On Monday June 8th, over 40 Windsorites registered to delegate at Council on the matter of emergency funding for the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families. Coun. Kieran McKenzie’s motion to supply roughly $190,000 in emergency funding for the shelter was delayed, as a majority of council members supported a motion from Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac to defer the discussion, citing a lack of information. No delegates were allowed to speak.
Mayor Dilkens stated that there are no women or children without shelter in Windsor, and Coun. Gignac said that a lack of information inspired her decision to put forward a motion to defer. Despite the motion being available last Wednesday, Coun. Gignac had stated she did not start to read the agenda until last Friday. The new report from staff is expected in late July, where we hope the conversation will continue.
The Councillors who opposed the immediate emergency funding are:
- Councillor Jo Anne Gignac (519-945-4434)
- Councillor Gary Kaschak (519-948-0900)
- Councillor Mark McKenzie (519-946-8400)
- Councillor Ed Sleiman (519-944-7058)
- Councillor Jim Morrison (519-962-5921)
- Mayor Drew Dilkens (519-255-6315)
In 2023, City Council unanimously declared an intimate partner violence epidemic in Windsor – the motion was brought forward by Coun. Gignac who, at the time said that “time is of the essence to get this moved forward”.
The City of Windsor has failed to adequately address intimate partner violence or the displacement that is often caused by it. Women do experience homelessness fleeing unsafe partners – this is a fact. The declaration that there is not a single woman or child experiencing such conditions is contradicted by the lived experience of women in our community. An issue raised in good faith by our community deserves reciprocated good faith engagement on behalf of our elected leaders. Refusal to engage due to ignorance of an issue, particularly when information was made available, is an egregious violation of public trust and encourages voter disengagement.
It is expected that Councillors read the material presented to them. It is expected that they act decorously, respectfully and with kindness. It is incredibly disappointing to see acts of disrespect and condescension continue to thrive inside of Council Chambers.
Engage Windsor is also deeply concerned with the priorities of City Council. The requested amount of $190,000 for the Women’s Shelter was denied as $150,000 for a “pizza festival” was approved. This continues a troublesome pattern of investing in amenities such as streetcar cafes and ‘civic esplanades’ in lieu of city services that improve quality of life like public transit, housing, road safety, libraries and accessibility.
Engage Windsor’s advocacy priorities include transparency, accountability and housing. As Council is committed to the 10am Monday meeting slot despite clear community support for a more accessible time for working Windsorites, we expect that delegates who appear to speak on important issues – particularly issues the City itself has recognized as epidemic – are heard. The culture of disrespect and dismissal within Council should not grant Council permission to treat their constituents with similar disrespect.
Our City, 
Engage believes in advocacy through empowerment. Municipalities across Ontario run "Resident Satisfaction Surveys" that ask residents important questions about their quality of life, service satisfaction and budget priorities. The City of Windsor does not run these surveys, but with the municipal election approaching we thought it was more important than ever that we discuss these important topics with our community.
