by Essex Free Press Staff photos submitted Knowing summer tends to be a dry time for donations, the Essex Region Goodfellows provided the four local food banks it supports each with an additional $5,000 donation. Annually, the Essex Region Goodfellows hosts the Newspaper and Corporate Donation Campaigns leading up to the holiday season. Thanks to the unwavering generosity of the community – and support from local volunteers and Firefighters – the Essex Region Goodfellows’ 2

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative An upgraded electrical user fee of $700 will be added to the 2027 Fees and Charges By-Law, Council for the Town of Essex decided during the July 20 meeting. This will cover the cost to have a certified electrician add the upgrade for boaters who require more electricity than the Town offers as its level of service. Staff recommended the user fee as part of the Fees and Charges By-Law for upgraded electrical use. Each dock, whe

by Essex Free Press Staff The Essex Minor Baseball Association (EMBA) gave all of its tee-ball and rookie players the opportunity to wrap up their season with a strong swing on Saturday by hosting the ultimate day of play, the Day of Champions. Taking over the Essex Center baseball diamonds, all of EMBA's rookie and tee-ball players stepped up to the plate in hopes of having their best performance of the season. The Day of Champions is an opportunity for all of EMBA’s y

- new plan will focus on thistle removal, conducting staggered grass maintenance, and enhancing the naturalization of the area with wildflowers and native grasses – by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative After walking along the South Talbot Road naturalized strip on the evening of Sunday, July 19 with fellow municipal decision-makers and residents, Mayor Sherry Bondy received Council support to rescind the motion she originally presented at the July 6 meeting, and

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Ninety-five years ago, the Essex Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 201) began its service of supporting, thanking, and recognizing Veterans at 15 members strong. Thanks to the recognition the organization has earned locally for all of the work its members do to help Veterans and assist the community, it now has over 300 members. 2026 is a milestone year for the Royal Canadian Legion and the Essex Legion. This year, the

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Council for the Town of Essex has decided what to do with the $21.9M in proceeds it received through the 2025 sale of E.L.K Energy to ENWIN Utilities and its parent company, Windsor Canada Utilities. During the July 20 meeting, Council decided $15M will be put into a new E.L.K. Legacy Reserve, while nearly $7M will be distributed to support current capital projects. In terms of how to handle estimated investment income and alloc

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative photo submitted When Essex resident Sara Market (pictured centre) was diagnosed with ovarian cancer around last Christmas, all she could think about was how she could help others. So, she embarked on a journey with her family to fundraise for the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation (WCCF) to make undergoing treatment easier and more comfortable for others. Ultimately, she wanted to turn her diagnosis into something positive and c

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative The temperature in the Town of Essex Council Chamber got a little heated during the July 6 regular meeting when deciding what to do with the naturalized area along South Talbot Road. At the previous June 15 meeting, Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais started discussions about the naturalized area along South Talbot Road. It was explained it was no longer being mowed, like it had been the previous few years, as the intention was to g

Successful “Pay What You Can Bike Sale” hooks-up 57 youths with new-to-them bikes by Essex Free Press Staff For youths, having a bike means adventure – and depending on their age – a sense of independence and freedom. With summer weather here, area youths without a set of two-wheels to call their own were able to tap into the “Pay What You Can Bike Sale” on Saturday. During the course of the four-hour event, 57 youths and youngsters in the community were able to get their

City reallocates funds to other priorities, leaving $140K shortfall to Essex County’s Homelessness Hub by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative County Council unanimously directed County staff to formally engage the City of Windsor to explore a shared funding solution to support current operations at the Essex County Homelessness Hub and overnight program. The decision was made at the June 17 meeting, after learning there would be a $140,000 funding shortfall that woul

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Submitted pictures from the National High School Rodeo It has been years in the making for the Musyj sisters of the Town of Essex. After countless hours of hard work, determination, and improving their in-saddle skill, Dalilah and Ruby Musyj have successfully roped in their long-time dream of qualifying for the National High School Rodeo Finals. Both girls are thrilled to have qualified to compete at such a high-level of arena c

-funding will also support emergency responder training & equipment, research- by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative When the County of Essex and Essex-Windsor EMS organized the first collaborative symposium on legacy oil and gas well emergency response in London back in early March, it caught the attention of Ontario Minister of Natural Resources, Mike Harris JR. With the ongoing concern and work put into the abandoned oil and gas wells across nine Ontario communit

by Essex Free Press Staff Second Grey 5K hosted as first responders’ edition raises $18790 for childhood When 12-year-old Jaida Chartier was undergoing treatments for brain cancer, her family was overwhelmed with the support received from not only the community, but from local first responder groups. Jaida bravely fought Diffuse Midline Glioma with H3K27 mutation Brain Cancer for 14-months before peacefully passing away July 31, 2024. Her family began the Grey 5K last year

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Council for the Town of Essex voted to provide a letter of Non-Concurrence to the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) for a proposed 60M telecommunication facility at 2060 Ferriss Road in Harrow. The decision was made at the June 1 meeting, after hearing concerns, primarily that the proposed tower did not meet setback requirements set out in the Town’s policy. The alternative was to provide Municipal Con

by Garrett Fodor Behind many of the footsteps this weekend were memories of loved ones, personal experiences, and a shared commitment to supporting families impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia. As the sun shone down, Windsor-Essex residents laced up their shoes and joined communities across Canada for the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s, raising awareness and funds for those living with dementia and their families. Locally, the Alzheimer Society of Windsor and

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Since 2021, the Town of Kingsville has okayed 43 Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs) across the municipality for property owners meeting the provincial and municipal requirements. To help better inform residents about how to proceed with putting in an ADU – and the types of requirements they will need to meet to be able to do so – the Town of Kingsville hosted the “All About ADUs – Laying the Groundwork for Your Backyard Build” i

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative The County of Essex’s agreement with Local Authority Services Ltd. (LAS) to provide closed meeting investigations will end in July, due to the discontinuation of the service. That left the regional decision-makers having to decide to appoint another independent firm or proceed with using the Ontario Ombudsman. County Clerk, Katherine Hebert, noted this is needed to meet legal requirements under the Municipal Act. At the May

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Essex Council approved one reading of three needed to pass a by-law that could – if fully approved in the future – allow for a three-storey building at 80 County Road 50 in Colchester to be built. This would add an eight-unit motel on the ground-level and eighteen residential dwelling units mostly on the top two floors. The first reading was provided at the May 19 regular meeting. A motion to provide two readings needed suppor

The banner stretched across the homepage of the Leamington Fair website made one thing clear: it takes place rain or shine.

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Essex Council deferred Mayor Sherry Bondy’s motion to establish a Flooding Task Force to the May 19 regular meeting, after administration presented an alternative process when the matter was discussed at Monday’s meeting. This gives the Mayor a chance to connect with staff. The opportunity was first presented as a Notice of Motion at the April 20 meeting. Through her motion, Bondy wanted to create a Flooding Task Force as the