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Heritage agreement approved regarding former high school By Ron Giofu
RTT PHOTO BY FRED GROVES
A rally was held outside the Essex County Civic Centre Aug. 5 to support staff with Essex-Windsor EMS.
Rally held for Essex-Windsor EMS staff By Fred Groves
A rally was held outside the Essex County administrative offices last Wednesday as an estimated 200 supporters rallied to support the Essex-Windsor EMS paramedics. Contract negotiations between CUPE Local 2974 have come to a standstill and many of those who attended the rally were upset that talks are not moving forward. A strike date has now been set for Oct. 5 at 12 a.m. “We are already short medics and short cars. We go into Code Black just one time and it’s too much,” said retired trauma nurse Darlene Dessario of LaSalle. Code Black is when there are no ambulances available in the region and it occurred at least once very recently. Forty years ago, Dessario trained to be a paramedic in Amherstburg and her signs including those on her car got a lot of attention. “I am doing this to support my brothers and sisters,” she said.
CUPE 2974 represents 340 paramedics who have been without a contract since May 8. While supporters, including those from Unifor, rallied out on the front lawn, union president James Jovanovic was inside trying to hammer out a deal with the county. “The support is overwhelming. I walked out of the building a little frustrated trying to process what just happened and saw the support,” he said. An Essential Ambulance Service Agreement was approved last month by the Ontario Labour Relations Board that could lead to a 20 per cent service reduction. Jovanovich told reporters that the union had moved substantially from their previous position in order to get a deal reached last Wednesday. “We tried to move on the sticking points to get a deal done today. Not only did they counter with a deal that’s not agreeable, but they’ve reversed course on one of the two key items of negotiations that they previously agreed to since Day 2 of bargaining,” he alleged.
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A heritage easement agreement has been finalized and approved allowing the Valente Development Corporation to proceed with the project at the former General Amherst High School. The mixed use residential and commercial project at 130 Sandwich St. S. can move forward now that Amherstburg town council has approved a bylaw formally entering the town into a heritage easement agreement with the development group. At the April 13 meeting, town council voted to proceed with a Notice of Intention to Designate the property, with murals and the facade of specific interest. There were more smiles Monday night as the new agreement now allows the company to proceed. The agreement puts in writing the provisions to dismantle and reconstruct 1922 and 1951 southfacing facades on the former high school as well as save six of the nine murals along Laird Ave. with the three that are being removed to be commemorated or reinterpreted on the site. Peter Valente, president of the Valente Development Corporation, was happy town council arrived at the decision it did and that the agreement was approved. “I’m happy it went the way it did,” he said. Valente said he was pleased that there is certainty as to what has to be done to protect the heritage aspects of the building. He said the heritage easement agreement prevents any future disagreements with council or committees. “It gives us certainty and we can budget accordingly,” he said.
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