Windsor in Pictures: March 12, 2015

March 12, 2015, 4:10 am

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The Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Thursday. Check out the gallery.

Mayor Drew Dilkens speaks during the launch of a new breast cancer awareness bus at the bus terminal in Windsor on Thursday, March 12, 2015. The Windsor Transit bus will help raise money for breast cancer. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Tania Radu (left), Penny Williams and Mayor Drew Dilkens place the first ribbon sticker on a pink bus during the launch of a new breast cancer awareness bus at the bus terminal in Windsor on Thursday, March 12, 2015. The Windsor Transit bus will help raise money for breast cancer. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Penny Williams and Mayor Drew Dilkens place the first ribbon sticker on a pink bus during the launch of a new breast cancer awareness bus at the bus terminal in Windsor on Thursday, March 12, 2015. The Windsor Transit bus will help raise money for breast cancer. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Penny Williams speaks during the launch of a new breast cancer awareness bus at the bus terminal in Windsor on Thursday, March 12, 2015. The Windsor Transit bus will help raise money for breast cancer. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Penny Williams is joined by Tania Radu (right) as they place the first ribbon sticker on a pink bus during the launch of a new breast cancer awareness bus at the bus terminal in Windsor on Thursday, March 12, 2015. The Windsor Transit bus will help raise money for breast cancer. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Dr. Amit Bagga, nephrologist, at Windsor Regional Hospital on Mar. 12, 2015. (Tyler Brownbridge / The Windsor Star)

Nurse Madeline Power shows how a dialysis machine works at Windsor Regional Hospital on Mar. 12, 2015. (Tyler Brownbridge / The Windsor Star)

Nurse Madeline Power shows how a dialysis machine works at Windsor Regional Hospital on World Kidney Day, Mar. 12, 2015. (Tyler Brownbridge / The Windsor Star)

Dialysis patient Heather St. Pierre talks about being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at Windsor Regional Hospital on Mar. 12, 2015. (Tyler Brownbridge / The Windsor Star)

Dino Villalta, director of renal, stroke and allied health at Windsor Regional Hospital, on Mar. 12, 2015. (Tyler Brownbridge / The Windsor Star)

Ontario Provincial Police Det. Inspector David Hillman speaks Thursday, March 12, 2015, during a media conference regarding the first degree murder charge in the Nancy Quick case. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Ontario Provincial Police Inspector Glenn Miller speaks Thursday, March 12, 2015, during a media conference regarding the first degree murder charge in the Nancy Quick case. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star) (

Jerry Galbraith Jr. is shown Thursday during a media conference regarding the first degree murder charge in the Nancy Quick case. He is Nancy Quick’s brother. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Gloria Galbraith speaks during a media conference Thursday, March 12, 2015, regarding the first degree murder charge in the Nancy Quick case. Galbraith is Nancy Quick’s sister-in-law. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Ontario Provincial Police Inspector Glenn Miller (L) and Det. Inspector David Hillman are shown Thursday, March 12, 2015, during a media conference regarding the first degree murder charge in the Nancy Quick case. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Curtis Scott, assistant store manager at the Real Canadian Superstore on Dougall Ave. in Windsor, ON. displays a potatoe from the Naturally Imperfect line. The line is up to 30 per cent less expensive than traditional produce options found at the store. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Potatoes from the Naturally Imperfect line are shown at the Real Canadian Superstore on Dougall Ave. in Windsor, ON. The line is up to 30 per cent less expensive than traditional produce options found at the store. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

A damaged truck is taken away from the Devonshire Mall on Thursday, March 12, 2015, after is crashed into the west wall of the Sears store. The driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital with unknown injuries. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

A worker cleans up an area near the west entrance of the Sears store at the Devonshire Mall on Thursday, March 12, 2015, after a truck crashed into a wall. The driver of the vehicle was taken to hospital with unknown injuries. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Dan Gilbert speaks with the media during the opening of the new John Varvatos store on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit is seen on Thursday, March 12, 2015. Area developers are hoping the new store will be a catalyst for revitalization. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Designer John Varvatos speaks with the media during the opening of the new John Varvatos store on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit is seen on Thursday, March 12, 2015. Area developers are hoping the new store will be a catalyst for revitalization. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

The new John Varvatos store on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit is seen on Thursday, March 12, 2015. Area developers are hoping the new store will be a catalyst for revitalization. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Coroner Dr. Robert Drake is escorted by OPP at 307 Centennial Drive in Tecumseh where the body of a deceased man was found Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Windsor’s Graeme Brown, left, checks ex-Spit Chris Marchese of the Storm Thursday at the WFCU Centre. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Spits Slater Doggett narrowly misses a check by Guelph Storm Jason Dickinson in 2nd period of OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Spits Graeme Brown and Guelph Storm Givani Smith, left, battle in OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Spits Jamie Lewis, left, ties up Guelph Storm Robbie Fabbri in OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Former Windsor Spitfires Chris Marchese scores for the Guelph Storm in OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. Spits LIam Murray, left, tries his best to hold off Marchese. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Spits Hayden McCool battles Guelph Storm Jason Dickinson for puck in OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Spits Slater Doggett and Guelph Storm Jason Dickinson watch for play to develop in OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Spits Cristiano DiGiacinto is all smiles after scoring against Guelph Storm in OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Spits goaltender Brendan Johnston is beaten by Guelph Storm Luke Cairns in OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Guelph Storm Tyler Bertuzzi controls the puck against Spits Slater Dogget in 2nd period OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Spits Graeme Brown, left, and Guelph Storm Givani Smith in close quarters during OHL action from WFCU Centre Thursday March 12, 2015. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

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Windsor and Essex County jobless rate up; highest in Canada

March 13, 2015, 5:28 pm

≫ Next: Anne Jarvis: Then they could rest…

≪ Previous: Windsor in Pictures: March 12, 2015

Once again, the Windsor-area unemployment rate is the highest in the country, but the news isn’t all bad.

Although the jobless rate edged up to 9.6 per cent in February from 9.4 per cent the previous month, both the number of people looking for work as well as the number of jobs rose, Vincent Ferrao, labour market analyst at Statistics Canada, said Friday.

“The number of people in the labour force increased by 2,200,” said Ferrao. “That’s a statistically significant change. Employment rose by 1,600.”

Year over year, the number of jobs in retail and wholesale sectors was unchanged, while employment grew in health care, social assistance, information, culture and recreation, accommodation and food services, said Ferrao.

Employment in manufacturing fell — a trend consistent across Ontario and Canada, he said.

“All indicators are positive,” Ferrao said. “Unemployment could be lower, but at least what happened last month is there were more people employed and more activity in the labour force looking for work.”

Across Canada, the unemployment rate rose from 6.6 per cent to 6.8 per cent as the labour force grew by 49,200 people and the number of unemployed rose by 50,200.

Ontario’s jobless rate remained unchanged at 6.9 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.

Saint John, N.B., had the country’s second highest rate at 9.1 per cent, followed by Saguenay, Que., at 8.4 per cent.

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Anne Jarvis: Then they could rest…

March 12, 2015, 3:08 pm

≫ Next: Weekend In Pictures: Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2015

≪ Previous: Windsor and Essex County jobless rate up; highest in Canada

They need to find her killer, Jenny Galbraith told me more than three years after her daughter Nancy Galbraith-Quick was run down and left to die. Then they could rest.

On Wednesday, more than nine years after Nancy was killed, her estranged husband Scott Quick, a “person of interest” in the case from the start, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

I hope there’s a conviction. And I hope Jenny and her husband Jerry, now in their eighties, will finally be able to rest. But as OPP Det. Insp. David Hillman said at the news conference, there is no happy ending.

“Today is not a day for feeling good,” Gloria Galbraith, Nancy’s sister-in-law, said in a brief statement on behalf of the family. “Today is a day the Galbraith family hoped would come, but it brings with it feelings of great sadness and continuing deep pain and sorrow … a beautiful, loving, caring daughter, sister and friend was tragically taken from our lives.”

I can’t stop thinking about the children. Evan was 11, and Julia was eight when their mother was murdered. One minute, she was dropping them off at school; the next, they were told she was dead. They never got to say goodbye. They saw only her white coffin, draped with flowers.

Maybe she wasn’t dead, Julia said once. If he had been old enough, could he have seen her in the hospital? Evan once asked.

They knew their mother had been murdered. They were scared. They wondered if the murderer would come after them.

Now, they must face the fact that their father is the accused murderer, that their father allegedly ran down their mother and left her to die. Their whole world was torn apart nine years ago, and now, it has been torn apart all over again.

“Our thoughts are with Nancy’s two children, now beautiful and vibrant adults, whose world was torn apart nine years ago and with today’s events, their lives are in turmoil and deep pain,” Gloria Galbraith told the media. “We want them to know how much they are loved and cherished, and we want them to know we support them with all our hearts.”

Evan and Julia were always at their grandparents’ house. They had sleepovers on air mattresses in the living room. In the morning, they all went to the family’s diner, appropriately named Jerry & Jenny’s Diner, on Tecumseh Road near Banwell.

But one day there was a moving van in front of Scott’s house. The next day, the house was empty. Scott, a Chrysler worker, had gotten custody of the kids, moved to Brighton, northeast of Toronto, and taken the kids. He didn’t tell the Galbraiths.

“We weren’t on speaking terms,” he told me when I tracked him down in 2009.

Nancy’s brother, Jerry Jr., begged him to please let his parents talk to them. He called after school, hoping they would pick up the phone. Jerry and Jenny even drove the six hours to try to see them. They bought ads in the local newspaper wishing them Merry Christmas and Happy Easter.

The kids don’t want to talk to them, Scott claimed.

Jerry and Jenny had lost their grandchildren, too.

The last nine years must have been like an eternity for Jerry and Jenny and their other daughter and two sons. For years, they stopped going out much. When they did go out, they didn’t enjoy it. Jerry took sleeping pills every night. Jenny cried all the time. She and Nancy used to work at the diner on Sundays. Jenny couldn’t bear to return to work without Nancy.

All that time. The beige minivan that hit Nancy had been seen revving its engine. It was found abandoned, a large dent in the hood. A man was seen getting out of the driver’s side and hurrying away. Someone must have known something. Jerry would call the police to ask what was happening. The investigation is on-going, he was told. It’s only a matter of time.

The murder hung over the family.

“It’s there all the time,” Jenny told me five years ago.

After nine years, they must have despaired at times that Nancy would ever get justice.

But no one forgot her. Hundreds packed St. Gregory the Great church in Tecumseh for her funeral. Unifor, then the Canadian Auto Workers, and St. William elementary school, where Nancy was a teaching assistant, built a memorial for her and gave money to Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers broadcast a re-enactment of the murder on local television and increased the reward. And less than a year ago, the OPP offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Nancy’s killer.

“We remain as committed today (to) catching Nancy’s killer as we were back in 2006,” Det. Insp. David Hillman insisted at the time.

Now, nine years and 11 days after Nancy, who never regained consciousness, succumbed to her injuries at age 40 at Detroit Receiving Hospital, her family at her side, the accused killer has been arrested.

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Weekend In Pictures: Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2015

March 15, 2015, 11:52 am

≫ Next: Amherstburg man second in family to win trip from Kelly Ripa show

≪ Previous: Anne Jarvis: Then they could rest…

The Star’s photographers had you covered on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2015. Check out the photos.

From left, Jessica Newman, 10, holding Zoey, Chris Lupton, holding Samson, Melanie Coulter, Jessi McCracken, holding Tilly at a press conference at the Windsor Essex County Humane Society, Saturday, March 14, 2015. Samson, Zoey, and Tilly, are three of four dogs that were found malnourished in a park in Tilbury. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Melanie Coulter, executive director of the Windsor Essex County Humane Society speaks at a press conference regarding the four dogs found malnourished in a park in Tilbury, Saturday, March 14, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Christina Cooper is shown on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the Royal Canadian Legion in Brighton, Ont. She knew Scott Quick, who is accused of first degree murder in the death of his wife Nancy Quick. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Residents walk down Main St. in Brighton, Ont. on Saturday, March 14, 2015. Scott Quick who is accused of first degree murder in the death of his wife Nancy Quick moved to the eastern Ontario city about eight years ago. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

This building which is now a commercial electrical business was once a music store run by Scott Quick in Brighton, Ont. Quick is accused of first degree murder in the death of his wife Nancy Quick. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Replica artifacts are used to enrich a Shroud of Turin exhibit, Saturday, March 14, 2015, at Most Precious Blood Church. The visiting exhibit by the Vancouver Shroud Association drew in thousands of curious Windsorites over the course of a few days. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

Jeremy Gibbons, right, checks out a guide detailing a replica of the Shroud of Turin, Saturday, March 14, 2015, at Most Precious Blood Church. The visiting exhibit by the Vancouver Shroud Association drew in thousands of curious Windsorites over the course of a few days. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

Knights of Columbus stand on guard at either end of a replica of the Shroud of Turin, Saturday, March 14, 2015, at Most Precious Blood Church. The visiting exhibit by the Vancouver Shroud Association drew in thousands of curious Windsorites over the course of a few days. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

A replica of the Shroud of Turin is shown, Saturday, March 14, 2015, at Most Precious Blood Church. The visiting exhibit by the Vancouver Shroud Association drew in thousands of curious Windsorites over the course of a few days. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

A work station is on display at the grand opening of the Levigator Press – Print Studio and Gallery, in Walkerville, Saturday, March 14, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Jodi Green, owner of the Levigator Press – Print Studio and Gallery, gives a printing demonstration on a platen press during the grand opening of the printing studio in Walkerville, Saturday, March 14, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Wood type is on display at the grand opening of the Levigator Press – Print Studio and Gallery, in Walkerville, Saturday, March 14, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Shelves of ink are on display at the grand opening of the Levigator Press – Print Studio and Gallery, in Walkerville, Saturday, March 14, 2014. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

LaSalle Vipers forward Daniel Beaudoin carries the puck towards the Sarnia Legionnaires net Saturday, March 14, 2015, at the Vollmer Complex. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

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Amherstburg man second in family to win trip from Kelly Ripa show

March 16, 2015, 3:02 pm

≫ Next: Windsor in Pictures: March 16, 2015

≪ Previous: Weekend In Pictures: Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2015

TV personality Kelly Ripa is sending an Amherstburg family on vacation for the second time in three years.

Marc DiBiase won a one-week stay at a beachfront villa in Barbados Monday on the Live with Kelly & Michael show.

In March 2012, his wife Laura won a trip for two to Arizona playing the same show’s trivia challenge.

“It’s crazy, just crazy,” said Laura. “I tried for 16 years to get on the show and it takes him a month.”

A regular viewer, Laura signed Marc up four weeks ago when she learned the Spin into Spring Travel Trivia segment was offering villas as the grand prize.

On the previous win, just Laura and Marc made the trip to Arizona.

“The villas had three and four bedrooms,” Laura said. “I said wouldn’t it be awesome if we could do a big family trip.”

Marc says his wife often signs him up for different promotions so the details “went in one ear and out the other” until a representative from the show called early Monday.

As Marc sat on hold with about an hour to wait before his on-air vocal appearance, he called home looking for help.

The trivia question is always based on the previous day’s episode.

That meant Marc needed details of Friday’s show, which Laura recorded but no one in the family had time to watch over the weekend.

Team DiBiase quickly swung into action.

Laura woke up their three daughters, Rebecca, Daniella and Geena and they started breaking down Friday’s tape.

They emailed their research to Marc who was then able to correctly provide the name of the woman – Edie Brickell — who collaborated with comedian Steve Martin on a new musical.

Host Michael Strahan and guest host Taraji P. Henson had a winner.

“It was a team effort,” 46-year-old Marc said from his office at Windsor’s Hrycay Consulting Engineers where he works as a controller. “It was a good thing all the girls happened to be home.”

Rebecca, 20, and Daniella, 18, both had late classes at the University of Windsor while 15-year-old Geena was on her first day of March Break from General Amherst.

Before they rallied around their fact-finding mission, Marc had to convince Laura that the ABC production had actually called him.

First, she thought he was making it up and then she asked if it was an April Fool’s Day joke.

For some reason, the show’s producers asked Marc not to mention his wife’s earlier win when he was on the air.

No one from ABC in New York replied to an email seeking comment.

While the show picks up the US$7,400 tab for the villa and two airfares, the DiBiases will pay to bring along the three girls.

“They were all jumping up and down when he won,” said Laura.

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Windsor in Pictures: March 16, 2015

March 16, 2015, 5:01 am

≫ Next: One in seven Windsorites has Irish heritage

≪ Previous: Amherstburg man second in family to win trip from Kelly Ripa show

The Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Monday. Check out the gallery.

Marc DiBiase won a trip to Barbados on the morning talk show, Live! with Kelly and Michael, Monday, March 16, 2015. DiBiase answered correctly to the question: Who did Steve Martin co-write a Broadway musical with. The answer is Edie Brickell. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Ryan McAiney displays a pint of green beer on Monday, March 16, 2015, at the Manchester Pub in Windsor. After being closed for a few weeks due to a flooding incident, the downtown bar is ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Ryan McAiney decorates for St. Patrick’s Day on Monday, March 16, 2015, at the Manchester Pub in Windsor, ON. After being close for a few weeks due to a flooding incident the downtown bar is ready to celebrate the event. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Vraige Fossian, owner of On Time Watch and Jewellery in Windsor, ON. is shown at the Tecumseh Rd. E. business. He says springing forward and falling back is completely useless and confusing and we should just stick with one time. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Tim Papp (L) and Sam Sipkar of South Shore Tent and Party Rentals put up a huge tent at the Kildare House in Walkerville on Monday, March 16, 2015, in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

After a long stretch of ice-breaking, crew members work clean up duty on the Canadian Coast Guard Griffon while it was docked in Windsor, ON. on Monday, March 16, 2015. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

About $2 billion a day in trade — almost a third of total trade between Canada and the U.S. – flows through Windsor and Detroit via the Ambassador Bridge, tunnel and rail. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

The Ambassador Bridge is pictured Monday, March 16, 2016. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Tessa Kreiger, from left, Korissa Williams, Courtney VandeBovenkamp, Kristine Lalonde and Carly Steer pose with the Bronze Baby Trophy after the CIS champion Windsor Lancers arrived at the Windsor International Airport Monday night. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

The University of Windsor Lancers women’s basketball team are pictured with the CIS Championship trophy after arriving at Windsor International Airport, Monday, March 16, 2016. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Members of the University of Windsor Lancers women’s basketball team are pictured with the CIS Championship trophy after arriving at Windsor International Airport, Monday, March 16, 2016. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

The Bronze Baby Trophy makes its way around the conveyor belt at Windsor International Airport after the University of Windsor Lancers women’s basketball returned from the winning the CIS championship Monday, March 16, 2016. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Fire crews work at the scene of a house fire at 997 McKay Ave, Monday, March 16, 2016. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

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One in seven Windsorites has Irish heritage

March 16, 2015, 6:06 pm

≫ Next: Oldcastle tool and mould company plans $10 million expansion

≪ Previous: Windsor in Pictures: March 16, 2015

More than 46,000 people in Windsor and Essex County say they are Irish, according to the 2011 National Household Survey.

That’s more than those who call themselves Italian, Polish, Lebanese or German.

Windsor has a higher number of Irish residents than the Canadian average, with nearly one in every seven people saying they have ties to the Celtic country.

“There are so many people I meet and they say, oh yes, I’m Irish,” said Jane Bryans, who immigrated to Canada in 1957 from County Antrim in the north of Ireland.

Bryans said she regularly encounters people with an Irish grandparent or with relatives from the country even further back in their heritage.

“Particularly on St. Patrick’s Day, a lot of people say that they’re Irish,” she said with a chuckle.

Bryans, a member of the Irish Canadian Cultural Club of Windsor, will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Tuesday with the singing of Irish tunes, listening to musicians and watching award-winning Irish dancers do jigs and reels.

Windsor’s Irish population is spread out through the county, but the highest percentage is the region just above the Town of Essex, where about 28 per cent of residents said they had Irish origins.

LaSalle and Amherstburg also each have neighbourhoods where about one in five people say that they have Irish roots.

The least Irish neighbourhoods had no people at all saying they had Irish heritage: the neighbourhood surrounding Ojibway Park and a stretch of land near Dougall Avenue and E.C. Row.

In downtown Windsor, about 15 per cent of the population calls itself Irish. That number gets bigger in Walkerville and Riverside, where more than 4,000 people say they have Irish roots.

The number of Irish in Windsor and Essex County still falls below the 70,000 people who say they have English roots and 79,000 people who say they descend from the French.

Nearly 10,000 people say they are of Lebanese descent and about 8,000 say they are Chinese.

While Windsor has many people saying they have Irish roots, there are only about 235 people living in the city who were born in Ireland — the lowest number of immigrants from a European country except for about 200 people from Russia.

About 7,000 Windsorites were born in the United States. More than 6,000 people were born in Italy and nearly 4,800 were born in the United Kingdom. Other large immigrant groups include about 3,775 people born in Iraq, 3,285 from Lebanon and 3,505 from China.

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Oldcastle tool and mould company plans $10 million expansion

March 17, 2015, 10:25 am

≫ Next: Drug-dealing Lakeshore woman denounces ‘devil’ husband, implicates cops

≪ Previous: One in seven Windsorites has Irish heritage

The “booming” auto industry has prompted Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc., in Oldcastle to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people, the company announced Tuesday.

“We’re at a point where the industry is booming, and the tool, mould and die sector is just begging for more skilled labour,” said CEO Gary Aalbers.

The company, which employs 106 people, is on the hunt for mould designers, mould makers and CNC machine operators.

The Ontario government has kicked in a $1-million grant to help the company pay for new equipment and set up a training facility for new skilled trades workers, said Aalbers.

“Skilled labour is very hard to find,” Aalbers said. “We’re at a point where we want to expand, and this grant will allow us to buy, not only the newest and the latest technology and best equipment but help us train new employees.”

Established in 1982, the company manufactures plastic injection moulds used to produce parts, mostly for auto industry, including the Detroit Three as well as Japanese and German carmakers. “We specialize in interior automotive parts, such as door panels, glove boxes and centre consoles,” Aalbers said, adding that Ford is his biggest customer.

Gary Aalbers, CEO of Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc. is shown March 17, 2015, at the Oldcastle, ON. business. The booming auto industry has prompted the company to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people. He is shown with a mold that makes bumper cap for GMC pickups. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Sean Fox an employee of Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc. is shown March 17, 2015, at the Oldcastle, ON. business. The booming auto industry has prompted the company to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

The company is investing in new state-of-the-art machinery and employee training that will enhance productivity and competitiveness, he said. Aalbers said he’s also planning to branch out into the aerospace industry.

“The investment we’re announcing today builds on our more than 30 years in business,” said Aalbers. “This new equipment and the resultant technical training further enhances our employees’ technical capabilities and competitiveness, coupled with offering reduced lead times and advanced flexibility to our customers.

“Along with that, is the opportunity to further strengthen and enhance our workforce, as the new equipment will not only offer a wider range of opportunities for Aalbers Tool and Mold, but also open new and exciting opportunities to develop our business with new industry sectors,” he said.

Chris Dietrich an employee of Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc. is shown March 17, 2015, at the Oldcastle, ON. business. The booming auto industry has prompted the company to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Alexander Hamilton, an employee of Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc. is shown March 17, 2015, at the Oldcastle, ON. business. The booming auto industry has prompted the company to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Brad Duguid, minister of economic development, employment and infrastructure, said the investment reflects the province’s commitment to manufacturing.

“A strong manufacturing supply chain is essential to our government’s ongoing efforts to secure anchor investments in the province’s key industrial sectors including automotive and aerospace,” said Duguid. “This is part of our overall economic strategy built on a skilled workforce, climate of innovation and streamlined business environment.”

The aerospace manufacturing sector directly employs 17,000 people, according to Ontario government statistics. More than 80 per cent of production from Ontario’s aerospace sector is exported to the U.S. and international markets.

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Drug-dealing Lakeshore woman denounces ‘devil’ husband, implicates cops

March 17, 2015, 3:25 pm

≫ Next: Windsor in Pictures: March 17, 2015

≪ Previous: Oldcastle tool and mould company plans $10 million expansion

A Lakeshore woman seeking leniency on a drug-dealing charge says her abusive ex-husband had a fetish for penis piercings, got high on his own supply, was connected with corrupt police officers — and may have set her up.

“The devil himself. That’s how I see him,” Sabrina Lacommare said to RCMP investigators about her estranged spouse, Mark Anthony Trudel.

In a rambling interview with RCMP in 2012, Lacommare suggested Trudel exchanged money, drugs, and information with members of OPP and the Windsor Police Service.

“I’m not doing anything,” Lacommare, 49, told RCMP. “He’s the one that’s running the show.”

A video recording of the three-hour interview was played in Superior Court on Tuesday.

In January, Lacommare pleaded guilty to one count of possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking — a charge related to an arrest and raid by OPP in June 2011.

Cocaine packaged for sale was found in Lacommare’s purse and at her residence.

Although Lacommare admits she sold drugs, she’s hoping for a break on her penalty based on the idea that she only did it for a short time to raise money to escape her relationship with Trudel.

Lacommare said her arrest was “a blessing in disguise, because it was my way out.”

“I just want my life back. I was brought up by a very good family and I made a mistake.”

According to Lacommare, she only learned of Trudel’s involvement in drugs after their marriage in 2001.

Lacommare said that after her arrest, she tried to tell OPP about Trudel, but “they didn’t want to hear about Mark.”

“People were shutting me up,” she claimed.

At one point in the interview, Lacommare said a retired Windsor police officer once told her he wanted to import drugs from Thailand with Trudel.

Lacommare told RCMP that Trudel has been in the drug trade for 20 years and “will never get out.”

But when pressed for more information about Trudel’s methods and connections, Lacommare characterized him as “an idiot” who is “too stupid to use code words” and “can’t keep his mouth shut.”

Lacommare also told police Trudel “rats people out to get out of trouble,” and she’s “pretty sure a lot of people don’t like him.”

Sgt. Steven Richardson of the RCMP testified that he found Lacommare’s statements in the interview “scattered,” “misleading,” “self-serving,” and “deceptive.”

“It became very clear to me she was just as involved in the drug trade as her husband,” Richardson said in court.

Defence lawyer Patrick Ducharme, who is representing Lacommare, demanded to know why Richardson didn’t follow up on Lacommare’s information.

“These allegations were buried,” Ducharme said. “What reason did you have to disbelieve?”

Richardson responded: “I just didn’t think it was credible.”

Under questioning by Ducharme, Richardson testified that a full-scale investigation of Trudel was never launched by RCMP, and RCMP surveillance of Trudel totalled less than eight hours.

Richardson said he felt Lacommare was minimizing her own involvement and wouldn’t answer direct questions. “She tries to portray herself as some sort of hapless victim.”

Ducharme accused Richardson of “feigning naiveté,” and said Trudel was, in fact, “very hooked up with the OPP.”

Justice Renee Pomerance reminded both the prosecutor and the defence that the purpose of the evidence is to determine if Lacommare deserves leniency in sentencing — not necessarily to determine the truth of her allegations.

The sentence hearing resumes Wednesday.

dchen@windsorstar.com

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Windsor in Pictures: March 17, 2015

March 17, 2015, 4:55 am

≫ Next: Essex firefighters battle Harrow house fire

≪ Previous: Drug-dealing Lakeshore woman denounces ‘devil’ husband, implicates cops

The Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Tuesday. Check out the gallery.

Phillip Olla and Irek Kusmierczyk of Windsor-Detroit Hacking Health are pictured downtown Windsor, Ont. on Tuesday, March 17, 2015. Olla and Kusmierczyk are helping to organize a collaborative hackathon for healthcare and tech-based professionals and students. (DYLAN KRISTY/The Windsor Star)

A small group protests outside of the Provincial Court in downtown Windsor, Ont. on Tuesday, March 17, 2015, where a hearing regarding the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board was taking place. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Jack Spadafora is shown near his Borrelli Drive home in Windsor, Ont. which is within earshot of the Herb Gray Parkway. He has felt the effects of noise from the busy roadway. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Transport trucks roll down the Herb Gray Parkway near Cabana Road on Tuesday, March 17, 2015, in Windsor, Ont. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Jack Spadafora is shown near his Borrelli Drive home in Windsor, which is within earshot of the Herb Gray Parkway. He has felt the effects of noise from the busy roadway. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Gary Aalbers, CEO of Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc. is shown March 17, 2015, at the Oldcastle, ON. business. The booming auto industry has prompted the company to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Sean Fox an employee of Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc. is shown March 17, 2015, at the Oldcastle, ON. business. The booming auto industry has prompted the company to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Gary Aalbers, CEO of Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc. is shown March 17, 2015, at the Oldcastle, ON. business. The “booming” auto industry has prompted the company to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Alexander Hamilton, an employee of Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc. is shown March 17, 2015, at the Oldcastle, ON. business. The booming auto industry has prompted the company to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Chris Dietrich an employee of Aalbers Tool and Mold Inc. is shown March 17, 2015, at the Oldcastle, ON. business. The booming auto industry has prompted the company to spend $10 million on new equipment and the hiring of an additional 33 people. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Mike Spencer walks out of Ontario Court of Justice, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. A WSIB security manager is seeking a peace bond against Spencer to stop him from posting allegedly derogatory and threatening comments online. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Beata St. Denis had her nails done up for the occasion as she celebrates St. Patrick’s Day in a tent at O’Maggio’s Kildare House, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Beata and Scott St. Denis celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a tent at O’Maggio’s Kildare House, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Lori Vance, left, Marilyn Smit, and Sandra Wilson celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a tent at O’Maggio’s Kildare House, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Yvonne Renaud joins others on the dance floor as they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a tent at O’Maggio’s Kildare House, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Rick Hayes, left, Jen Eyraud, Maria Hamilton, and Sarah White, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a tent at O’Maggio’s Kildare House, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Lonny and Carla Upcott celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a tent at O’Maggio’s Kildare House, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Kate Benedet raises a drink as she joins a large crowd celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in a tent at O’Maggio’s Kildare House, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Exeter’s Braeden Van Hooydonk, centre, collides with Matthew Hebert of the 73’s in front of goaltender James Morreau in the first period in the opening game of the Schmalz Cup quarter-final series Tuesday at Essex Arena. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Exeter’s Dylan Wilson-Foote, left, collides with Essex’s Daniel McIntyre in the first period in the opening game of the Schmalz Cup quarter final series between the Essex 73’s and the visiting Exeter Hawks at Essex Arena Tuesday. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Exeter’s Brett Dyck, left, battles Essex’ Matther Hebert in the first period of the opening game of the Schmalz Cup quarter final series between the Essex 73’s and the visiting Exeter Hawks at Essex Arena, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

The Essex 73’s celebrate after their second goal of the first period in the opening game of the Schmalz Cup quarter final series between the Essex 73’s and the visiting Exeter Hawks at Essex Arena, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

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Essex firefighters battle Harrow house fire

March 18, 2015, 6:16 pm

≫ Next: Windsor in Pictures: March 18, 2015

≪ Previous: Windsor in Pictures: March 17, 2015

A family of five is homeless after a blaze that started in the garage and gutted their rental home in Colchester South Wednesday.

Damage is estimated at $225,000 after the fire started at around 8:30 a.m. in the garage, where gasoline was being stored, in the 100 block of Park Street in the Clark Beach area, Essex Fire said.

The family did not have insurance.

The family — which includes a man, woman, two sons aged 15 and 18 and a 17-year-old daughter — managed to get out of the home along with the the family dog and run to the neighbours to call 911, said neighbour Janet Truka.

“I was just going out my door at 8:45 a.m. and I saw the flames and smoke,” said Truka, who lives about 400 metres from the home.

Two cats perished in the fire, Truka said.

Although she didn’t know the neighbours well, just saying hello on the street, Truka has taken it upon herself to start a Facebook page to organize donations for them.

“I don’t know anything about them, except that they have no belongings,” said Truka.

She said she and other neighbours have lots of space to store donated goods, and are looking for everything from clothing to furniture and other household items.

The Facebook page can be found by searching Clark Beach Fire Donations within Facebook or through creator Janet Mackenzie Truka’s Facebook page.

Essex fire Tweeted a message Wednesday night: “Flammable and combustible liquids should always be used in well ventilated locations which are free of ignition sources.”

The house, which neighbors say was unoccupied, appears to be a total loss. pic.twitter.com/Csa4qJcCm9

— Chris Vander Doelen (@winstarvander) March 18, 2015

Essex firefighters battled a house fire at Clark Beach in Harrow on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. (Photo by Chris Vander Doelen)

The remains of a house fire on the 100 block of Park St. in Harrow, south of Highway #50, Wednesday, March 18, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

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Windsor in Pictures: March 18, 2015

March 18, 2015, 4:33 am

≫ Next: Aphria invests $1million for expansion of marijuana production

≪ Previous: Essex firefighters battle Harrow house fire

The Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Wednesday. Check out the gallery.

A funeral service for local humanitarian Frank Chauvin was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Windsor, ON. on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. Windsor Police Honour Guard officers salute Chauvin’s casket as it was placed in a hearse. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

A funeral service for local humanitarian Frank Chauvin was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Windsor, ON. on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. His wife, Lorraine Chauvin is shown as the casket was carried out of the church. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star

funeral service for local humanitarian Frank Chauvin was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Windsor, ON. on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. Family members are shown as the casket was carried out of the church. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

A funeral service for local humanitarian Frank Chauvin was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Windsor, ON. on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. His wife, Lorraine Chauvin, centre, and other family members are shown as the casket was carried out of the church. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

A funeral service for local humanitarian Frank Chauvin was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Windsor, ON. on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. A bagpiper leads Chauvin’s casket out of the church. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

A funeral service for local humanitarian Frank Chauvin was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Windsor, ON. on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. A portrait of Chauvin is shown at the front of the church during the service. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Rob Piroli, owner of Piroli Group Developments, is pictured at the development site of Seacliff Heights phase 1, a 105 unit apartment building, Wednesday, March 18, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Rob Piroli, owner of Piroli Group Developments, is pictured at the development site of Seacliff Heights phase 1, a 105-unit apartment building, Wednesday, March 18, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Ann Beer, pictured at her book store Tuesday, March 17, 2015 has been the owner of the Bookroom for 28 years. Beer is closing the store in the coming months. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

LaSalle’s Mark Manchurek brings the puck up the ice against Sarnia’s Cameron Clarke during the game four of the Junior B semifinal series between the LaSalle Vipers and the visiting Sarnia Legionnaires at the Volmer Centre, Wednesday, March 18, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

LaSalle’s Daniel Beaudoin attempts to get the puck past Sarnia goalie, Andrew Masters during the game four of the Junior B semi-final series between the LaSalle Vipers and the visiting Sarnia Legionnaires at the Volmer Centre, Wednesday, March 18, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

LaSalle’s Graham Pickard battles with Sarnia’s Brandon Layman, left, during the game four of the Junior B semi-final series between the LaSalle Vipers and the visiting Sarnia Legionnaires at the Volmer Centre, Wednesday, March 18, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

LaSalle’s Graham Pickard takes a shot on net while being defended by Sarnia’s Jake O’Donnell during the game four of the Junior B semi-final series between the LaSalle Vipers and the visiting Sarnia Legionnaires at the Volmer Centre, Wednesday, March 18, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

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Aphria invests $1million for expansion of marijuana production

March 18, 2015, 7:11 pm

≫ Next: Windsor in Pictures: March 19, 2015

≪ Previous: Windsor in Pictures: March 18, 2015

After only 3½ months of operation, Leamington’s Aphria Inc. is spending $1 million to expand its medical marijuana production.

The investment is part of a two-phase expansion plan for the business that just began operations in December. Startup costs were $6 million.

The phase one investment will increase the current growing capacity of 1,200 to 1,500 kilograms of marijuana to 2,500 kg annually.

But Aphria CEO Vic Neufeld said that’s still not enough to keep up with the growing demand.

“It’s not enough for us to service this business opportunity,” Neufeld said Wednesday of wholesale demand that has developed in the last two months.

“The wholesale model of selling plants (happens) at the propagation or cutting stage (the first five weeks of the plant’s growth),” Neufeld said, adding this is only one level of additional sales volume.

“We’re rounding third base … in terms of acquiring dried marijuana (business) on a wholesale basis,” he said. “In other words, we would grow, harvest, dry, test and ready for release.”

Aphria currently has 22,000 square feet of production space located within a 450,000-square-foot greenhouse facility. The phase one expansion will include a retrofit of three existing greenhouses and is expected to be completed by August.

Neufeld said phase two – a further $4-million investment that must still be approved by the board of directors – will add 88,000 square feet of new-build advanced technology greenhouse.

Production of medical marijuana would increase to approximately 7,500 kg per year. Aphria has a licence that allows for 8,000 kg of annual production.

Aphria got its licence to sell at the end of November. Neufeld said December and January were very slow but business picked up in February and March as the new wholesale opportunities presented themselves.

“It was very clear to us that with our capacity today at 22,000 square feet, we could service maybe one of these (business opportunities),” Neufeld said. “This industry is unfolding at a rapid pace and our growth strategy is advancing in lockstep.”

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Windsor in Pictures: March 19, 2015

March 19, 2015, 5:04 am

≫ Next: City councillor wants overhaul of Economic Development Corporation, full-time CEO

≪ Previous: Aphria invests $1million for expansion of marijuana production

The Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Thursday. Check out the gallery.

The fishing boat William T.R., shown Thursday, March 19, 2015, is stuck in the foot thick ice at the Kingsville Harbour. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

KINGSVILLE, ON. MARCH 19, 2015. Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos poses with his wife Stephanie, daughter Emelia, 6, and newborn twins Jaxson and Madelyn at their home on Thursday, March 19, 2015. The young mayor and family welcomed the twins to his growing family two weeks ago. So far Jaxson (L) has been the laid back relaxed baby while Madelyn has been the spirited vocal twin. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Two-week-old twins Madelyn, left, and Jaxson Santos are shown in the arms of their father, Kingsville mayor Nelson Santos ,on Thursday, March 19, 2015. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

Les Geauvreau and his daughter Sateal were at the Devonshire Mall shopping for a new phone with his wife on Thursday, Mar. 19, 2015. Geauvreau said that he pays too much for his cable plan and might consider switching over to the $25 “skinny basic” plan the CRTC announced is required of cable and satellite companies in 2016. (JAY RANKIN/The Windsor Star)

Windsor’s Jamie Lewis scores a shorthanded goal while being chased down by Erie’s Remi Elie during OHL action between the Windsor Spitfires and the visiting Erie Otters at the WFCU Centre, Thursday, March 19 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Erie’s Connor McDavid is pictured during OHL action between the Windsor Spitfires and the visiting Erie Otters at the WFCU Centre, Thursday, March 19 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Windsor’s Jalen Chatfield, left, defends Erie’s Nicholas Baptiste during OHL action between the Windsor Spitfires and the visiting Erie Otters at the WFCU Centre, Thursday, March 19 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Windsor’s Andrew Burns battles Erie’s Nick Betz for the puck during OHL action between the Windsor Spitfires and the visiting Erie Otters at the WFCU Centre, Thursday, March 19 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Windsor’s Andrew Burns, centre, battles with Erie’s Nick Betz, left, and Nicholas Baptiste, in front of Windsor goalie Alex Fotinos during OHL action between the Windsor Spitfires and the Erie Otters at the WFCU Centre Thursday. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

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City councillor wants overhaul of Economic Development Corporation, full-time CEO

March 19, 2015, 5:28 pm

≫ Next: Windsor In Pictures: Friday, March 20, 2015

≪ Previous: Windsor in Pictures: March 19, 2015

Ward 9 Coun. Hilary Payne is taking aim at the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation for the self-appointed structure of its board, its use of a part-time CEO and its lack of recent results.

“Where’s the beef?” asked Payne, who will bring a motion to Monday’s city council meeting calling on the city and county to improve the accountability of the board.

Councillor Hilary Payne is pictured in this 2013 file photo. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Payne wants to put the Windsor mayor and Essex County warden and councillors on the board along with other business representatives, and have the WEEDC require a full-time CEO.

Sandra Pupatello, the current CEO, also works as director of business and global markets at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and as chair of Hydro One. Both jobs are based in Toronto. She was unable to comment on Payne’s motion because it deals with personnel matters, said WEEDC marketing and communications director Lana Drouillard.

Payne said he has no personal vendetta against Pupatello. He simply believes the position requires more attention.

“I can’t think of one organization with a part-time CEO,” said Payne.

“Not any company anywhere.”

But WEEDC board chair Shelley Fellows said there is no better person for the job than Pupatello.

“I guess my general feeling is one of confusion because to me, from my perspective as chair of the board and also from the board’s perspective, we have a CEO who is our lead salesperson … who is probably the best lead salesperson our region could have working on their behalf and someone who from a perspective of the practice of economic development is probably one of the most experienced economic development professionals in our province,” said Fellows.

Shelley Fellows, vice-president at Radix Inc. in Tecumseh, Ont. is shown at her workplace on Wednesday, March 4, 2015. She is chair of the Windsor Essex Economic Development Agency board, and past president for the Workforce Windsor Essex board. She says women need to push past barriers to take on leadership roles. (DAN JANISSE/ The Windsor Star)

“Bringing an argument down to the point of part-time versus full-time to me misses the point of the objectives and the expectations of our CEO.”

Payne said the performance of WEEDC must be put under the microscope now because Windsor has the highest unemployment rate in the country at 9.6 per cent.

In preparing his motion Payne studied similar agencies in Markham, north of Toronto, and London.
Payne said London created $110 million in manufacturing investment in 2013, creating 1,700 new jobs. That same year Windsor-Essex attracted $10 million and 84 jobs, although he said Pupatello did not mention that when he asked her before council last month.

Payne also noted that WEEDC’s annual budget of $2.2 million includes 15 staff, while London has the same budget with 11 staff.

He also said the board structure, where all but the mayor and warden are self-appointed, is unaccountable. The boards in the other cities he studied are more accountable, Payne said.

“It’s taxpayers’ money,” said Payne.

“When we get elected, we are accountable to the taxpayers. They have to pay the taxes whether they like them or not. At least what we can do for them is to be accountable to them. In other words we say yeah, we spent your money but we got some results. Now they can say that in London and Markham but they sure can’t say that here in Windsor-Essex. It’s $2.2 million going out the door, money with no results.”

Fellows said the region needs people who think positively about the potential for the area.

“By comparing us to others and making it a negative story I think is one of those things we always struggle with and people say over and over again that as a region we need to be a cheerleader as opposed to affecting through our negative words and actions the negative perception of our region,” said Fellows.

“That’s something that comes up yet unfortunately someone in a leadership position as an elected official, as a leader in our community, is comparing us negatively to other regions it just perpetuates that and it’s very unfortunate.”

Payne said that as an elected official it is his duty to act when he sees something he perceives as a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“We’ll see what happens,” said Payne.

“I’ve been around the city 30 years now and I’ve never done something like this. When you see something that’s wrong, it is wrong, you’ve got to do something about it. And that’s what I’m doing. I think I’m following the proper protocol. I can’t walk away from something like this as an elected official and simply ignore it.

“It’s plain wrong.”

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Windsor In Pictures: Friday, March 20, 2015

March 20, 2015, 4:48 pm

≫ Next: Weekend In Pictures: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22, 2015

≪ Previous: City councillor wants overhaul of Economic Development Corporation, full-time CEO

The Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county on Friday, March 20, 2015.

Christine Campbell performs in the Windsor Star News Cafe on Friday, March 20, 2015. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star)

Blake Johnston performs in the Windsor Star News Cafe on Friday, March 20, 2015. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star)

Christine Campbell and Blake Johnston perform in the Windsor Star News Cafe on Friday, March 20, 2015. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star)

Connor McDavid of the OHL’s Erie Otters is shown during an interview on March 20, 2015, in Windsor, ON. (DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star)

Jay Giroux, pictured in his home in South Windsor, March 20, 2015, is looking to buy a custom home while the housing market is ideal. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Dereck Willar serves up a drink at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 255, Friday, March 20, 2015. The legion is in danger of closing because of a dwindling membership. DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star

Carole Cowin, a volunteer at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 255, prepares fried fish on Fish Fry Fridays, Friday, March 20, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

Patrons Dave Phillips, left, and Heather Hecnar enjoy a drink at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 255, Friday, March 20, 2015. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)

The Transway 1C travels west along University Ave. West, Wednesday, Passenger complaints about Windsor Transit buses are on the rise. DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star

Michelle Gouilin-Chartier is pictured at a bus stop on the 5800 block of Malden Rd., Thursday, March 19 2015. Last fall Michelle and her daughter were caught in the rear door of a transit bus while trying to exit. DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 773 donated $2,500 to the Downtown Mission of Windsor on Friday, March 20, 2015. Karl Lovett, left, business manager/financial secretary for the IBEW and Barry Heeney, assistant business manager, centre, presented the cheque to Ron Dunn, director of development and community relations at the Downtown Mission. DAN JANISSE/The Windsor Star

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Weekend In Pictures: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22, 2015

March 22, 2015, 2:48 pm

≫ Next: Local clothing designer named a Canadian Down Syndrome Hero

≪ Previous: Windsor In Pictures: Friday, March 20, 2015

The Star’s photographers covered the city and county on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22, 2015. Check out the photos.

Charlie, Peter, Erin, and Max Earls, from Kingsville, participate in the University of Windsor Disability Studies Student Association’s 5K walk along the Detroit River to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

From left, Elizabeth and Aksel Anttonen participate in the University of Windsor Disability Studies Student Association’s 5K walk along the Detroit River to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Participants walk in the University of Windsor Disability Studies Student Association’s 5K walk along the Detroit River to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

A selection of socks are on display prior to the University of Windsor Disability Studies Student Association’s 5K walk along the Detroit River to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. Participants were encouraged to wear their wildest pair of socks. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Participants walk in the University of Windsor Disability Studies Student Association’s 5K walk along the Detroit River to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Andrew Banar, owner of Group Hug Apparel, was named a Canadian Down Syndrome Hero by the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. Since starting his business, he’s raised around $35,000 for charities. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Debbie Chedore and Chelsey Carr organizers of C.C’s Events Craft Show at the WFCU Centre on March 21, 2015. The event featured more than 100 exhibitors in the 3rd annual handmade spring extravaganza. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Deborah Falkner and her granddaughter Rosalie Rogers look at jewelry during C.C’s Events Craft Show at the WFCU Centre on March 21, 2015. The event featured more than 100 exhibitors in the 3rd annual handmade spring extravaganza. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Country singer Trace Adkins performs Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Caesars Windsor Colosseum. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

One of country singer Trace Adkins’ guitarists performs with him Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Caesars Windsor Colosseum. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

Country singer Trace Adkins performs Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Caesars Windsor Colosseum. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

One of country singer Trace Adkins’ guitarists performs with him Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Caesars Windsor Colosseum. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

Country singer Trace Adkins performs Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Caesars Windsor Colosseum. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

LaSalle Viper Connor Rosaasen , left, and Sarnia Legionnaire Jake O’Donnell battle for puck possession Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Vollmer Complex. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

LaSalle Viper goalie Paolo Battisti, left, goes after a rebound Saturday, March 21, 2015, against the Sarnia Legionnaires at the Vollmer Complex. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

Sarnia’s Jake O’Donnell fires the puck towards the LaSalle Vipers’ net Saturday, March 21, 2015, at the Vollmer Complex. (RICK DAWES/The Windsor Star)

An unidentified woman watches as Windsor firefighters battle a house fire at 1762 Hickory Road in Windsor, Ontario on March 21, 2015. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Windsor firefighters battles a house fire at 1762 Hickory Road in Windsor, Ontario on March 21, 2015. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

A Windsor firefighter battles a house fire at 1762 Hickory Road in Windsor, Ontario on March 21, 2015. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Windsor firefighters battle a house fire at 1762 Hickory Road in Windsor, Ontario on March 21, 2015. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

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Local clothing designer named a Canadian Down Syndrome Hero

March 22, 2015, 4:34 pm

≫ Next: Kingsville man faces drug charges following traffic stop

≪ Previous: Weekend In Pictures: Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22, 2015

Andrew Banar’s inspiring message to stay strong and rock on has earned the 23-year-old Kingsville entrepreneur the title of Canadian Down Syndrome Hero.

“I am happy to be getting an award,” said Banar, who runs and designs his own clothing line called Group Hug Apparel, through which he also supports various charities.

Banar was one of five people presented the award nationally on Saturday – which was World Down Syndrome Day – by the Canadian Down Syndrome Society.

He was originally awarded the honour four years ago during the society’s first-ever round of awards, but this time, the award comes with a $500 bursary.

“Today is the day where everybody gets to celebrate people with Down Syndrome in their lives, in their community and really look at people with Down Syndrome as people,” said Kaitlyn Pecson, spokeswoman for the Canadian Down Syndrome Society.

Along with running Group Hug Apparel, Banar works two days a week at Colasanti’s and will be working as an ambassador for the Ruthven Apple Festival by delivering apples to local schools.

“We’re really inspired by the fact that he has his own business—I don’t know many people in their early 20s that has their own successful, thriving business. It’s inspiring in itself,” Pecson said.

Banar has Down Syndrome, which is caused by a third copy of chromosome 21—hence why Down Syndrome Day is held on the 21st day of the third month. His mother, Karen Pickle, said that Banar hasn’t struggled with the disorder. “He’s just been so positive, so outgoing,” she said.

Pickle said, however, that he has had to deal with health issues caused by the disorder, one of which required open heart surgery. “But, he hasn’t stopped,” she said.

“I love helping sick kids,” Banar said. In 2008 he started his clothing line to save money for college and help support children’s charities—donating $35,000 over a seven-year period.

After graduating from St. Clair College in 2012, he kept running his business. He has received several awards over the years, including the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and a Spirit of Philanthropy award last fall.

“The fact that he gives so much of his proceeds to other children’s charities is so massive, so wonderful,” Pecson said. “It really speaks to his spirit and his generosity.”

On Saturday Banar was selling his signature T-Shirts, hoodies and other items featuring his designs at the WFCU Centre for C.C.’s Events Third Annual Handmade Spring Extravaganza craft show—featuring more than 100 local artists.

Banar was sporting one of his red T-shirts with his mohawk headed mascot Jack and his slogan,”Be strong rock on.” Worn over his jeans, he had a pair of mismatched green polka dot socks. Several other people were also wearing wacky, colourful socks at the craft show to help bring awareness to Down Syndrome.

Some of his proceeds were going to a charity supporting programs for cooking classes and other programs for young adults with Down Syndrome. He had previously worked over the past few weeks, creating and selling decorative outdoor ribbons to raise around $1,200 for the cause.

Entering the craft show, people had the option to donate to the Windsor Ice Bullets sledge hockey team.

“Group Hug Apparel has always been a part of our event since we started,” said Chelsey Carr, 27, an organizer for the show. She said they try to make it so the event coordinates with the Down Syndrome Day.

“We love having Andrew Banar at our events and we love rocking our socks,” she said.

Down Syndrome Day walk

Lee Smith, the 23-year-old president of the University of Windsor Disability Studies Student Association, organized Windsor’s first 5 km waterfront walk for Down Syndrome Day on Saturday.

“When I hear things like that, I’m completely amazed,” Smith said about Banar’s award and the charity work he’s involved in.

The event had around 110 people start Assumption Park and walk to and from downtown, raising more than $1,500. Smith said around 85 per cent of that will go towards Up About Down, the Windsor-Essex Down Syndrome Association.

Participants walk in the University of Windsor Disability Studies Student Association’s 5K walk along the Detroit River to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. (JASON KRYK/The Windsor Star)

Smith’s currently in her last year at the university studying disability studies and psychology. She said she started the walk because she found nothing was being done in the city for the day and she hopes that someone will continue to run the event annually.

She also wore mismatched socks and encouraged everyone involved to wear mismatched socks to help promote awareness.

“I got super teary a second ago when a little girl just said, ‘thank you for doing this,'” Smith said shortly after the walk started.

For Group Hug Apparel, Pickle said that Banar plans on releasing a T-shirt design for World Down Syndrome Day in the future. She also said he’s involved in several upcoming Group Hug Apparel charity events around his 24th birthday on April 5.

It’s called Be The Reason Someone Smiles Day—which Pickle said is a campaign of random acts of kindness he wishes for his birthday each year.

On April 2 Tan Lines and The Salon will also be donating proceeds from manicures, pedicures and hair cuts to support a local mother and son who were recently diagnosed with cancer.

On April 11, Group Hug Apparel is having a bowl-a-thon to support the Windsor-Essex Care For Kids Foundation. This runs 1-4 p.m. at Super Bowl Lanes, 10,000 Tecumseh Rd. E. More information can be found at grouphugapparel.com.

jrankin@windsorstar.com

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Kingsville man faces drug charges following traffic stop

March 23, 2015, 5:31 am

≫ Next: Kingsville man faces charges after allegedly fleeing crash scene

≪ Previous: Local clothing designer named a Canadian Down Syndrome Hero

Two people are facing drug charges following a traffic stop in Chatham Sunday night.

Chatham-Kent police said an officer observed a vehicle run a stop sign on Baldoon Road near Partridge Crescent around 8:30 p.m.

When the officer activated his emergency lights, a clear plastic bag was observed being thrown out the driver’s side window.

The officer retrieved the bag and discovered a quantity of marijuana.

Chatham-Kent police said the male motorist was bound by conditions not to possess drugs or drug paraphernalia.

Anthony Romano, 25, of Kingsville is facing charges of drug possession and two counts of failing to comply.

Vanessa Eltervoog, 22, of Blenheim is facing charges of drug possession.

Both were released with conditions pending a future court date.

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Kingsville man faces charges after allegedly fleeing crash scene

March 23, 2015, 4:44 pm

≫ Next: Windsor in Pictures: March 23, 2015

≪ Previous: Kingsville man faces drug charges following traffic stop

A Kingsville motorist is facing numerous charges after he allegedly fled the scene of a collision with another vehicle on Saturday night.

Jacob Dyck, 61, is accused of failing to stop at the scene of an accident, flight while pursued by a peace officer, driving while disqualified, impaired operation of a motor vehicle, and having blood alcohol content exceeding 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood.

The incident happened around 6:30 p.m. Saturday on County Road 31 at Road 5 East in Kingsville.

Provincial police said a vehicle driven by Dyck rear-ended another automobile, then left the scene “at a high rate of speed.”

OPP officers responded and found Dyck’s vehicle a short distance from where the collision took place.

According to police, Dyck was showing “obvious signs of impairment.”

No one was hurt in the incident. Dyck has been scheduled for a court date in Windsor on April 7.

The arrest was one of several over the past week involving suspected impairment.

Kristopher Lucier, 28, of Essex, was stopped and eventually arrested on County Road 22 in Lakeshore shortly before 1 a.m. on March 18. He faces charges of impaired driving, refusing to provide a breath sample, and breach of probation,

Elaine Beaumont, 53, of Lakeshore, was also arrested on County Road 22 around 4:15 p.m. on Mar. 18. She’s been charged with impaired driving and having blood alcohol content exceeding 80 milligrams.

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