County of Essex delegations recently met with Ontario government officials to advocate on three issues of importance to the region.

The presentations were made in Toronto at the 2025 Rural Ontario Municipal Association Conference. The conference, held Jan. 19-21, was attended by more than 2,000 municipal leaders, government officials, public servants, sponsors, exhibitors.

Essex County delegations met with the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Infrastructure about funding for urgently needed road capacity enhancements and also met with the Ministry of Health about a pilot project focused on the Central Ambulance Communications Centre. Representatives from multiple municipalities also met with officials from Hydro One.

Ministry of Transportation – Roads to Prosperity

Warden Hilda MacDonald, CAO Sandra Zwiers and Project Manager Daniel Baggio met with Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, advocating for provincial support for the construction of grade separated interchanges for key intersections along County Road 22 near the new battery plant and regional hospital.

The proposal was aimed at maximizing economic development opportunities and unlocking developable lands so the region can achieve provincial housing targets.

Ministry of Health – Answering the Call

Warden Hilda MacDonald, CAO Sandra Zwiers and Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Justin Lammers, with Chief Greg Sage of the Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs there in support, advocated for support for a pilot project that would transfer the responsibility of the Windsor Central Ambulance Communications Centre to the County.

The pilot would be aimed at improving the integration, communication and value for money of the dispatch services while also providing an opportunity to advance efficiencies and better manage the increasing demands for EMS services within our growing region.

Ministry of Infrastructure – Housing Infrastructure

The County of Essex and the Town of Tecumseh jointly delegated to the Ministry of Infrastructure for funding to widen County Road 19 into its intersection with County Road 22.

The proposal, which also included stormwater management works, would enhance traffic flow in this growing area and unlock the potential to construct more than 3,000 homes in five years. Warden Hilda MacDonald, Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara and the CAOs for the County of Essex and Tecumseh were in attendance.

Hydro One

County of Essex officials joined representatives from other local municipalities in accepting an invitation from Hydro One to meet and discuss issues of regional importance. The meeting was attended by CAOs from the County of Essex, Leamington, Kingsville, Amherstburg, Tecumseh and Lakeshore. Also in attendance was the Director of Finance for Lakeshore and Chris Gibb, Deputy Mayor of Amherstburg.