well.”

Last year, Elman said he produced one letter of advice, but did not produce any primers, which provide guidance to members of Council and others to whom the Code of Conduct applies, so that they can avoid violations. He added there were three instances of brief advice that were provided.

When it comes to complaints, one was filed, Elman said. It was discontinued and no further action was taken.

There were also a few instances of brief service, as well.

The primary functions of an Integrity Commissioner are to provide education and training, advice to members of Council, investigate complaints, engage in complaint adjudication and resolution, and on occasion help to develop town policy when it comes to ethics and integrity, Elman outlined.

After the 2022 election, Elman spent time with Council members to go over the Code of Conduct Policy and the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. He hopes that training will be extended to members of the community who volunteer on town boards and committees in the future.

In preparation for the 2026 Municipal Election, Elman said there are certain ethical rules and principles that govern municipal elections and govern the conduct of Council members when seeking re-election. In the fall, he intends to speak to the Town Clerk and CAO to arrange time to present a training program for current Councillors intending to run for re-election, as the rules are quite strict.

In answering Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley’s question on the typical turnaround for Elman to respond to an email from a Council member, Elman said the turnaround time is dependent on the situation. If the issue is a drawn-out matter, for instance, it may take a longer period of time to provide advice.

Shepley also asked about the complaint, and wondered if the Council member who had the complaint issued against them is notified about it, in addition to the result of the investigation. Elman said that typically, when a complaint is made, he tries to gather particulars, and then connects with the member of Council who is the subject of the complaint.

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Members of Essex County Council received a Development Charges (DC) report as information during the April 2 meeting, which provided a study-draft data table and outlined next steps in the process of implementing a DC By-Law.

 

All seven local municipalities have their own Development Charges By-Law, which is imposed on developers to pay for growth-related capital costs. In the County’s case, that would include roads, EMS, and long-term care. The County currently does not have these charges in place, nor has it ever.

 

The calculated residential Development Charges for the County of Essex was presented through the report as $12,998 per single-detached residential unit, $7871 for rows and multiple-unit dwellings, and $6917 for other residential units. For non-residential, proposed Development Charges are $46.50 per square meter for commercial/institutional.

 

This is the max amount allowable. County Council can choose to go lower.

 

County Council was provided the information, but will have to decide whether or not to approve DCs at the County-level in the future.

 

The information shared during the meeting and the Background Study that will be made public two-weeks after the meeting have to go through a legislated public evaluation process before County Council makes the decision to enact a by-law on the matter.

 

At the County-level historically, growth has been funded through the tax levy on a “pay-as-you-go-basis,” Director of Financial Services/Treasure, Melissa Ryan, explained.

 

“Given that growth in our region has traditionally been stable and manageable, this approach has served us well,” Ryan told members of County Council. Currently, however, “growth is coming faster and at a higher cost than ever before.”

 

To ensure the County does not place an unsustainable burden on the tax rate, Ryan said tools needed to be explored, and Development Charges are tools the province expects municipalities to use before expecting financial support.

 

As the County continues to grow, it is important to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to support it, Ryan added.

 

“Development Charges help ensure new growth contributes its fair share [rather] than placing the entre burden on existing taxpayers.”

 

The Report to County Council Ryan prepared on the matter notes the Development Charges Background Study will be released on April 15, 2025, two-weeks after the presentation of the data tables to Council. The comprehensive DC study will provide a detailed analysis supporting the proposed Development Charges and will include key components, such as the development forecast, calculated development charges, long-term capital and operating cost analysis, and the asset management plan.

 

A tentative meeting with local developers will take place April 30.

 

The background study has to be released 60-days prior to Council possibly passing the By-Law. It is anticipated Notice of By-law passage will be issued July 8, 2025.

 

In May of 2024, members of Essex County Council approved funding a Development Charges Study by utilizing up to a max of $60,000 from the Rate Stabilization Reserve, which Hemson Consulting Ltd. is undertaking. This firm provided an update to County Council in November.

 

Stefan Krzeczunowicz, Associate Partner of Hemson Consulting Ltd. noted DCs are imposed through a by-law, which has a minimum lifespan of ten-years.

 

Hemson has identified six items to which the County can reasonably impose a charge including highway, EMS, long-term care, waste diversion, public libraries, and studies related to the five services.

 

Krzeczunowicz explained to County Council the process in developing a DC study.

 

“This is a remarkable period of growth of the County,” he said, adding growth has accelerated in the County of Essex in recent years.

 

Krzeczunowicz highlighted there are more than 30,000 new residents, over 11,300 new homes, and 14,700 more jobs since 2010.

 

In addition, he said there has been a shift to higher-density housing, and more medium density row housing and apartment dwellings are being constructed.

 

Information he shared noted that in the past decade, 68% of housing has been for singles and semis, nine-percent for row, and 22% for apartments.

 

Current County population is 211,980, and is expected to grow to 258,400 by 2041, Krzeczunowicz said.

 

It is not enough to collect DCs on a theoretical funding cap, he explained. The legislation requires if DCs are to be collected, they must be for projects that have been previously identified and reflect Council’s reflections to expand services moving forward.

 

Currently, the developers pay for a municipal DC when pulling a building permit at one of the seven local municipalities. If the County proceeds with its own DC, the developer would pay that charge as well.

 

If the County chose to implement the maximum DC on residential, the total charge for a single-detached unit, for instance, including the municipal DC, would be $48,113 in the McGregor service area and $38,176 for the Harrow Service Area in the Town of Essex.

 

In terms of non-residential, if the County chose to implement the maximum DC, the total charge including the municipal DC, the total would be $67.92, in the McGregor service area and $70.18 for the Harrow Service Area per square meter in the Town of Essex.

 

The total DC would vary as each municipality has its own rate.

 

He also highlighted statutory exemptions/discounts, which includes municipalities and local boards, residential additions and secondary suites, industrial enlargements, replacement dwellings, affordable housing and non-profit housing, and rental housing discounts.

 

After Krzeczunowicz’s presentation, County Council was able to ask questions on the matter.

 

In answering Kingsville Deputy Mayor Kim DeYong’s question on how the maximum potential DCs were calculated, Krzeczunowicz explained that it has to do with the amount of cost the County will incur over a planning period divided by the amount of development projected to occur.

 

The charges can be indexed to inflation over the years of the by-law’s lifespan.

 

DeYong also wondered if new charges would hinder growth. Krzeczunowicz noted they do not factor in the impact of the charges that may or may not occur on the rate of projected development.

 

In answering Leamington Deputy Mayor Larry Verbeke’s question if the proposed DCs will affect the agriculture sector, Krzeczunowicz said that is up to Council. There is no statutory exemption for ag currently. It is common for municipalities in Southwestern Ontario to exempt those types of buildings. Council could consider that when drafting the by-law.

 

Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy would like to slow this process down to spend more time on public consultation.

 

“I think this is such a big discussion,” she noted, adding she would like to see a public open house in each of the seven local municipalities. “It is going to impact us all very much, and we should have the ability as local Councillors to be…in our municipality with our residents and with our developers.”

 

It would also provide a chance to explain what DCs are to the public.

 

Bondy is a proponent of growth paying for growth. She found the numbers presented to be high, and wondered about a phased-in approach. She would like to see lower rates for multiple-unit homes.

 

Krzeczunowicz noted with any phase-in or discount, the revenue shortfall cannot be made-up by a higher Development Charge at a later time or another type of development. The multi-residential rate could be discounted if there is desire.

 

LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche likes the idea that growth pays for growth, but she was concerned with the numbers presented as there is a housing crisis. She is interested in hearing from builders.

 

“I am afraid this will have a negative impact on the region,” Meloche said. She did like the one County-level DC for the entire County.

 

Tecumseh Deputy Mayor Joe Bachetti spoke of how if this was implemented 15-years ago, the fees that would have been recouped from development in that time would have gone towards road work.

 

When this matter was first presented, Lakeshore Deputy Mayor Kirk Walstedt had concerns, and this report had done nothing to alleviate them.

 

“I know the developers and builders will be upset, but in the end that will be passed on to…the buyers. What I guess troubles me is that at virtually every County Council meeting, we talk about affordable housing, how can we assist with that, what incentives can we provide, and other times we have given incentives. And here we are talking of adding an additional $13,000 onto homes. I don’t like it. To me, we are actually going backwards.”

 

That money is quite a number of mortgage payments for those getting in on the ground floor, Walstedt said, noting he would vote against taking this to the public.

 

Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara called the report timely and a long time coming.

 

County Council also supported Bondy’s motion to host public consultations in each of the seven municipalities and to fund that cost from the Rate Stabilization Reserve, in addition to Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers’s amendment to include Chatham-Kent DC rates for residential and non-residential as a comparator.

 

 

 

 

 

By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

Council for the Town of Essex hosted a special meeting on Monday evening, outlining billing models and the process the Town would need to take if it was to look into obtaining a different police service than its current contract with the OPP.

 

Two motions were presented and carried during the meeting. The first was to send a letter to the Essex County OPP Detachment-North requesting officers be more present in community activities, in addition to more bike, foot, and ATV patrols. The other motion directed Town administration to work with the OPP to evaluate the facility needs within the municipality, with a focus on synergies and improved service delivery to local residents.

 

The matter goes back to the January 20 Committee of the Whole meeting, where Council discussed OPP policing. At that time, Council requested a special meeting to further discuss the billing model, types of calls, and potential options, Chief Administrative Officer Doug Sweet explained.

 

Back in 2007, Council of the day voted to create a steering committee to develop and report back to Council on a contract policing cost from the OPP. At that time, it operated a municipal police service. In 2008, Administration at the time outlined why Council was looking at costing from the OPP, one of which was that the cost to provide a municipal policing service had risen significantly.

 

At the time, Sweet noted Administration projected the cost for municipal police and the OPP from 2009-2013. Over that five-year period, going to OPP was projected to save the Town of Essex around $5M.

 

Sweet compared the OPP contract actuals to what the projected Essex Police Services could have been, based on inflation. In 2024, the OPP would have cost $2.7M less, and $2.5M less in 2025, he estimated.

 

That didn’t include capital costs, such as vehicles.

 

Kate Giurissevich, Director of Corporate Services, walked through the OPP billing model. She explained there is a cost per property. The OPP takes its base cost and divides it across all property accounts that utilize its policing service. Then, they take the per property cost and times it by the number of properties in the jurisdiction.

 

Billing can fluctuate, based on population. As the population rises, so too will the billing.

 

The estimated cost for the OPP service in 2025 was $189.44, which was applied to 9,772 properties.

 

After the base cost, a call for service cost is then applied. That is based on the calls to the jurisdiction, which are then added to the billing statement.

 

In 2025, the provincial government stepped in, after a drastic increase was noted on the contract renewals. A 10% discount was applied on the overall contract, which was a savings to the Town of $354,000, Giurissevich explained.

 

True-ups can be applied, Giurissevich added, which is when the OPP goes over or under budget.

 

A chart shared noted the 2025 total police budget for Essex was $3.38M.

 

In 2023, Sweet noted top calls for service in Essex included property checks, motor vehicle collisions, by-law, community service, amongst others.

 

In 2020, Giurissevich noted Leamington put out a Request For Proposal for policing service. There were two bidders, Chatham Kent Police Service and Windsor Police Service (WPS).

 

OPP did not submit a bid, as the RFP terms did not align with regulations in which it has to follow, Giurissevich outlined. WPS ended up being the preferred proponent, however, once they started digging into the financials, it was noted it would either lead to a substantial tax increase or drastic municipal service cuts.

 

Giurissevich noted the OPP offered Leamington a $6.1M contract in 2022, while WPS was $9.4M. That would have been a 54% increase.

 

If the Town of Essex wanted to pursue obtaining a different police service, Giurissevich recommended issuing a Level of Service evaluation sometime between October and December to ensure the community wanted to see a change. In early 2026, the RFP would be drafted, with it closed between April and August. That fall, Council would have to evaluate and make a determination. A one-year notice of termination would have to be provided to OPP.

 

As 2026 is an election year, Giurissevich warned of lame duck status, where Council is unable to make big decisions which could impact this process.

 

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley likes what the Town has now in terms of policing. He believes there are options to work with what is there currently. He spoke of the possibility of looking at having one police department with one jail serving the Lakeshore, Tecumseh, Essex Board, which could then perhaps offer more officers on the ground for more visibility. He was not in favour of retaining a consultant to look into the matter, which could cost around $50,000, or a motion to start a municipal policing service.

 

Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais appreciated the report, but was not satisfied with it, as she said it was not what she asked for. What she was hoping to learn is what the Town was receiving for the $3M it spends on policing.

 

“We are paying $3M-$4M for a service that we have no idea what we actually get for it,” she said. What she is hearing from residents is that they don’t see police presence, but noted she has noticed an increase in presence in the past few months.

 

She said it would be nice to outline to residents what they are paying for and options for more service.

 

Sweet noted the OPP maintains sufficient resources to provide full police service delivery. Specifics are not shared, due to safety reasons.

 

McGuire-Blais believes residents miss that small town policing, where they knew their officers. To her understanding, the Town has paid for police on bicycles and on ATVs, and she has not seen or heard of that taking place, yet.

 

She spoke of one of the top calls for service is property checks. Those property checks are done on officers’ own time, she said.

 

“They think that is a good use of their time. I would like them to listen to the Town and see what we think is a good use of their time,” she said, adding she would like the OPP to host more open house meetings to be there to talk to people and answer questions. “Be present where the people are. Don’t be sitting in your cars on the Arner Townline waiting for the call to come in. That is not a good use of your time.”

 

Mayor Sherry Bondy added that she has seen police on bikes, but it is not as much as they want to see. They are coming to flag raisings. She and Sweet meet with OPP reps monthly and relay feedback heard from Council and committee to them.

 

She said Council and residents need to connect with the Town to inform of concerns, or call the OPP non-emergency number.

 

Councillor Kim Verbeek echoed McGuire-Blais’s frustrations. Both have spent time on the Essex Police Services Board in the past, before it was merged with Tecumseh and Lakeshore.

 

Verbeek noted they would ask for more foot patrols and to get the bikes out. She asked the Mayor and CAO to relay that. Verbeek noted she has noticed police have had more visibility.

 

McGuire-Blais noted she has seen more police presence in the Town, but would like to see officers more present in community activities and have more engagement, and moved to send a letter to the Essex County OPP Detachment-North request that, in addition to more bike, foot, and ATV patrols. That was carried.

 

Bondy further put forward a motion, that Council supported, to direct Town administration to work with the OPP to evaluate the facility needs within the municipality, with a focus on synergies and improved service delivery to local residents.

 

That means reviewing if the Harrow Police Station is in the right spot or if something better is needed in Essex Centre.

 

“I just want to make sure the buildings they have are in alignment with services,” she said.

 

She would like to review that and perhaps find a different building in Ward 1 and maybe look at a different long-term building in Ward 4.

By Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice

A program designed to help women in distress is taking shape in Chatham-Kent.

Dubbed “Ask for Angela” – in honour of a British woman who died as the result of femicide – the initiative has started thanks to collaboration between Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Chatham-Kent Victim Services.

A first for Chatham-Kent, it will see workers in the Loblaw chain, including No Frills, Shoppers Drug Mart and Real Canadian Superstore, undergo training to be on the alert for anyone asking for Angela – code for “Help, I’m in trouble.”

As part of the effort, staff will take women or girls who “ask for Angela” to a quiet safe space within the store and connect them with police or other appropriate services.

There is signage up in the stores as well, advising victims on how to seek help.

According to Kate de Forno, executive director of Chatham-Kent Victim Services, the program is a first for Chatham-Kent and comes none too soon, as rates of violence against women continue to rise.

“We are thrilled to partner with Loblaw to bring the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign to Chatham-Kent,” de Forno said. “This initiative will provide a vital resource for individuals who may find themselves in uncomfortable or dangerous situations while out in the community.”

Domestic violence is the number one crime that Victim Services deals with, she added, with sexual assault crimes second on the list.

“We’ve not seen a decrease in these crimes since the pandemic,” de Forno said in a recent interview. “This is part of a continuing trend, that’s neither healthy nor positive.”

But on the upside, de Forno said the program has been working well in other regions, even helping one young woman who was a victim of human trafficking.

“They were able to help her and brought her into the backroom to safety,” she added.

Although no one is certain why violent crimes against women are on the rise, de Forno said there are a lot of pressures in society, and social media may account for some of the increase.

“People can hide behind their keyboards and be part of communities of hate and negativity,” she said. “It’s part of the general political and social climate we’re currently seeing and it is seeping into our communities. We’re seeing a general increase in hate…how do we tackle this?”

de Forno thinks curbing violence against women lies in education, but noted the “political will” must be there.

“We have to show kids that there is another way, that they don’t have to go down the path that leads to hate,” she said. “We need to be teaching young boys and young girls, around the ages of nine or 10, what healthy relationships and healthy sexual relationships look like.

“There need to be better supports for kids,” she explained. “The reality is that without a collective effort around this, it’s going to continue.”