The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce (WERCC), in partnership with the Amherstburg and Leamington district chambers of commerce, will host the 2025 Ontario Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting and convention.

The gathering will be held April 24-26, 2025, at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts.

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“This is an exciting opportunity to showcase Windsor-Essex to chamber network executives and business leaders from across Ontario,” said Rakesh Naidu, WERCC president and CEO.

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“Together with our local chamber partners in Amherstburg and Leamington, this will be a key moment to make our region known across Ontario as an investment and tourist destination.”

The OCC consists of 150 chambers of commerce and boards of trade. Representing over 60,000 members, it is Ontario’s leading voice of business, supporting member success and advocating for policy solutions to drive sustainable, inclusive growth.

“We are excited to select Windsor-Essex as the host of the Ontario Chamber’s 2025 AGM and Convention,” said Daniel Tisch, OCC’s president and CEO.

“It’s a region known for its vibrant business community, trade corridors and wealth of economic opportunity.

“We look forward to celebrating the breadth and influence of our network, catalyzing dialogue on key economic issues and refining our plans for the future.”

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The chamber will also use this occasion to kick off the celebrations for its 150th anniversary.

“Reaching this milestone is a monumental moment in the history of the chamber,” Naidu said.

“This 150-year journey provides a perfect opportunity not only to celebrate the achievements of the chamber, but also to honour the community that has stood by us, supporting our growth and helping us navigate challenges throughout a century and a half.”

dwaddell@postmedia.com

A total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of North America next month, and as mainland Canada's southernmost region, Essex County will get to see it first.

"We're hoping for clear skies so that we can see this incredible phenomenon during the day," said Tom Sobocan, public relations director for the Royal Astronomical Society's Windsor chapter.

Here's what you need to know to take in this rare sight:

What is a total solar eclipse, anyway?

During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes in front of the sun, creating a period of darkness that lasts for a few minutes. During this event, a ring of light from the sun remains visible.

While eclipses happen nearly every year, you'd have to go to where they are visible in order to take them in, Sobocan says.

"For most of us, this will be a once-in-a lifetime chance and experience to see a total solar eclipse," he said.

According to the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA), the eclipse starts at 1:59 p.m. on April 8 and ends at 4:29 p.m. The total eclipse will take place from 3:13 to 3:17 p.m.

The Essex region "will be the first region in mainland Canada to experience this natural phenomenon," ERCA said in a media release.

Why can't I look at the eclipse?

The Canadian Space Agency says that specially designed eclipse glasses are required to prevent damage to your eyes — sunglasses won't cut it.

You can also make an eclipse projector out of a cardboard box that will allow you to safely view the event.

"Your retina doesn't have any pain receptors," Sobocan said. "It only has light receptors, and you will end up burning an image of the partial phase of the eclipse sun into your eye and that will lead to permanent eye damage."

To prevent inadvertently looking at the eclipse, Sobocan says to face away from the sun when putting on and removing your glasses.

"I recommend that you practise this before eclipse day, so that you get comfortable with it." he said.

The Royal Astronomical Society in Windsor is selling the glasses for $2 a pair.

Where to watch

Windsor will not get complete coverage, but Essex County is better positioned, according to Sobocan.

He listed Colchester, Point Pelee, Kingsville and Point Pelee as places to be in the county.

There's also another consideration for eclipse watchers — other people who want to do the same thing.

"You should plan to get on the road early because there will be traffic jams. Maybe take the day off from work if you have a chance," he said.

Schools in the Catholic and public English school boards in Windsor-Essex are closing early.

Eclipse events in Windsor-Essex

The Royal Astronomical Society is doing a series of eclipse presentations this month throughout Windsor and Essex County, beginning Wednesday night in LaSalle.

On the big day itself, ERCA is hosting two viewing parties. One, at the John R. Park Homestead in Essex, is a family-friendly event called the Total Eclipse of the Park.

The other event, Celest-Fest at the Beach, is happening at Holiday Beach Conservation Area in Amherstburg, where totality will be 99.99 per cent, according to ERCA.

"Guests will be encouraged to pay attention to their surroundings as animals like birds that are usually silent at night may abruptly stop singing, and insects like crickets that are active at night may start chirping," Danielle Breault Stuebing, ERCA's director of communications and outreach, said in a media release.

"This is a rare and wonderful opportunity to witness first-hand how much of an impact the sun has on the planet and its inhabitants."

Solar glasses are part of the ticket price for these events.

Hillman Marsh Conservation area, in the path of totality in Leamington, will also be open for viewing but parking is limited.

Despite a slowing national economy, the business activity level in the Windsor area was ranked second-highest in Ontario by Statistics Canada to start 2024.

The level of activity in the Windsor census metropolitan area, which also includes Amherstburg, LaSalle, Tecumseh and Lakeshore, has shown great consistency since last summer by ranking in the top three or four places in Ontario each week.

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“Overall, there are especially positive economic conditions here,” said Workforce WindsorEssex CEO Justin Falconer. “We’re doing much better than other communities in weathering the current economic conditions.”

The real-time local business conditions index was launched by Statistics Canada in August 2020. That month is used as the base measurement of 100 on the index with anything below that meaning a decline in activity while a higher number indicates growth.

Statistics Canada takes into consideration such factors as traffic volume, population growth, business closings, retail and wholesale statistics in compiling the real-time index.

Windsor had a measurement of 435.45 for the week of January 15, second only to Kitchener’s 460.17 rating and ahead of London’s 409.17.

The three southern Ontario regions have taken turns interchanging places in the provincial top three since last summer. The three communities were also the only regions to crack the 500-point barrier in Ontario in 2023.

Falconer said southwestern Ontario has been the provincial hotspot for business activity due to the significant population growth that started during the pandemic, the massive investments in manufacturing, particularly the electric automotive sector, and continued growth in technology and health sciences.

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“The investments in Windsor and beyond — such as in battery plants, the Gordie Howe bridge, Windsor Assembly and the supply chain — these are stimulating the economy and it’s spilling over into other regions,” Falconer said.

The low point for business activity in the Windsor area last year came in the week of February 13 when the index measured 273.99. By mid-August, the index had surpassed 400 points and has remained above that mark since, with the exception of one week.

“The local business conditions ranking is up 37.5 per cent over the year,” Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce president Rakesh Naidu said. “We were one of the top-performing communities in Canada last year.

“These numbers are a strong indication of where we are. They’re really a key indicator of your region’s economic fundamentals.”

Naidu added the number of active businesses also grew over the first nine months of 2023. The most up-to-date statistics through September show a 7.5- to eight-per-cent increase, to 8,945 businesses.

“Coming out of a pandemic, with high interest rates, high inflation, supply chain issues and labour challenges hasn’t impacted the closure rate,” Naidu said. “We’re still at 4.3 per cent, the same as in 2022, so that’s good to see.”

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While the Windsor CMA’s unemployment rate of 8.1 per cent was the highest in Canada for the month of December, Naidu feels that reflects a pause mostly in the manufacturing sector and a population growth of 10,300 people in 2023.

“There were some slowdowns in manufacturing, with shutdowns for retooling and things being a bit slower for tool and mould shops, while OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) held back some programs for now,” Naidu said. “This is just a pausing phase.

“The current numbers don’t reflect the region and what is coming. We continue to be optimistic about 2024, but we have to keep an eye what’s happening globally with some geopolitical issues that could eventually impact us.”

Dwaddell@postmedia.com

TransForm Shared Service Organization, which oversaw cybersecurity as hackers took down systems at five Ontario hospitals, including Windsor’s, has ceased supply chain services for the targeted institutions.

The agency has handed over that responsibility, along with $5 million of its annual operating budget and a third of its full-time staff, to a larger shared service organization called Mohawk Medbuy.

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But TransForm board chair Helga Reidel said the divestiture of staff and services was not related to the devastating cyberattack in October. She said TransForm’s board started discussing the transition with its member hospitals last summer.

“Nothing to do with the cyberattack,” Reidel told the Windsor Star.

“In fact, there was a concern that the cyberattack work would keep us from bringing this through to fruition. But it didn’t. We met all our original targets.”

Effective April 1, Mohawk Medbuy is the supply chain service provider for Bluewater Health, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, and Windsor Regional Hospital.

These are the same hospitals that announced Oct. 23 they were under cyberattack, along with TransForm, their shared service provider.

The massive ransomware assault shut down systems at all five hospitals, delayed procedures, and forced many patients to leave their hometowns for treatment.

The hackers also stole mountains of sensitive information and posted it on the dark web after the hospitals refused to pay a ransom.

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Reidel would not discuss the cyberattack. Officials with TransForm, including CEO Lyn Baluyot, have refused to talk publicly about the hack since it began.

The CEOs of the five hospitals said during a joint media conference earlier this month that 326,000 letters were going out to patients whose information was stolen and posted online.

Without addressing the cyberattack, TransForm said it will continue providing digital health and information technology services, as it has done since the five member hospitals founded it in 2013. No other divestitures are planned, according to Reidel.

“Digital IT is still staying with TransForm and the hospitals have repeated that,” she said. “So there is no intention for any other changes.”

During the last joint hospital media conference, Kristin Kennedy, CEO of Erie Shores HealthCare in Leamington, said the hospitals remain committed to TransForm.

“We are TransForm. The hospitals are TransForm,” Kennedy told reporters.

Reidel said the divestiture of supply chain services will mean a reduction in TransForm’s $25-million annual operating budget, which pays for things like office costs and salaries.

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“Our annual budget spend will be reduced by the amount that we used to spend on the staff for the procurement function, as well as any supplies they would have needed,” said Reidel. “So our budget will go down.”

TransForm communications specialist Juhayna Helmy said the hospital-approved budget for existing supply chain and accounts payable operations transferred to Mohawk Medbuy is about $5 million.

Apart from its operating budget, TransForm also spent about $749 million annually in taxpayer money, mostly on the supply chain services that Medbuy Mohawk is taking over.

Those services include shared group purchasing, requests for proposals, tenders and accounts payable, along with any procurements for an individual hospital’s needs.

“Medbuy will bill the hospitals directly for whatever amount they agree to and what services they perform,” said Reidel. “We will no longer receive that funding at TransForm.”

Reidel said the transition of supply chain services follows a government directive to streamline processes.

“The province was encouraging all hospitals to move to consolidated supply chains, even provincially,” she said. “Mohawk Medbuy was quite large, and they’ve taken over the procurement for a number of hospitals.

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“We were just one more piece of the puzzle to bring all the procurement consolidated provincially. So, it was really a direction from the province to move in this way.”

Mohawk Medbuy currently lists more than 60 hospitals, long-term care facilities, and health authorities as members on its website.

TransForm’s divestiture comes in the wake of Mohawk Medbuy’s acquisition of other shared service organizations, including Plexxus, St. Joseph’s Health System’s Group Purchasing Organization, Northern Supply Chain, Shared Support Services Southeastern Ontario (3SO), and Shared Service West.

Reidel said the recent development with TransForm was not an acquisition. Mohawk Medbuy and TransForm remain separate entities, she said.

But Mohawk Medbuy is taking on about 50 former TransForm employees.

Before the divestiture, TransForm stated on its website that it had 147 full-time and 62 part-time employees. But the organization has also gone on a hiring spree since the cyberattack to fill positions for the other parts of its operations.

“It was about 50 employees that were transferred to be employed by Mohawk Medbuy,” said Reidel. “They were all offered jobs. I think all but one accepted the position.

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“So they are all working for Mohawk now, and the salaries and all the funding for that is going to Mohawk Medbuy.”

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Reidel said Mohawk Medbuy is also taking over the lease for the office and supply warehouse in Chatham that TransForm previously operated. TransForm is keeping its Windsor office.

“The employees are still at the Chatham location, they just now work for Mohawk Medbuy,” said Reidel.

“Staff is still working through this transition. Obviously, it doesn’t happen overnight with the flick of a switch. But we expect within the next month or so that it will be concluded and everything will be transferred and settled.”

twilhelm@postmedia.com

Ontario's minimum wage rose $1.05 on Sunday to $16.55 an hour. Some Windsorites say the raise is a good start but more is needed — and others think it'll only make business more challenging.

"I think it'll be good especially for people living in more rural areas and places that are kind of less expensive to live in," said Nick Bhumgara. "But especially in … major cities I think it's a little harder for people to even function with $16.55 an hour with prices of living going up

"I think it is a good step in the right direction. But I think that we could do a little bit better."

Abbigale Gooding says she makes minimum wage working with students. She said she's happy the wage is going up — and will put the extra money into saving for her own schooling.

"I think it's a good thing with the inflation happening in Ontario," she said, adding that she'd like to see the wage raised just a little more, to around $17 an hour.

"Inflation has gone up quite a lot since the pandemic."

Justin Falconer is the CEO of Workforce WindsorEssex. He says that because many minimum wage earners can't save saving with a high cost of living, it means much of the wage increase will be circular and felt positively in the economy.

"Employers have been struggling to find workers and having to raise wages anyway," he said.

"There is no doubt some employers are very wage-sensitive…but generally speaking there are a good number of people who earn minimum wage and will spend it in our local economy."

Right now there are about 10,000 unemployed people in the region, what Falconer said was a pretty low number. Windsor's unemployment rate is 5.8 per cent — a number Falconer said was "uncharacteristically low" and a good sign for Windsor.

"There are still lots of employers looking for minimum wage workers …. I think it's a job-seeker's market at this point."

Richard Lee is the executive director of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, which is headquartered in Leamington.

He says the minimum wage increase will be felt by employers, especially coming out of the pandemic in an industry he says is already struggling.

"Labour is probably the large majority of our costs associated with running a farming operation, along with energy pricing," Lee said. "So an impact or an increase of a dollar to the minimum wage adds a significant increase on our labour costs and that's felt across the board.

"As food costs continue to rise and input costs continue to rise, we really are looking for a better return from our retailers back to our growers so that we can sustain some of these increased costs."

Raising the minimum wage to $16.55 from $15.50 represents a 6.8 per cent increase, and puts Ontario's minimum wage third in the country, behind Yukon and British Columbia with minimums of $16.77 and $16. 75 respectively. According to the province, more than 900,000 people across the province will receive the higher wage.

While the minimum wage came into effect on Sunday, Oct. 1, Falconer said people — employers and employees alike — will feel the increase over the next couple of weeks making up a payroll cycle.

"There are cost pressures everywhere and labour is part of that as well."

Shane Peters says he sees a lot of plastic cannabis containers and packaging that never make it into a recycling bin.

The 21-year-old works at a pot shop on Huron Church Road in Windsor, Ont.

He's pushing for the Ontario Cannabis Store and Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to adopt a sustainable packaging and container return program — similar to the one at The Beer Store.

"We see quite a bit wasted, even just in my location, like out in the parking lot — little joint tubes scattered all around," said Peters. "I used to walk to work and it's a 30-minute walk. And along this whole walk, there's cannabis packages all over the place, all over the ground, just out in the grass."

Health Canada sets packaging standards for recreational marijuana products and licensed producers must adhere to them.

As of April 23, there are 1,791 cannabis stores in Ontario that are authorized to be open, according to the AGCO.

A Toronto Metropolitan University study published in 2020 estimated between 5.8 million and 6.4 million kilograms of plastic cannabis packaging ended up in Canadian landfills.

The OCS says some packaging can be recycled via curbside programs.

"In other cases, cannabis packaging may be recycled through special programs by participating licensed producers and authorized cannabis stores," said Amanda Winto of OCS communications.

"Some stores have even created their own packaging take-back programs and will collect specific waste, such as vape cartridges and batteries."

Peters is also a student in the environmental studies program at the University of Windsor.

"It's very discouraging … and it being such a new industry, there was really no reason for there not to be some sort of green initiative like this put in place from legalization."

Peters believes standardized packaging — either plastic or glass jars — that would give you a deposit you could bring back for reuse could incentivize consumers.

"I believe that could work. Even those who don't have so much passion for the conservation aspect of it."

Peters said customers, especially returning ones, often voice their concerns about the packaging for the cannabis.

"There's a couple of companies that really go excessive with their packaging."

LISTEN | Marijuana plastic packaging recycling initiative:

Windsor Morning7:54Marijuana plastic packaging recycling initiative

The OCS says the reason for so much packaging is to protect against accidental consumption and so it doesn't appeal to kids.

It's also designed to prevent contamination and keep cannabis fresh, its website states.

Each licensed producer is responsible for producing packaging.

Why is so much cannabis-related plastic recycled?

The OCS says the reason so much plastic is used in packaging, instead of compostable and biodegradable materials, is for "product protection, weight, compliance, user friendliness and recyclability."

"Plastic is often used because it is lightweight, inexpensive and versatile and can be used to maintain freshness."

It says some producers are making use of recycled content and using plastic alternatives such as glass jars and cardboard boxes.

To determine the type of plastic used in cannabis packaging and whether it can be recycled, the OCS says to check the bottom of the container for a code displayed within the recycling symbol.

Curbside recycling programs vary between municipalities, it says.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and other plastics or multi-layer combinations are the most commonly used materials in cannabis packaging that can be recycled, according to the OCS website.

Peters admits his online petition is more for the "long term," adding it would be difficult, logistically, to make happen — with individual stores adhering to the same model.

"[It] would need to be a provincial-wide thing endorsed by the industry itself, the decision makers themselves."

A national organization representing skilled workers describes NextStar's plan to use as many as 900 foreign workers to install equipment at the electric-vehicle (EV) battery plant in Windsor, Ont., as an "insult" to Canada's tradespeople.

Sean Strickland is executive director of Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU), which represents more than 500,000 skilled trades workers in 14 unions.

He said the work should go to trained Canadians — specifically workers in southwestern Ontario.

"It's just absolutely unconscionable," he said.

"We need to find a way to resolve the situation and maximize the number of Canadian jobs on this project."

Strickland said workers under their umbrella have performed similar "state of the art technology" in the automotive sector for the past 100 years — including battery plants across North America.

He said NextStar's requirement of 900 foreign workers who have experience with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is beyond industry standards his organization has seen.

"We traditionally work alongside original equipment manufacturer representatives when we install the equipment, but not 900."

On Thursday, NextStar confirmed its plan to hire about 1,600 technicians from outside suppliers to assemble, install and test equipment, including up to 900 "temporary specialized global supplier staff," mainly from South Korea.

"They have specific knowledge of the equipment, having been part of the team to build it and disassemble it for shipping, and will therefore see the installation through," the company said in a statement.

The plant, a partnership between Stellantis and South Korean company LG Energy Solution, is slated to open in 2025, and received $15 billion in federal and provincial subsidies.

Until his trades union secures a meeting with the companies — which Strickland says has yet to take place — he said it's too difficult to say what would be an acceptable number of workers coming to Windsor for the project.

WATCH | Poilievre, Trudeau debate use of foreign workers at Windsor EV plant:

5 months ago

Duration 3:02

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre get into a heated exchange over the NextStar EV battery factory's use of foreign workers during question period.

Strickland said work continuing at the battery plant adds urgency.

"I know the base of the building is pretty well done. I know they're pouring concrete and the equipment install is probably going to happen in the next number of weeks," he said. "It just re-emphasizes the fact that we need to have a conversation with Stellantis and NextStar."

The Construction Employers Coordinating Council of Ontario and Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario spoke out against NextStar's plans.

In a joint emailed statement issued Friday, the two groups said their workers have been involved in the construction, installation and maintenance of projects within the auto, EV and battery sector over the last decade.

"The suggestion … workers need to be brought in on permits to get this completed is a false narrative," the statement said.

"Put simply, there isn't a project in Ontario that our Ontario contractors and skilled trades workforce can't build and we urge the company and the government to engage in dialogue with industry to ensure that happens in Windsor."

Fedeli says Ontario workers will receive training

Vic Fedeli, provincial minister of economic, job development and trade, said Friday he spoke with NextStar CEO Danies Lee about workers coming to Windsor for the project.

"These workers will also assist with training 700 Ontario workers to equip them with net new skills that will lay the groundwork for work on future projects of this kind as we transition to building the cars of the future," Fedeli said. "To be clear, these temporary workers will come to Windsor to perform this highly specialized work, upskill Ontario workers, and then return home."

François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of industry, said he spoke to the building trade unions Friday and they're "very much on the same page."

"Now, what I want to do is to sit down with the company, sit down with the unions, and — and making sure that we understand fully the landscape," Champagne said. "What is the minimum required amount of people that we need to transfer the technology, and make sure that Canadians and Canadian workers could operate, build this plant, so that we have benefits for generations to come."

But other industry and economic experts have said bringing foreign workers to set up and install a new project is very much expected.

"This is what's going to happen with every partnership, especially in the electrification space with a foreign entity, and I think it's got to be sort of the pill that needs to be swallowed for a short amount of time," Joe McCabe, president of Auto Forecast Solutions, told CBC News this week.

"Anywhere you're going to partnership with a foreign entity, you're going to have representation from that foreign entity … at least for the kickoff, especially in a battery electric field."

NextStar said Thursday the temporary staff would be working on site anywhere from three to 18 months before returning home.

"These are not permanent full-time jobs," a spokesperson said.

Michigan is set to become one of a handful of states to start serving free breakfast and lunch to every student in public schools.

One Windsor parent says if this program was to be introduced in Ontario, it would lift some weight off her shoulders.

"There's actually been times that we didn't have enough food and we had to call food banks to help us out," said Tina Friesen, mother of a four-year-old and a nine-month-old.

She said that if a such a program gets introduced in Ontario, it would help her tremendously.

"It's getting very expensive, we just bought groceries worth of $600 worth for our family and it looked only like $100 worth," said Friesen.

"Even being on ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) and getting baby bonus, it's still a struggle every day for us to get food," she added.

Friesen says she visits United Way's Summer Eats for Kids program twice a week to pick up free food, which helps her feed her family.

The bill passed in Michigan last week. The initiative is pegged at $160 million in the 2024 budget, and will benefit about 1.4 million students. The program will start in the upcoming school year.

The program is called the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Those programs are based on the national dietary guidelines.

In Ontario, Patrick Bissett, press secretary to the minister of Children, Community and Social Services, said in a statement to CBC News that nearly 70 per cent of provincially funded elementary and high schools across the province have a student nutrition program.

He added that the Ontario Student Nutrition Program helps provide breakfasts, snacks and lunches to kids in school across Ontario.

In Windsor-Essex specifically, eight schools provide breakfast programs and 85 schools provide a snack program, Bissett said.

The province did not respond to questions from CBC about whether Ontario is considering expanding the program.

Between the four school boards in Windsor-Essex, there is a total of 185 schools primary and secondary schools.

The UHC - Hub of Opportunities in Windsor, recorded a 28 per cent increase in the number of children served at its food bank between 2022 and 2023.

'It's not enough:' United Way CEO says

Lorraine Goddard is the CEO for United Way Centraide Windsor-Essex. She said United Way started their summer lunch program for kids program to combat food insecurity.

"It's going to take a lot of advocacy to push this issue forward because we absolutely do need to feed our children," said Goddard.

Goddard said while the Ontario Student Nutrition Program helps the kids during the school year to have something to snack on, "it is not enough. They're coming to school hungry."

"When kids are home from school, they don't even have access to whatever snack or whatever food program is available in their school," said Goddard.

"We hear all the time, particularly in certain schools, how teachers are literally bringing food to their classrooms to feed kids and they're hungry."

Goddard added that the funding is not enough.

"It is not even a meal program, Any meal program generally that they do offer, often it is supplemented by other fundraising support from the community."

'Your kids deserve it just as much as our kids'

Diane Golzynski, the deputy superintendent, finance and operations at the Michigan Department of Education, said when children are hungry, it reflects in everything they do.

"It's the only thing they can think about," said Golzynski. "Not what the teacher is saying, not what lessons are provided, nothing. They are just thinking about food."

Golzynski added that while many kids all over the world are facing the same issue, providing a program like the one Michigan just approved allows teachers to do their job — "and that's to teach our future generation."

Golzynski said governments should also focus on making it free for all, to eliminate the stigma.

"It allows every kid to be treated exactly the same...your kids deserve it just as much as our kids do, right?" she said.