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Showing posts from 2019

Ward 2 Public Meeting and Other Updates

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Friends, Ward 2 Public Meeting Just a reminder that the Ward 2 Public Meeting is October 10th at 6:30pm at the Church of the Ascension at University and McKay. I will share an update on some progress made over the year, some challenges, and a vision for our future. Looking forward to seeing you there. If you can't make it, no worries, it should be published on facebook via the City of Windsor page. Bedford United Church Annual Turkey Dinner Saturday, October 26, 2019 between 5pm and 7pm. Adults: $14.00, Children 6 to 12: $7.00. Takeout available as well. Sandwich Community Improvement Plan On Monday, Council passed an amendment to the Sandwich Community Improvement Plan (CIP) to allow for more incentives for the CIP. It will now go through a consultation phase and will come back to council for final approval. I've been fighting for more incentives since becoming a City Councillor to encourage more investments in residential homes and to encourage a new grocery sto

Community Benefits for Sandwich Town

Friends, June 14th was a significant day for Sandwich Town. The Gordie Howe Bridge Community Benefits were announced and Sandwich will benefit with millions of investment in infrastructure, parks and community projects. The announcement was also a testament to the hard work & advocacy of many that ensured Sandwich Town was a priority in this significant investment. Lastly, a big shoutout to the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority for truly engaging our community in the process. Looking forward to the roll out of these investments over the next several years. For more on the community benefits, visit the link below: https://www.gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com/en/community-benefits-section

Mill Street Park Bathrooms Reopened

Friends, Great news. The washrooms located in the windmill at Mill St. Park are reopened after being closed for 5 years. We were also able to get some garbage receptacles installed in the park due to increased usage of the waterfront. Fabio

Traffic Complaints

Friends, I've received several calls and emails surrounding traffic enforcement, especially around Huron Church. Please see a detailed response (below) from Inspector Randall of the Windsor Police. There is a streamlined approach to tackle these complaints that I think will be beneficial for our community. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions. Fabio "Good afternoon City Councillors, From time to time, the Windsor Police Service receives Traffic Complaints from citizens, ranging from speeders, Huron Church truck traffic, and stop sign violators to unsafe lane changes. In most cases, citizens request  Special Attention  to their neighbourhoods for this erratic, aggressive, and sometimes dangerous driving. Many of these traffic complaints are received, via telephone, by members of the Patrol Support Unit (Traffic Enforcement Branch) or the Patrol Response Staff Sergeant, while others are received by way of correspondence with members of

Let's Continue the Conversation

Friends, If you have time, stop by the Bake Shoppe at 6pm on July 4th, located on Sandwich St. at the Corner of Sandwich and Detroit. Residents have organized a small neighbourhood gathering to discuss issues and ideas that affect the west end. The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority will also be present to discuss the newly released Community Benefits. This is the first of several neighbourhood meetings that we intend to have throughout the west end to keep the conversation going. Community engagement is vital as we continue our work in neighbourhood renewal. Hope to see you soon! Fabio

City Updates - May 18, 2019

Friends, I have several updates since my last blog post. Let's get to it. Council Meeting - May 6, 2019 At our Council meeting on May 6th, 3 applications came before Council for rezoning. All three applications dealt with student housing. One on Russell St. by Brock, the second on Wyandotte W. by Rosedale, and the third on the 700 block of Rankin. These types of applications have been made and approved over the decades to accommodate student housing and affordable housing in general. All the while, we've never had a coordinated student housing strategy. For this reason, I asked that administration report back on a student housing strategy that looks at, among many things, concentrating student housing on campus (UofW and St. Clair College) and on arterial roads and streets that do not intrude on residential neighbourhoods. I also called for a review of property standards bylaws to increase enforcement and safety for all tenants. There will be more to come on this and I am

City Updates

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Friends, Below are some City Updates: Items 1 and 2 From Les Amis Duff-Baby 1) St. John's Cemetery Clean-up If you attended the annual meeting, you heard Peter Berry talk about St. John's and the fascinating history connected with the cemetery.  In advance of the Questers International Conference being held in Windsor and the subsequent tours of the west end [we want to show off the west end and ensure that it looks its best!!!], we are inviting you join us on SATURDAY, APRIL 27th AT 11:00 a.m. at the cemetery for a couple of hours of yard clean-up.  We ask that you bring your own gardening gloves, rake and if you can spare it, a yard waste bag or two.  If the weather is inclement  , we'll pick another day. WE WILL DEFINITELY SEND OUT AN EMAIL if the event is cancelled, so if you're unsure, watch for it.   2) Jane's Walk: A Little Bite of Sandwich [History] First, an explanation for those of you who have never heard of a Jane's Walk:  http

Bedford United Church 2019 Ham Dinner

Friends, Bedford United Church is hosting its 2019 Ham Dinner on Saturday, April 27 from 5pm to 7pm. Adult cost: $13.00 Children (6 to 12 yrs old) cost: $6.00 Children under 6 eat FREE! Bedford United Church is located at 3340 Sandwich St. You can reach them directly at 519-256-1131. Regards, Fabio

City Council Updates

Friends, It's been a while since my last blog. Here are some updates from City Council: West End Transit Terminal Relocation Unfortunately, council voted in favour of the relocation of the west end transit terminal from College Ave. to Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital on Prince Rd. I advocated strongly in favour of keeping the terminal at College Ave but the majority of council did not see it that way. I will continue find ways to help mitigate congestion and speeding on Prince Rd. and work with administration in those efforts. We also need to hold administration to account to install more lighting at the College Ave location as a bus stop will still be there.  Black History Murals Council approved the relocation of our Black History Murals (formerly at West Side Foods) to Patterson Park. Once erected, the murals will be prominently displayed with lighting at nighttime. I am excited about this wonderful community project in sharing our history and heritage. 2019 Budget After a mar

West End Transit Terminal Relocation

Friends, on Monday (March 4th) City Council will decide whether to move the west-end transit terminal to Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare, or defer the decision to the Transit Master Plan currently in progress. A transit terminal will add over 100 buses to Prince Rd. and surrounding residential neighbourhoods that host 2 grade schools. All of our transit terminals are located in commercial/institutional areas except for this one. Would you want over 100 buses daily in and out of your neighbourhood? Please feel free to contact me or other city councillors as your opinion greatly matters. Fabio

City Council Meeting (02/04/19) and Upcoming Transit Board Meeting

Friends, City Council last met on February 4th. The agenda was relatively light but of note was the discussion surrounding our audit updates, and Councillor Morrison's Council Question requesting we look at an Auditor General model again. That report will come to council in the near future. On February 20th, the Environment, Transportation & Public Safety Standing Committee meets for the first time. Items 9.1 and 9.2 speak directly to the west end transit terminal relocation. A link to the agenda report is here: https://citywindsor.ca/cityhall/committeesofcouncil/Standing-Committees/Environment-Transportation-and-Public-Safety-Standing-Committee/Pages/Environment-Transportation-and-Public-Safety-Committee-Agenda.aspx If you would like to speak as a delegate, or alternatively write a letter to the committee expressing your perspective, you can do so by following the guidelines here: https://citywindsor.ca/cityhall/City-Council-Meetings/presentations-and-delegations/Pages/de

Les Amis Duff-Baby Heritage Week

Friends, Below is a message from Les Amis Duff-Baby Les Amis Duff-Bâby will cap off Heritage Week, this year, with a very special event.... When: Sunday, 24th February 2019 Time: 2 - 3:30pm Where: Duff-Bâby Interpretation Centre: 221 Mill St., Sandwich Author Guy St-Denis will be launching his new book, The True Face of Sir Isaac Brock. From Amazon: "A work of detailed scholarship and a fascinating detective story, The True Face of Sir Isaac Brock details the sometimes petty world of self-proclaimed guardians of the past, the complex process of identification and misidentification that often occurs even at esteemed Canadian institutions, and St-Denis' own meticulous work as he separates fact from fiction to finally reveal Brock's true face." The talk will be followed by a question and answer period, book signing and refreshments. This FREE event is open to the public and attendance will be capped at 40 people. If you would like to attend, you

Bedford United Church - Pasta Dinner

Friends, Bedford United Church is hosting a Pasta Dinner on Saturday, February 16th from 5pm to 7pm. Adults are $12 and children 6 - 12 are $6. Children under 6 are free. Bedford United is located at 3340 Sandwich Street. You can reach them at 519-256-1131. Regards, Fabio

City Council Meeting - 01/21/19

Friends, Last Monday, City Council held its 3rd meeting of the new term. Two items on the agenda were of particular importance. The first was a status report on our active transportation plan. Active transportation includes walking, cycling, and transit as a primary mode of travelling. We will receive a final report later this year but the status report was hopeful as it set out the goals and benchmarks of our active transportation. One goal was to increase city-wide active transportation to 25% (currently hovering around 10% or so) by 2041. To achieve this ideal, the plan called for a breakdown of active transportation between neighbourhoods in our City. In the inner city, active transportation would go up to 45%, whereas in the newer developed neighbourhoods, active transportation would go up to only 13%. The reason? Inner city neighbourhoods (west-end, downtown, etc.) are better built to allow for active transportation infrastructure. It begs the question, why are we not building o

Community Benefits Meeting - Monday, January 21 at 7pm

Friends, There will be a meeting this Monday at Cardinal Place regarding community benefits. Please take a look at the email and link below from Sarah Morris, the Windsor Essex Community Benefits Coalition Coordinator. I also have flyers in my office regarding the event. Hey Fabio,  This Monday, January 21st, at 7:00 PM, the Coalition will be hosting a neighbourhood meeting at Cardinal Place (3140 Peter St) all about Community Benefits and the new Gordie Howe International Bridge. The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority will be there to answer questions, update folks on the Bridge and Community Benefits process, and hand out their survey.  Would you be able to share this event?  https://www.facebook. com/events/575706909559582/ I will be around Sandwich this afternoon with some flyers and handouts.  Thank you so much!  Sarah Morris, Coordinator

Feedback Wanted on Sandwich Town Murals!

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NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 11, 2019 Feedback Wanted on Sandwich Town Murals Windsor’s Culture department is looking for feedback on a series of Sandwich Town murals. The 16 murals honouring significant black leaders in our community were originally exhibited along the exterior wall of a grocery store on Sandwich Street. However, the grocery store has since been sold, and the murals were removed and placed in storage for safekeeping. The City of Windsor is looking for the community’s feedback on how to proceed. Take our Sandwich Murals Survey This survey will be available for comments until February 11, 2019.  Two open houses will also be held: Wednesday January 23, 2019 from 5 pm to 7 pm and again on Saturday February 2, 2019 from 10 am to noon.  Both open houses will take place at the Mackenzie Hall  Cultural Centre, 3277 Sandwich Street.   We invite you to discuss your thoughts and opinions with administration. Should you have any questi

Council Meeting / Howe Bridge Overpass / Sandwich Town BIA AGM

Friends, Please see some updates below: City Council Meeting - 01/07/19 City Council met on Monday, January 7th and approved funding for several Business Improvement Districts in our community, including Sandwich Town and Wyandotte Ave. W. The funds total approximately $40,000.00 for both districts, but there may be some changes in the funds allocated to Wyandotte Ave W. depending on any cost fluctuations as the projects get rolled out. Items such as benches, bicycle racks and waste receptacles will be added to Sandwich St. and Wyandotte Ave. W. All funds were provided for by the ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPALITIES OF ONTARIO (AMO) Main Street Revitalization Initiatives Fund which is a provincial body, and all items should be installed by the end of summer, 2019. This is a one time grant from AMO and no City dollars will be used for this capital outlay. Howe Bridge Overpass Ojibway Parkway will be closed periodically over the next month. A quote from the Windsor Star: "One