Windsor mayor asks local candidates to pledge support for five key priorities

Windsor, Ont. -

From healthcare and flooding funding to protecting Ojibway Shores, Windsor’s mayor is asking candidates in the upcoming federal election to pledge support to five key municipal issues.

Dubbed “Platform 4 Windsor,” Mayor Dilkens is encouraging candidates of all political stripes to affirm support for high-priority issues facing the city, including:

Health Care Funding: The new acute care hospital will need $2 billion in funding, which is coming from a provincial pot of money. But the mayor hopes the federal government will increase the federal health transfer to ensure the money exists to get the hospital fully funded and built.

Reimagining Adie Knox Herman Recreation Complex: The city has applied to the Green & Inclusive Community Buildings Program for $13 million to build the reimagined Adie Knox Herman rec complex. If that money is unlocked the city would fund an additional $29 million towards the renovation of the site.

Future of Automotive: It’s something local officials have been demanding for quite some time, but now that the future of automotive looks to be in a green transition, calls for an auto-strategy are being renewed. The mayor wants to secure investments in EV manufacturing facilities in Windsor and believes the strategy is required for investment attraction.

Ojibway Park Complex: The mayor has been clear on Ojibway Shores: transfer the property from the Ministry of Transport to Parks Canada, and include it in plans for a national urban park in Windsor.

Flood Protection Funding: Recent applications to the federal disaster mitigation and adaptation fund have not been funded — the mayor is looking for $27-million towards the implementation of the sewer master plan.

“As mayor, my goal is to ensure that the key priorities for the City of Windsor are part of this year’s election debate,” says Mayor Dilkens.

The priorities, which have been endorsed by council “through unique debates are resolutions” are listed on a micro-site. The mayor plans to publicly post which candidates have pledged to support the issues so voters can stay informed about where they stand.

“These five items are vital for our city and I’m confident that every candidate for election can easily get behind these priorities as they seek your vote this campaign,” says Dilkens.

The federal election is scheduled for Sept. 20, 2021.