'It’s not the same as it used to be': concerns with Windsor’s downtown core
Having lived in Windsor’s downtown core for 30 years, Kyle Reid says he’s seen the area take a nosedive.
He says he’s reminded of it every night walking home from work.
“There’s needles, there’s people spinning out of control, they have no idea where they’re at. Constantly, every day. People sleeping in door ways. Defecating in doorways. I mean I have to take a bucket of water once a week and wash,” he says.
Reid was one of dozens to attend a town hall meeting at city hall Wednesday night.
The latest in a series of discussions curated by downtown councillor Renaldo Agostino. This time, focused on bolstering the tourism and hospitality sector.
“There's a lot of bright minds and I want to get all those minds together so we can have a frank discussion on the direction that we're going in moving forward post COVID,” says Agostino.
About half of those in the crowd Wednesday night were business owners, like Jim Arbour, who owns Lefty’s on Ouellette.
He says he’s appreciated a stronger police presence in the core as of late, but that’s not enough.
“I’ve been working downtown since 1991 and it’s not the same as it used to be,” said Arbour. “I know it never will be but there are some changes that need to be made.”
Physically cleaning up downtown was mentioned a lot at the town hall.
Everything from needles and human waste, to trash and unruly grass.
The councillor is encouraging all residents and business owners with issues to call 3-1-1 consistently, to make sure every complaint is recorded.
Agostino says the squeaky wheel gets the grease and hopefully it gets downtown rolling in the right direction.
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.
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.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
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.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
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.
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.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.