Mayors address Stage 2 delay for Windsor-Essex

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON/ KINGSVILLE — The Mayors of Leamington and Kingsville are both disappointed that the region is not advancing to Stage 2 in the plan to reopen.

Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald wants to assure her constituents that she and her staff are working hard to resolve the COVID-19 issues surrounding the agri-food sector.

With the province’s announcement Monday that Windsor-Essex would remain at Stage 1 of the re-opening of theeconomy, MacDonald was disappointed but not surprised.

“Although this is not the decision we had hoped for, it was to be expected, as the case counts across the region remain high, specifically due to outbreaks among workplaces in the agriculture sector,” she said.

NELSON SANTOS

Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos, echoes MacDonald’s sentiments.

“Just over the past three weeks alone, our efforts with our local health-care partners have resulted in the province initiating proactive on-site targeted testing for agri-food workers in our communities,” said Santos. “While this is what we have been working towards, this approach will only be successful with the full support and cooperation of the farm owners.”

The municipalities have been working with local health officials to do everything within their power to resolve the situation, but MacDonald cautions that any mandate for testing has to come from the upper levels of government.

“This is not within our power to mandate locally,” she said. “The upper levels of government hold the only power to mandate testing.”

Meanwhile, on Saturday, on-site testing at local farm operations got underway, and MacDonald sees that as a positive step.

“The industry has been slow to get behind it,” she said. “But I’m not giving up.”

The greenhouse farmers are concerned they will have no workforce, according to the mayor.

MacDonald has been in daily contact with upper levels of government, local officials and her staff and council members.

“I assure you, we are working diligently behind the scenes to resolve this,” she said.

Her frustration is evident about the local business community.

“We have small businesses in town that cannot open their doors right now,” she said. “This needs to get solved as soon as possible before we lose them.”

HILDA MACDONALD

She also feels the frustration of the community and of those in Windsor who are growing more impatient with the county COVID woes.

“We know businesses have been kept from reopening, and there is animosity surfacing because of the negative economic impacts being felt by the people of Windsor-Essex,” she said. “I ask that Leamington residents continue to be patient and respect the Premier’s cautious, regional approach to reopening.”

Meanwhile, she is calling on the Premier to implement the necessary measures to stop the spread, hoping that his plea on Monday was heard loud and clear.

“I strongly encourage the farm operations to work diligently to help control the spread of COVID-19, so the rest of the region can move to Stage 2 in the province’s reopening plan,” she said.

“Testing is just one piece of the plan, but as we have learned over the past 3 months, is still a key piece,” added Santos. “Key because the results help us to better develop a comprehensive response strategy to safeguard our farm workers and reduce the spread of infection in the farms and the community.”