County mayors chime in as Stellantis stalemate continues
As the province and federal government spar over who will pay for the Nextstar Electric Vehicle (EV) Battery Plant in Windsor, the topic has not gone unnoticed by county mayors.
“I'm certainly concerned,” said Hilda MacDonald, mayor of Leamington and Windsor Essex County warden.
MacDonald is not the only mayor feeling uneasy about the stalemate that continues.
“When it comes to housing and development there were things that were really driving us over the next few years, so I think it's something we should all be a little concerned about at this time,” said LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche.
Stellantis wants the feds to live up to a promise to match support in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, like they did for Volkswagen in St. Thomas.
Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara said he has faith things will work out.
“They were all smiling when they signed on the dotted line on that particular agreement. Obviously things have changed with the IRA,” said McNamara who feels there's too much at stake and a deal to satisfy the IRA will be negotiated.
“It's no different than an employer and an employee negotiating a contract. At the end of the day, guess what. They all get back to work,” McNamara said.
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy is doing her best to stay calm, “I'm trying not to panic because I'm hoping it's going to be worked out. Sometimes there's these created crises.”
In the meantime, many of the county’s mayors said they will continue getting ready for the future.
“I'm gonna trust the process,” said Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers. “At the end of the day, we gotta just push to be ready. Conversation with our residents. Conversations with our local leaders and community groups.”
In early June, County Council will start working on a strategic plan for the region and preparing for industry is part of that plan.
MacDonald said County Council will support the City of Windsor during the stalemate.
“Support the city. Support the region. Absolutely. Whatever it takes. If we need to go to Ottawa we'll go to Ottawa. Whatever our friends and neighbours need from us we're there for them,” said MacDonald.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.