The president of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce is throwing his hat in the ring to become Windsor’s next mayor.
Matt Marchand announced his run for mayor on Tuesday morning.
“A new direction is needed for Windsor,” says Marchand. “We want to bring the community together for new ideas, transparency, accountability, and action.”
Marchand says his campaign slogan “Vision. Plan. Action.” demonstrates his vision for Windsor, and plan to bring the community together to make Windsor a better place for everyone, and the commitment to put those plans into action.
But Marchand did not offer specifics about what he would do if elected, or what he would stop if he became mayor.
Marchand, who was born and raised in Windsor, has led the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce for six years, winning five awards in five years from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce for community leadership and advocacy excellence.
This includes awards for their tiered membership program, advocacy on single sports betting, and partnering with the labour community to call for an auto strategy.
It's not clear what his candidacy will mean for his current job, a conversation Marchand says he still needs to have with the board of the chamber.
“I’m going to take a vacation over the next couple of weeks and I'm going to sort out our status when we get back,” says Marchand.
Dr. Janice Forsyth is stepping in as acting President and CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber released a statement saying “they are confident Janice will make a seamless transition into the role and continue to effectively serve the needs of members and the Windsor-Essex region.”
In 2014 and 2016, Marchand says he brought together business, labour, and academia for the Policy & Solutions Form, the latter of which was the basis for Canadian Auto Czar Ray Tanguay’s auto report, Drive to Win.
Marchand, who has 12 years of experience working in the City of Windsor’s mayor’s office for Mike Hurst, says he has long believed Windsor can be a better community in which to live and work if everyone comes together.
“Our next mayor needs to be a mayor for everyone,” says Marchand. “I believe in Windsor. I love this community and I know Windsor has great potential ready to be unlocked. This is reflected in the work I’ve taken on and will translate into my work as Mayor for the City of Windsor with Vision, Plan, and Action.”
There are three other candidates for Mayor of Windsor so far. They are Frank Dyck, Tom Hensel and Ernie Lamont.
Current Mayor Drew Dilkens has yet to announce his intentions.
The municipal election is Monday, Oct. 22.
