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Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Windsor won’t renew cop deal, town studies options By Ron Giofu
The policing issue has once again risen to the forefront almost six years after the Town of Amherstburg turned to Windsor for service. The City of Windsor has informed the Town of Amherstburg it is ending the current policing contract past the current five-year segment. Town council discussed it during an in-camera meeting Monday evening and came out of it with several recommendations, including looking at combining with other local services or bringing back the Amherstburg Police Service. As part of the report out from the in-camera session, Mayor Michael Prue said town council has directed administration to formally advise the City of Windsor
the town wishes to have discussions regarding the policing contract post Dec. 31, 2028. Amherstburg will also seek to meet with the Town of LaSalle to discuss the potential of a partnership or a contract for service with its police service post-2028. The town will also “conduct further investigation into the approximate cost” of the OPP providing service in town. The town will also prepare an “order of magnitude costing” of re-establishing the Amherstburg Police Service. There will also be an investigation of the possibility of a regional county police service. Prue said a report from CAO Valerie Critchley regarding the the policing agreements with Windsor will be released in its entirety. The Amherstburg mayor also read the letter sent by Windsor to Amherstburg during Monday night’s town council meeting that the current
contract with Windsor police will not be renewed past Dec. 31, 2028. The significance of what Amherstburg town council has agreed to means “the town has to act fairly expeditiously,” he told reporters outside of council chambers. Prue left the door open for renegotiation of the contract with Windsor but “I’m not going to be held hostage.” Prue added Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens helped negotiate the original deal. “It was his deal,” said Prue. “If he doesn’t like it, he can only look at himself.” Every time the policing costs rose in Windsor, they also rose in Amherstburg, Prue said. “Now (Dilkens) is saying he’s not making enough money.”
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Amherstburg’s Coldest Night of the Year sees more walkers, money By Ron Giofu Over 140 walkers hit the streets of Amherstburg over the weekend for the local Coldest Night of the Year walks. The fifth annual Amherstburg’s Coldest Night of the Year (ACNOY) was Saturday evening and based out of the Amherstburg Community Hub, where The House Youth Centre is located. Proceeds from the event, which as of press time had raised $37,198 or 74 per cent of the $50,000 goal, will go to The House. Amy Bailey, a volunteer board member with The House and chair of the fund development committee, said it was “pretty special” to see so many people in attendance this year. The Coldest Night of the Year organization chose Amherstburg and, in particular The House, as they have a goal of aiding causes such as mental health, hunger and homelessness.
Participants in Amherstburg’s Coldest Night of the Year leave from the Amherstburg Community Hub and walk down Victoria St. S. last Saturday evening. Despite the walk itself being over, donations are still being collected for The House Youth Centre through March 31.
The House is seen as a “preventative measure” to help ward off those things. “We want to make sure we provide a place for young people to go,” said Bailey.
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The theme for this year’s Coldest Night of the Year was “Change the Tune” with the aim of changing “the tune” for those suffering from mental health, hunger and homelessness.
Bailey noted that compared to walk night last year, there were 22 teams with 27 participating this year. Walkers went from 124 last year to 143 this year.
Continued on Page 8
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