Windsor Salt strike comes to an end, second tornado hits region, advisory issued for LGBTQ2S+ travellers heading to U.S.: Top Windsor stories this week

Tentative agreement reached after 192-day Windsor Salt strike, a second tornado confirmed in the region, and a Windsor man applauds the Canadian government’s move to issue a travel advisory for LGBTQ2S+ travellers heading to U.S.

Here’s a look at the top stories on ctvnewswindsor.ca this week.

Windsor Salt workers ratify new collective agreement, ending strike

Windsor Salt workers returned to the picket line in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 after a deal was rejected. (Michelle Maluske/CTV News Windsor)

After 192 days on strike, a new tentative agreement has been ratified between Windsor Salt and its employees, the president of Unifor Local 1959 said on Sunday.

On Aug. 24, a Facebook post by Unifor locals 240 and 1959 said they had reached a tentative contract. On Sunday, a tentative agreement was ratified between Windsor Salt and its employees, according to President of Unifor Local 1959 Bill Wark.

There are three units of workers at the mine, and all three units voted in favour of the new deal.

The Ojibway Mine ratified a new collective agreement with production employees voting 69 per cent voting in favour.

'I heard it, and it shook the house': Another tornado confirmed in the region

Drone view of collapsed barn with debris tossed into the field, Lakeshore Road 103. (Source: Northern Tornadoes Project)

A second tornado has been confirmed following storms that blasted the region on Aug. 24.

According to the Northern Tornadoes Project out of Western University, the investigation concluded that an EF1 tornado with winds upwards of 145 km/h caused damage in Tecumseh and Lakeshore.

Friends and family were helping Tecumseh resident Barbara Saxson clear her property of debris on Monday. Saxson said she wasn’t surprised when the tornado was confirmed.

“I heard it, and it shook the house,” Saxson said. “So I ran out and I said, what's going on? And everyone looked at me like I was a little crazy. And then they saw it. So yeah, it was immense.”

COVID-19 outbreak declared at Windsor Regional Hospital

Windsor Regional Hospital Ouellette Campus in Windsor, Ont. on Monday, June 19, 2023. (Rich Garton/CTV News Windsor)

Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) has confirmed an outbreak of COVID-19 on its 7th floor medical unit at the Ouellette Campus.

A total of 10 patients have tested positive for COVID-19 on the unit. Eight of the 10 patients were symptomatic, while two patients were asymptomatic.

Visitors are being asked to comply with their mandatory masking requirement, as well as take further protective measures such as wearing gowns where required, to help protect patients, staff, and other visitors.

Canada's advisory for LGBTQ2S+ travellers heading to U.S. long overdue, says Windsor man

Shaun Gereghty is seen in Windsor, Ont. on Aug. 30, 2023. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

It's been seven years since Shaun Gereghty has crossed the land border from Windsor to Detroit — and he said past experiences in the U.S. have left him with no desire to change that anytime soon.

"My very first experience with gunfight was outside of a gay bar in Detroit," he said.

He's applauding a move from the Canadian government to issue a travel advisory for LGBTQ2S+ travellers, advising them to exercise caution when visiting the United States.

The travel advisory, which was quietly added to the federal government's website this week, reads: "Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons. Check relevant state and local laws."

$165,000 in drugs and a gun seized in Windsor and Lakeshore

Drugs and gun seized in Windsor, Ont., and Lakeshore, Ont. (Source: Windsor police)

Windsor police have arrested three suspects and seized over $165,000 in illicit drugs and a firearm from homes in east Windsor and Lakeshore.

On Aug. 30, members of the Emergency Services Unit executed Controlled Drugs and Substances Act search warrants at a home in the 1800 block of Albert Road in Windsor as well as at a residence on Regina Street in Lakeshore.

The searches followed a multi-month investigation by the Drugs and Guns Enforcement Unit (DIGS) into a suspected drug network with links to a Hamilton street gang.

During their search, officers seized over 661 grams of fentanyl, 50 tablets of Percocet, a small amount of crystal methamphetamine, and over 394 grams of an unknown substance believed to be a cutting agent. Officers also recovered a 9mm firearm, 55 rounds of ammunition, $2,185 in cash, and five cellular phones.