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

The 2024 Investment Performance Report details the County of Essex held over $313M across 10 institutions, using a mix of short, medium, and long-term instruments.

Overall, the portfolio generated over $18M in investment income in 2024, achieving an average return of 5.79%, Melissa Ryan, Director of Financial Services/Treasurer, detailed.

Essex County Council received the report for information during the May 21 meeting.

The County continues to hold a portion of funds in Principal Protected Notes, which Ryan explained guarantees the return of the principal at maturity, and provide the opportunity for growth linked to equity market performance. “2024 was a dynamic year in financial markets, shaped by global volatility, shifting inflation expectations, and changing interest rates,” Ryan said.

“Our investment strategy responded by continuing to focus on a balanced, low-risk approach that protects capital, while capturing higher-returns when available.”

In 2025 and onwards, the County will maintain a cautious, yet flexible approach, Ryan said, adding staff will continue to work closely with advisors and monitor opportunities. They will also make adjustments as needed, based on economic conditions and rate changes.

“Investment income continues to serve as an important alternative funding source for the County,” Ryan said. “It helps offset the annual Operating Budget, reducing the levy requirement, while also supporting long-term reserves to ensure they are replenished, not only by levy funds.”

County Council received the report without any discussion or asking any questions on the matter.

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

Essex MPP Anthony Leardi (PC) is supporting the 2025 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario. It was presented recently before provincial parliament considers adoption in the coming weeks.

“This budget is specifically designed because of [US President] Donald Trump and the chaos that Donald Trump is causing with trade across the board,” Leardi said.

“Donald Trump has thrown a wrench into everybody’s plans. The whole world is reeling from this adjustment in the world trading order. We are not backing down. We are going to protect Ontario, we are going to protect Ontario workers and businesses, and we are going to come out the other end stronger than before.”

The 2025 Ontario Budget responds to that matter, and to ensure there are no new taxes.

Keeping taxes at par at the provincial-level is something Leardi said he has heard loud and clear from constituents. He has sent a flyer out to every household in the riding, asking constituents to rank government initiatives in order of importance to them.

“The response was absolutely overwhelming,” Leardi said. “The number one thing people appreciated the most was no new taxes. And, that is something I personally championed in the Legislature. I even made a very brief public statement about it in the legislature, telling the Premier and the Minister of Finance Essex County wants no new taxes.”

He was glad the 2025 Ontario Budget reflected that wish and that “I was part of the crusade to make sure that that happens again.”

In speaking of some of the highlights Leardi sees in the 2025 Ontario Budget, and how it will benefit the local economy, he noted the province is trying to beat California wines.

“Wine is already over taxed,” he noted, explaining there are regular taxes and additional taxes on alcohol. “We are starting to lower those taxes, because we want to specifically…beat California wines out of the Ontario market.”

According to the budget, the mark-up rates applicable to wine-based ready-to-drink products that do not have an alcohol-by-volume content of greater than 7.1 percent would be reduced from 60.6/64.6 percent to 48 percent.

The mark-up rates applicable to spirit-based ready-to-drink products that do not have an alcohol-by-volume content greater than 7.1 percent would be reduced from 68.5/96.7 per cent to 48 percent.

The basic mark-up rates applied by the LCBO to certain wine-based and spirit-based ready-to-drink beverages would be reduced, effective August 1, 2025.

Another portion of the Budget that Leardi sees as good for the local economy and for Ontario is that agreements are being signed for inter-provincial trade.

“Most Canadians are not aware there are barriers to trade between provinces, and the Premier initiated a crusade to tear down those inter-provincial trade barriers and buy Canadian where that may [happen].”

That means, Leardi explained, more good news for the local wine industry, because now the region will be able to export its products to other provinces that have agreed to do the same for Ontario.

Leardi noted that new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised interprovincial free-trade by July 1. He believes that all came about because of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s leadership and insistence that this needs to be done.

As part of the 2025 Ontario Budget, the province plans to invest $500M to create a new Critical Minerals Processing Fund that will help unleash the potential of the province’s mineral sector by attracting investments in critical mineral processing capacity in the province. This will help ensure minerals mined in Ontario will be processed in Ontario, by Ontario workers.

Leardi noted this news ties into the Windsor-Essex region indirectly, as minerals – such as nickel and copper – are primary minerals needed for batteries. “We don’t want to ship the nickel and the copper outside of Ontario to be processed and then have to re-import it to put it into our electric vehicles.”

That goes for other valuable, critical minerals, as well, Leardi said.

“This is all part of linking the mineral wealth of the north with the manufacturing might of the south. This is a great opportunity for us to build a ‘Made in Ontario’ supply chain…so no one outside of Ontario can threaten our automotive industry.”

Ontario already has a multimillion-dollar water and wastewater infrastructure fund in place. Leardi noted early this year, Kingsville was successful in getting $7.4M as part of that funding to build the West Side Collector Road. This project will extend Heritage Road northward around 1.85KM, from Main Street to Road 2 West. It will allow around 3000 more homes to be built in Kingsville, on the westside of the downcore core, and open up growth for the commercial industry, as well.

Through the 2025 Ontario Budget that program was relaunched. “I want my local municipalities to apply again, so we can get a few more million dollars out of this fund for infrastructure projects, because that’s the best way to build homes,” he said.

Another item being expanded under the 2025 Ontario Budget is for primary care in Ontario. In February of 2024, the Essex County Nurse Practitioner Led-Clinic was awarded over $424,525 from the Ontario government to expand its services into Kingsville. That created the opportunity to allow up to 1200 new clients to get rostered in Kingsville.

That program is being continued under the new budget.

According to the budget, on January 27, 2025, the government announced an investment of $1.8B for Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan, which aims to connect everyone in Ontario to a family doctor or primary care team within four-years.

It adds that Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan will implement a broad series of initiatives that will close the gap for people in need of primary care by 2029, including: creating and expanding more than 305 additional primary care teams and supporting primary care infrastructure renewal for the expansion of eligible team-based models.

“My goal, going forward, is to get another 1200 linked to primary care in Essex County,” Leardi said.

He said that 90% of Ontarians have a primary care provider – be it a doctor or nurse practitioner. “We want to reach the remaining 10%, and we are going to do that over the next four to five years,” Leardi commented.

Another item proposed in the 2025 Ontario Budget is to make the province’s gasoline and fuel tax cuts permanent. This measure would save households, on average, about $115 per year, information from the Province estimates. That is the 10-cent per litre cut at the pump.

“That makes everything cheaper,” Leardi said. “Everything gets transported by truck in Ontario. Every time you lower the cost of gasoline, that has the effect of controlling costs and making sure that costs stay under control, so that things are more affordable.”

Through its Budget announcement, the Province notes Ontario’s 2024–25 deficit is projected to be $6.0 billion, $3.8 billion lower than the outlook published in the 2024 Budget.

Reducing the deficit is important, Leardi described, because money has to be spent to pay interest on debt. “When we balance the budget in two-years, that means our interest payments are going to go down. Every dollar we save in interest payments is a dollar we can put into healthcare.”

Education spending, Leardi added, remains about at the same levels as it has for years. He explained the increase in the Education Budget is around 22-23% since 2018, which he said is exactly almost the rate of inflation.

The big investment in the area in terms of education in the past few years include a brand-new school in Amherstburg, Kingsville, and LaSalle, which was also expanded.

“That contrasts very sharply with the Liberal record. They shut down Western Secondary, which was the only skilled trade school in Essex County. And, they shutdown Harrow High School, which was the only high school in Harrow.”

Leardi anticipates the budget will be passed within the next two-to-three weeks.

Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky (NDP) shared a statement regarding the 2025 Ontario Budget, noting she believed it “missed the opportunity to build a stronger Ontario for all.”

She noted the budget “delivers little hope and no reassurance.”

It is her understanding “we’re seeing more cuts to Children, Community, and Social Services,” the Ministry for which she is Shadow Minister. She also noted it lacked a real plan to address Intimate Partner Violence and support for victims and survivors. In addition, she stated there was no plan to address the housing crisis.

For more information on the budget, log onto: budget.ontario.ca/2025/index.html

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

County of Essex Council will have to consider whether or not to adopt a Development Charges (DC) By-Law to pay for growth-related expansion of the services provided at the County-level in the future. Knowing this, members of its administration are visiting the seven local municipalities to host open house meetings on the matter to collect feedback.

So far, these open house meetings have been hosted in Amherstburg, Kingsville, and Leamington. The meeting with Essex Council took place on May 20, with further events taking place in LaSalle on May 27, Lakeshore on June 3, and Tecumseh on June 10.

According to Essex Free Press files, at the April 2 County Council meeting, support was given to Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy’s motion to host public consultations in each of the local municipalities, and to fund the cost to do so from the County’s Rate Stabilization Reserve.

County Council is comprised of the mayors and deputy mayors of the seven local municipalities.

The public consultations in each of the seven local municipalities were meant to be hosted before County Council has to decide on whether it should pass a by-law on the matter, and if it does, how it should be crafted.

There is no timeline to pass a by-law, with the public consultation component of the process added, giving County staff time to make some modifications or go back to County Council with a report detailing the feedback received. That will allow a by-law to be drafted that the County would want to move forward with, Director of Financial Services/Treasure, Melissa Ryan, said.

Getting the public feedback has been a good exercise, so County Council can make an informed decision based on feedback, Ryan noted, adding County staff members have also met with representatives from planning and treasure departments at the local level, in addition to developers and community partners.

All seven local municipalities have their own Development Charges By-Law, which is imposed on developers to pay for growth-related capital costs. The County does not have one, nor has it ever. In the County’s case, that would include highway, EMS, long-term care, waste diversion, public libraries, and studies related to the five services.

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

The calculated residential Development Charges for the County of Essex was presented as $12,956 per single-detached residential unit, $7845 for rows and multiple-unit dwellings, and $6895 for other residential units. For non-residential, proposed Development Charges are $46.34 per square meter for commercial/institutional.

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

Previously, it was noted 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.

Last month, Ryan explained that given that growth in the region has traditionally been stable and manageable, the pay as you go approach has served the County well. 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 previously tools needed to be explored, and Development Charges are tools the province expects municipalities to use before expecting financial support.

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

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.

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

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

He added the current County population is 211,980, and is expected to grow to 258,400 by 2041.

Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais is opposed to the addition of County Development Charges.

“I do not think these will be good for the Municipality of Essex, we are already growing at a slower pace than the rest of the County, and I think this will just slow us down even more,” she said. She believes the time is wrong to move forward with this initiative with the provincial mandate to build more and remove red tape. “I think adding County DC charges goes against that mandate.

“I am surprised that the County would impose these charges at this time, while companies are leaving the country and laying people off. We want to invite companies to come and build here, not deter them.”

Concerns she voiced is what if builders and investors decide that Essex County is too expensive and decide to build and invest in neighbouring regions, where DCs could be much lower.

In asking the question if the County DCs are paid from a development built in the municipality of Essex, if the funds stay in the municipality or go in a general pot, McGuire-Blais learned there would be a general pot for the DC funding to be used as County sees fit.

Bondy noted the County does not have a great public presence, for the most part. In her role, she has noticed many individuals do not know there is the Town of Essex and the County of Essex, with the later being the upper-tier municipal governance structure that oversees County responsibilities, such as County roads, libraries, and EMS.

“So, it will be us – it will be local Councils – getting blamed for the high cost of development fees,” Bondy predicted. “The County will get the benefit, and the Towns will be crucified.”

With local municipalities already collecting their own DCs, and building permits and other planning requirements taken care of at the municipal-level, she imagines it will be the municipalities collecting the County DC charges.

County fees, she believes, should be collected at the County building.

She does believe growth should pay for growth.

“County staff are not forward facing to members of the public,” she said. Hosting the open house was a really great step, which Bondy thanked County administration for doing. The meeting should have been livestreamed, however.

Members of the public at the meeting asked why implement DCs now, when housing prices have skyrocketed and individuals are struggling with mortgage payments. Ryan explained the conversation on the matter began over a year ago, and it takes time to go through the process as legislated.

As a member of the Essex Affordable Housing Task Force, Councillor Kim Verbeek said it is a challenge to get developers to build obtainable or attainable housing.

Krzeczunowicz noted previously there are 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.

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley does not see how a CountyDC fee would help with affordable housing, and believes it will only add to the cost of housing. He added the County was in the middle of developing a road study and would like to see that completed first before making a decision on the County DC matter. He does not think it’ll help get more housing established.

For more information on the matter, log onto www.countyofessex.ca/doing-business/planning-and-development/development-charges-initiative/

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

Members of Essex Council unanimously voted to postpone making a decision on the detailed design of Walnut Street in Harrow during the May 20 meeting.

Through the 2022 Capital Budget, Walnut Street South in Harrow is currently being designed for reconstruction. This will make improvements to the road and watermains.

Since this project is Council-driven, and considering the recent delegations to Council for vehicular movement and parking on Walnut Street South, Administration sought Council’s direction on the design of the roadway, David McBeth, Manager, Capital Works and Asset Management, explained.

T.Y. Lin International Canada was awarded this project at the same time as the Irwin Avenue reconstruction project in Essex Centre.

McBeth’s report details that this company has been working on the engineering design for Walnut Street South since 2024, which also includes the reconstruction of Murdoch Street off Walnut Street South.

Through inspection, McBeth told Council that sanitary and storm sewer infrastructure on Walnut Street are in good condition and do not require replacement. Only the watermain is required to be replaced.

Based on recent delegations to Council, regarding parking and driveway issues as it relates to semi-trucks making deliveries to Sanford and Son Supermarket, the Infrastructure Services Department wanted to solicit Council’s direction for the road design for Walnut Street. He presented three options.

• Option 1: Keep Walnut Street with a rural section, no curbs, conduct a full depth mill and pave, and construct a consistent granular shoulder for parking on the east-side of the road. This would cost an estimated $2.4M

• Option 2: Urbanize the road section, including a full reconstruction of the roadway from the granular base up, in order to install the concrete curbs. The roadway width would be kept the same way it is currently, which is six-meters. Parking would be eliminated. The estimated cost is $2.8M.

• Option 3: Urbanize the road section, with a full reconstruction and road-width of 7.9meters. This section would allow parking on the east-side, but would require relocating existing hydro poles on that side of the road. The estimated cost is $3.2M.

Administration recommended Option 1, which would allow the project to proceed based on the current five-year capital plan and possibility sooner, depending on the cost-estimate for final construction cost from the engineer.

According to his report, Option 1 would allow for this project to proceed in 2028.

In answering Mayor Sherry Bondy’s question on when the project could proceed based on Option 2 and 3, McBeth noted it is possible to proceed at the same time, but Council would have to allow the funds as they would cost more money.

There is the potential to reallocate some of the watermain funding and hot mix asphalt project money to help offset the cost of the overall capital project, and allow it to potentially proceed faster.

Councillor Rodney Hammond’s concern is getting the project done sooner rather than later. He said it is long overdue.

Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais asked why on this road the Town was not looking to bring it closer to its own standards? McBeth noted the original design was to move forward with Option 2. With current issues with parking and driveways, if curbs are installed down the road, the movement of the trucks will be impacted, so too could the neighbourhood.

McGuire-Blais was leaning towards Option 2, as it would bring the road back closer to the Town’s standards and could prevent delivery trucks driving onto people’s yards. The only negative would be the removal of the on-street parking. She asked how many residents park on the street currently.

Hammond, the Ward Rep, said the on-street parking is needed primarily during the Harrow Fair weekend. He saw value in Option 3 to get the project done correctly.

Garon agreed with McGuire-Blais. If the Town has a standard, it should stick to it. Councillor Kim Verbeek also supported Option 2 as it would improve stormwater management.

Councillor Jason Matyi would pick Option 3 with better stormwater management, curbs, and on-street parking. He called it a full plan.

Mayor Bondy noted Council could postpone making a decision for one meeting to get more public feedback.

McBeth added that not every road can be urbanized, based on grading, but this one could be.

Councillor Brad Allard asked about the location of the sidewalk. McBeth explained there is a sidewalk for a portion of the road on one-side. He added the location of the sidewalk is not 100% determined. He said Community Services had issues plowing the sidewalk adjacent to the Harrow Fairgrounds. The Town has approached the Harrow Fair Board about moving the fence back five-feet, but has not heard back yet. That would help determine what side the sidewalk would go on.

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley wanted to see the road get finished. He saw the value in postponing the decision, giving Council more time to connect with residents and take a site visit. He would like an indication of where the sidewalk would go.

CAO Kate Giurissevich explained that though the roads plan has been adopted, the budget has not. Each year, staff brings forward a list of roads, which could change depending on pricing.

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

“We all know what goes up, must come down,” Councillor Kim Verbeek said during the May 20 meeting, where Council for the Town of Essex provisionally adopted a By-Law amendment to include a ban on the release of balloons into the air.

An exemption includes if such balloons are naturally biodegradable balloons with nothing attached, like strings or ribbons.

The amendment will be made to the By-Law that prohibits the dumping or disposing of garbage, refuse, or domestic or industrial waste of any kind on property within the Town of Essex.

Final adoption will take place at a future Council meeting.

Discussion on the matter originally took place in April of 2024, where Council directed Administration to prepare a report to consider whether or not a By-Law prohibiting the release of latex and mylar helium balloons into the air in the Town of Essex should be passed.

Cory Simard, Manager of Legal, Licensing, and Enforcement, prepared a report on the matter that looked at the detrimental effects a balloon release can have on the environment and wildlife.

“Ensuring the preservation of the natural environment is of great importance to the Town of Essex,” Simard noted, adding several communities in Canada and the US have passed by-laws or policies restricting balloon releases.

Enforcement, he added, can be accomplished within the current practice of policing the by-law, as the Town’s By-Law Department already ensures compliance with it.

“Administration does, however, note by-laws – such as this one – can be challenging to enforce. Without an Enforcement Officer witnessing an offence, or a direct admission, there may not be enough evidence to lay a charge,” Simard said.

He added there is no negative financial impact expected as a result of passing this by-law amendment.

Harrow resident, Rachael Mills, spoke in favour of the by-law amendment.

“For me, it just doesn’t represent a ban on the release of balloons, but a step forward towards a cleaner, more considerate Essex together. It is building on values we already hold in Essex. The work of protecting our environment and community from litter isn’t new. The work of Essex residents [has] long cared about our environment, the farmland, the waterways, wildlife, and our neighbourhood.”

The By-Law amendment is a natural next step and in formalizing beliefs that celebration should not necessarily come at the cost of pollution and litter, she added.

She encouraged Essex to pass the by-law amendment, and suggested any fines collected be used to support community clean-ups, environmental initiatives, and youth programs to get them more involved. That way, the impact of enforcement can be turned into something positive.

Councillor Verbeek said the by-law amendment was exactly what she was hoping for last year, when she raised the issue via a Notice of Motion. At the time, Council supported her motion to direct Administration to prepare a report to consider whether or not Council should pass a By-Law prohibiting the release of latex and mylar helium balloons into the air in the Town of Essex.

She originally brought this forward as her son picks-up a lot of garbage and was finding a lot of balloons.

In looking into the matter, Verbeek said she learned balloon releases become more than just garbage in the community, they can have effects on waterways, damage machinery, and injure or even kill wildlife.

She was happy the by-law amendment was being presented before the warner months, before they are typically released in celebration of birthdays, graduations, memorials, funerals, and special events.

There are other ways to celebrate, Verbeek said. “Now we’ve learned better, so we can do better.”

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley noted when the discussion on this matter originally came forward, he didn’t support it as he saw it more of a feel-good motion. He still believes that, and that it will be very hard to enforce, but supported it. He believes creating educational pieces is the important part in moving forward, so members of the public understand the reasons to find alternative ways to celebrate.

Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais agreed, and hoped the Town would educate the public on the matter. She saw that as the key to success. She suggested putting together packages for schools and funeral homes, and other organizations that may know of balloon releases, in addition to creating social media posts.

Joe Malandruccolo, Director of Legal and Legislative Services, noted staff did plan to provide public education on the matter.

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

Administration for the Town of Essex will provide a report on how the municipality could incorporate employment positions through Community Living Essex County’s (CLEC) employment programs.

That report will also look into hiring at least one individual through the Youth in Action position for this summer, using the 2025 Council Contingency dollars, and outline a job description and cost.

Council moved that resolution at the May 20 Essex Council meeting.

CLEC – a local organization providing supports to over 700 individuals of all ages with intellectual disabilities and their families – attended the March 3 Essex Council meeting, asking the Town of Essex to explore hiring opportunities through its employment programs.

At the time, Essex’s administration was directed to develop a plan on how the municipality could fulfill CLEC’s request by reporting back with recommendations.

Town staff has identified opportunities to create a few positions to support Community Living Essex County’s (CLEC) Career Compass and Youth in Action: Summer Work Experience programs.

The Career Compass program is its modernized employment service providing direction to its job-seeking clients in search for meaningful employment and guiding employers in inclusive hiring. The Youth in Action: Summer Work Experience program provides students who have an intellectual disability the opportunity to find meaningful part-time employment opportunities in their communities, and demonstrate community leadership in inclusive hiring practices.

Brandi Sieben, Essex’s Manager of Human Resources, noted two positions in connection with CLEC’s Career Compass have been identified – a casual arena attendant and crossing guard.

The Town of Essex will begin recruiting for casual arena attendants in August, just before the hockey and skating season kicks-off.

In terms of the Youth in Action: Summer Work Experience, Town of Essex positions that may fit this criteria have already been filled for 2025, Sieben explained. At this time, there were no summer positions identified as an appropriate match, due to safety considerations and driving requirements.

Jobs postings are listed towards the end-of-December and close mid-January. The summer student program hosted through the Town is a competitive program, coinciding with Canada Summer Jobs.

In speaking to administration, there is belief there are some tasks that could be pulled together to create another part-time position that would allow for the Town to partner with CLEC, while providing meaningful work for a local youth with intellectual disabilities. This additional position could be presented to Council as part of the 2026 Budget.

Tammy Dalgleish, Employment Specialist for CLEC, appeared as a delegate at the meeting, explaining the organization is appreciative of the review of the municipal roles that may align with the Career Compass initiatives and the potential for Youth in Action positions.

Dalgleish explained Lakeshore has hired three permanent positions since 2019, and multiple Youth in Action positions. In addition, Amherstburg has hired one permanent position since 2017 and has hired Youth in Action applicants, including six for this coming summer across multiple departments. Leamington hired one permanent position in 2013, and will hire two Youth in Action positions this summer.

The Youth in Action program is a minimum commitment of four-hours per week for six-weeks, Dalgleish noted. “It is a very small commitment [of] 24-hours over the summer.”

She added many CLEC job seekers do have drivers’ licences. In terms of safety concerns, she relayed that those with disabilities have much lower rates of accidents and injury, compared to the general public, and was happy to provide the stats with Council and staff.

Over the years, Dalgleish said she has been involved with many conversations and meetings with the Town of Essex on this matter. Support has been expressed many times. There has been commitment made, but no hires have happened to date. She is happy the conservation is ongoing, and hopeful this renewed interest may lead to meaningful action.

The previous week, CLEC hosted its annual Mayor’s Luncheon, where local dignitaries from across the region heard of many success stories in collaborating with Career Compass, including increased morale, productivity, and customer satisfaction.

At the luncheon, Mayor Sherry Bondy said she was embarrassed the Town of Essex does not have one of these positions.

“We are in a position of leadership in the community, and if we cannot hire [inclusively], then how do we expect anybody else to do that,” Bondy said, noting she would like more from the Town of Essex to attend that annual luncheon. “I think it will help make a difference in this workplace.”

Bondy did not want to wait until 2026 to hire someone through CLEC’s employment programs.

“I don’t want to catch-up, I want to be a leader,” she said. “We need to create a sense of belonging in the municipality of Essex.

She moved to direct Administration to provide a report on how the Town of Essex could incorporate employment positions through CLEC’s employment programs, and look into hiring at least one individual through the Youth in Action position for this summer, using the 2025 Council Contingency dollars to do so. That will outline a job description and cost.

Bondy noted the Council Contingency Fund has not been earmarked for anything else yet this year. There is $15,000 in this fund that Council can use to fund unexpected matters throughout the budget year.

Councillor Joe Garon agreed with many of Bondy’s points, but wanted to ensure the job was created first to ensure a candidate can successfully fulfil those duties. The Town has to consider its union labour agreements, too, as that was also identified as something that needs to be considered before creating a new position during the discussion.

In answering Councillor Kim Verbeek’s question on job coaching through CLEC, Dalgleish explained CLEC works with the employer and employee until the person gets to know their jobs well and can work independently. The employee works with the employer and CLEC ongoing.

Verbeek spoke of her son who participated in the Youth in Action program for three summers, and how it provided him confidence, independence, strength, and growth.

“These kids are waiting on pins and needles to get a job,” Verbeek said. She worried about how the clock may run out to hire for the summer before a report can come back.

Councillor Jason Matyi would like the report to include possibly looking at two Youth in Action positions.

Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais would also like the report to highlight how other municipalities are able to hire around their own union agreements. She liked the direction the matter was going.

Councillor Rodney Hammond would also like the report to highlight unanticipated costs to the municipalities, in case mistakes are made by the employees through this program. Verbeek noted it would be unlikely anyone in these positions through Career Compass would cost the municipality anything additional.

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley owns a small business and has had positive experience hiring through this program.

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

The history of newspapers in the Town of Essex is one that goes back to 1879; a time where the small village was growing, even predating Essex Centre receiving town status in 1890.

In those early days, the newspaper ran under the various titles – including The Essex Centre Chronicle and The Essex Liberal – before being established as the Essex Free Press around 1889. It remained under the ownership of the Brett family from 1896 to 2011, a legacy in literature that lived nearly115-years.

At this point in time, the Essex Free Press was merged with the former Essex Voice. The Essex Free Press continues to be operated by London Publishing.

The archives – consisting of actual printed copies of the newspaper dating as far back as 1875 – have been shelved at the Essex Free Press office as time went one, with each week’s edition being added to the massive and continuously growing collection.

Knowing the importance of preserving this invaluable record of local history, the Essex Free Press recently donated this impressive collection to the University of Windsor Leddy Library’s Archives & Special Collections unit, where they will be housed in a climate-controlled facility that has to meet all sorts of international standards for preservation. The Essex Voice’s archived hardcopies were also donated to the collection.

Those editions that need extra protection will further be stored in archival boxes.

Historians wanting access to them will be able to do so by setting up a time, and viewing them onsite.

In addition, there are plans to scan the copies to fill in gaps and replace scans that were done for the online INK newspaper project, which has been offline for a year and Art Rhyno is working to reinstate.

For Rhyno, Systems Librarian at the University of Windsor, this was a passion project on his mind for many years, as the former co-owner of the Essex Free Press with his wife, Laurie Brett, who was also the Editor and Publisher.

Rhyno has been a volunteer with the Our Digital World project for some time, a non-profit dedicated to helping create digital collections of local history that inherited the INK system from a provincial project.

“These are such a great source of history,” Rhyno said of newspapers. “They are really important to preserve, because there is lots of content in those papers that doesn’t exist anywhere else. They are the only source for lots of critical information.”

Many community newspapers in Ontario have been microfilmed, but it is not a great medium for working with newspapers. “The problem is, if you lose the paper, all that you have left is the microfilm. But if you have the paper, it means you have the option to review it in a better format as time goes on.”

The Essex Free Press was microfilmed previously, but Rhyno noted there are entire reels that are tough to read. His hope is to redo a lot of it and fill in the digital gap through scanning them. The hope is this digital copy will be accessible to the public eventually.

The Essex Free Press, in particular, is a historic newspaper that has a very long history, Rhyno said, adding the paper is in relatively good shape for a community newspaper of that vintage.

“It is a good opportunity to put it into a safe place,” Rhyno said. “My hope is that it’ll be around long after we are long gone.”

Hands down, the Essex Free Press is the best resource that exists for local history, he added.

Most of the papers in the archive are bound by year in book-style. The book of newspaper copies for the year 1923, is, however, missing. Rhyno noted that someone borrowed it in the 1970s and never returned it. He hopes someone in the community will find the large book at home, recognize it, and return it, so it can complete the collection.

“It has got to be sitting in someone’s basement or attic,” he said.

That is the only gap in the record in which he is aware.

Ultimately, Rhyno hopes as many community newspapers can be preserved as possible.

“I don’t think anyone is funding that right now in Canada at the level it needs. I am convinced that this is the last chance to get a lot of these collections.”

He hopes other universities and public libraries do the same with their own community newspaper.

The Archives & Special Collections unit jumped into action to gather the Kingsville Reporter collection, when it closed in 2020.

Leddy Library’s Archivist, Dr. Sarah Glassford, gave Rhyno a lot of credit for the acquisition of the Essex Free Press archive.

She noted the newspapers are currently being stored in the storage vault, where staff will be able to look through the collection and determine the earliest and latest copies included.

The paper upon which newspapers are printed is typically delicate material to work with. There is a need to be cautious not to flake any portions off, as any damaged piece could contain content and information that too would become lost.

Staff will also assess the condition of the papers, then figure out if archival boxes or a paper wrap is needed to assist with preservation.

If the environmental conditions are controlled, and physical damage is prevented, Glassford noted the papers should be fine for hundreds of years.

Then, staff will look to see if every issue has been included, and if any are missing. Once that is completed, that information will be added to the library catalogue and WorldCat, a global library catalogue.

From there, Glassford said better images can be made of the hardcopies as they exist. In the long-term, the hope is to digitize the collection and make it available in a better copy and online. That will take some time and resources to do.

She spoke of the importance in preserving print and hardcopies, so they can be digitized in the future as technology improves.

In speaking of students on campus, Glassford noted there is a real value and wonder in engaging with physical items of the past as they live in a digital world.

Glassford noted Leddy Library Head Librarian Selinda Berg values the role that the University of Windsor can play in community heritage preservation. She is thrilled to welcome the Essex Free Press archive to its collection.

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

Members of Essex County Council learned of the corporation’s work force composition, recruitment and retention, employee development, labour-relations, and health and safety measures, when it received the 2024 Human Resources Annual Service Report during the regular meeting on May 7.

This annual document reflects how the department is supporting a high-performing, future-ready workforce.

As of December 31, 2024, the County employed 778 staff members, of which 542 were in full-time positions and 236 working part-time. Employees are represented across several union groups, Gary Filiatrault, Human Resources Business Partner, outlined in his report to County Council.

The average age of County employees is 42, and the average tenure is 10-years.

“This speaks to a highly experienced workforce, but also highlights the need for robust succession planning and ongoing leadership development,” he added.

The County has a goal of being an employer with impact, Filiatrault, commented, adding when it comes to recruitment and retention, the strategic goal is to focus on Team Essex County for results.

In 2024, the County posted 138-positions, and received over 8200 applications, 92% of which were submitted externally. Internal movement, he added, remains strong with over 650 internal applications for those roles.

Retention rates at the two, five, and ten-year milestones remain stable.

“This gives us confidence in the long-term engagement of our employees and helps identify departments that may benefit from targeted retention strategies,” Filiatrault added.

In 2024, voluntary resignation decreased by 40% in each of the last two-years.

In the past year, 46 employees were approved for tuition reimbursement, “demonstrating a strong interest in further education and skill building.”

In answering Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers about the specifics on the tuition reimbursement, Filiatrault explained there is an annual availability of $2000 for each full-time employee who has worked for the County for a minimum of one-year. He added there is a payback component if they leave the County of Essex under certain guidelines.

The County’s HR Department is in the process of developing a formal Employee Development Program and Recruitment Strategy that integrates onboarding, continuous learning, and succession planning.

Last year, Filiatrault detailed, the County ratified three collective agreements. There are two agreements expiring in 2025 and three in 2026. In 2024, 44 grievances were filed, 19 of which have been resolved while a few are in a holding pattern. The rest were from the previous years.

Ensuring the health and safety of employees is a top priority, Manager of Corporate Health and Safety, Brady Boghean, said. “It is how we protect our team members and reduce risk.”

Last year, he added, the County updated 15 policies, delivered hands-on training, and conducted emergency drills.

“Training is a cornerstone of our approach, from health and safety awareness to leadership-focused programs, we are making sure every employee knows how to work safely,” Boghean said.

In 2025, Boghean added County staff will continue to work together to provide a healthy and safe work environment for County of Essex employees.

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

Essex County Council supported expanding the scope of work for Sun Parlor Home’s Comprehensive Analysis and Feasibility Study, and added a Service Delivery Review during the May 7 meeting.

In order to do so, County Council had to approve funding up to $140,000 from the Rate Stabilization Reserve, if necessary.

Bessant Pelech Associates Inc. will expand the Comprehensive Analysis and Feasibility Study, and further complete the Service Delivery Review.

County Council is the Committee of Management for this long-term care home in Leamington that has 206 beds.

County CAO Sandra Zwiers explained that last year, County Council approved moving ahead with the Comprehensive Analysis and Feasibility Study for Sun Parlour Home. When the County completed its Asset Management Plan update, condition ratings of all County-owned facilities and corporate assets were completed, including Sun Parlour Home.

According to Essex Free Press files, in July of 2024, County Council was presented three options on what to do with Sun Parlour Home:

• Redeveloping the building would include modifications like widening doorways, replacing windows, and upgrading lighting systems and competing retrofits necessary to address inadequate square footage for a total estimated cost of $2.7 million.

• Building a brand-new home is estimated to cost around $500,000 per bed and does not include land acquisition.

•Maintaining the status quo and completing renovations and upgrades as needed would avoid immediate capital expenditure, but poses long-term financial and operational risks, due to increasing maintenance and compliance costs.

Upgrades, County Council was warned, must meet current standards set in 2015, often requiring mores pace.

Even if County Council decided to maintain the status quo, not enough money is being set aside for the capital projects that will be needed going forward, Jayne Brooks-Keller, Administrator for Sun Parlour Home, warned last year.

At that time, Council for the County of Essex authorized Administration to continue exploring options to redevelop Sun Parlor Home by engaging a consultant. It also received a Building Condition Assessment for information.

A report to County Council at the time noted there was $252,262 in reserve for Sun Parlour Home at the end of 2023, utilized for capital asset requirements. The targeted investment rate is 2.19%, while the County is investing only 0.17%.

“We know we need to take a deeper dive on the facility itself, in terms of what is the future life and vision for Sun Parlour Home as a facility.” Zwiers said at the May 7 meeting, adding it is currently not operating under current provincial standards for long-term care.

It is compliant currently, but under older building standards. Any renovations trigger new standards, “which is problematic, concerning the size and scale of our home and some certain limitations,” Zwiers said.

“We need to look forward to what does a new home look like. Are we redeveloping the current site, are we building at a new site?” Zwiers asked. All questions required the expertise of an external consultant.

Doing so was included in the 2025 Budget, but estimated at $50,000.

The County competitively tendered the work and received no bids, she told Council. Zwiers noted that in speaking with the market the County did not have a high enough budget for the scope of work.

Bessant Pelech Associates Inc. estimated the work to be around $107,000, plus taxes and incidentals.

“We do feel the need to move forward with this valuable work,” Zwiers said. The cost of a new long care bed home – with the number of beds the County is envisioning – is upwards of a $100M investment.

That number was much smaller pre-pandemic. Like with all construction estimates, it ballooned.

Though the cost of the report was significant, Zwiers believes it is worth it in determining whether to redevelop or build new.

Tied in with that, Zwiers spoke of the importance of conducting a Service Delivery Review, as well. A previous report conducted in 2018 did not provide specifics on the roles and responsibilities of all job functions at the home.

Administrators, leadership, and frontline staff from the home want clarity on their roles, Zwiers said.

Bessant Pelech Associates Inc. also has expertise in that field, and Zwiers recommended a sole source assignment due to the integration of work it will do on the feasibility Study. The Service Delivery Review is expected to cost $60,000, plus taxes.

With the $50,000 set aside in the budget, the overage of the two reports of up to $140,000 will come from the Rate Stabilization Reserve in 2025, so the projects could commence as soon as possible.

Ideally, the County will be able to use surpluses before drawing from the Rate Stabilization Reserve.

In addition, Essex County Council received a report detailing Sun Parlor Home’s Declaration of Compliance for 2024 as information.

Information on the matter notes the Long-Term Care Service Accountability Agreement between Ontario Health West and the Corporation of the County of Essex requires an annual Declaration of Compliance indicating that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, Sun Parlor Home has fulfilled its obligation under the Service Accountability Agreement.