Kelsey Santarossa

Lakeshore's first cannabis retail store has opened and we were officially able to celebrate with a ribbon cutting on Saturday! Sharing a peak inside for all those that might be curious Big thanks to Brian, Sam, Mike and the entire Sessions team for the tour and conversation! Regardless of how you might feel about cannabis, it is great to see new retail in Lakeshore - and one that supports many local growers and employers!

Lakeshore Time to have your say on short term rentals in your municipality! AirBnB? Vrbo? Yes? No? Yes, with regulation? Let us know what you think and don't forget to mark your calendars for the virtual open house on April 28th (more details to come)! https://www.placespeak.com/topic/6503

The countdown is on! Very excited to be sitting in on this fireside chat with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and local MP Irek Kusmierczyk. Great work continues to come out of Cities & Climate Action Forum, and we are so lucky to have them here locally.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) will begin administering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to residents of Windsor and Essex County 80 years of ...age and older beginning Monday, March 1 through targeted vaccination clinics. The WECHU is continuing to vaccinate the priority population in Phase 1 of the three-phased vaccine distribution plan by the Government of Ontario and supported by the Windsor Essex County Vaccine Prioritization Committee. This COVID-19 vaccination milestone is occurring because of the continued partnership with Windsor Regional Hospital administering vaccine at the St. Clair College Sportsplex. With approximately 20,000 residents of Windsor and Essex County representing the 80 years of age and older demographic, preparations have been underway to plan for this targeted vaccination clinic. The first targeted vaccination clinic will take place at the Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU) Centre at 8787 McHugh Street in the City of Windsor. It is by appointment only and drop-ins are not permitted. On March 1st, the clinic will start at 10 a.m. with the last appointment occurring at 3:45 p.m. The clinic will then operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, beginning again the following Monday at 9 a.m., pending vaccine supply. Residents 80 years of age and older from outside the City of Windsor and surrounding municipalities will be able to attend an additional targeted vaccination clinic beginning Monday, March 8th in the Municipality of Leamington at the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre. More details about the Leamington targeted COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be provided in the near future and when they can pre-register. The WECHU is cautioning residents that this is not a first come, first served system. Once information is provided in the pre-registration form, individuals will be randomly selected and then contacted to book their appointments. This is being done to ensure fair and equitable access to appointment times. The pre-registration form is now available online (https://uwindsor.ca1.qualtrics.com//fo/SV_cNLRzBnAEGB0tDg) and can also be accessed from www.wechu.org. Family and friends of adults 80 years of age and older are encouraged to support their loved one(s) in pre-registering for an appointment. For those unable to access the online system, help is available by contacting the WECHU’s pre-registration hotline at 519-251-4072. Due to expected call volumes initially, it may take multiple attempts to speak with a Windsor-Essex County Health Unit representative. For patients 80 years of age or older currently admitted at a Windsor and Essex County hospital, they will be evaluated by their most responsible physician (MRP) to determine if they can clinically and safely tolerate the COVID-19 vaccine. The hospital will then attempt to administer the vaccine, if possible, in a safe manner. The second dose may have to be arranged and administered outside of the hospital in the community. As targeted COVID-19 vaccination clinics start being administered in the community, we still need to practice public health measures to help prevent further spread of COVID-19 in our community: 1. Maintain a 2 metre distance from others. 2. Limit your contacts to your household only. 3. Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly and often. 4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 5. Use a medical or non-medical mask (e.g, cloth) in public settings. 6. Cover mouth & nose with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze. 7. Stay home and do not go to work or school if you are sick. For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, please visit the webpage. We also encourage the community to subscribe to receive email updates from the Windsor Essex County Health Unit about COVID-19 vaccines. #Lakeshore

The Belle River Marina Boat Launch is open and ready for an exciting season! Be safe, and have a great time out on Lake St. Clair!

This #internationalwomensday2021 I want to highlight the great work that #Lakeshore is doing - not just today, but every day. There are great teams behind each and every department in Lakeshore, but did you know that our director positions are filled by women? Finance, Legal & Legislative Services, Community & Development Services and Engineering & Infrastructure Services are all led by women! So, to Rosanna, Kristen, Tammie and Krystal, and all of the other women working to make #Lakeshore run smoothly - Thank you, and Happy International Women's Day!

Too cheesy?...Well, it's true! According to Environment Canada: Two rounds of precipitation are expected Monday and into Tuesday morning across portions of southern Ontario. The first one is expected to begin overnight or early Monday morning with 5 cm of snow expected by afternoon. Potentially higher amounts of up to 10 cm may occur near Lake Erie.... The precipitation may diminish during the afternoon, but another round of even heavier snow is expected to move in Monday evening and persist until Tuesday morning. An additional 10 to 20 cm is likely.

We always want to hear from you - so don't forget to unmute! If you haven't already, register for PlaceSpeak! This platforms lets us consult with you on plans, policy and design. Once you've registered, you'll be notified of new topics and ways to have your voice heard on our biggest projects. https://www.placespeak.com/

Feeling the love for Lakeshore today! Happy Valentine's Day, all!

The Local Labour Market Plan is live on the Workforce WindsorEssex website! It was a true pleasure learning from employers from various sectors across Windsor-Essex through consultations this past summer. We got to talk about what struggles they were facing, where they see their industry growing, and what kind of talent they were looking to hire. Curious about more labour market indicators? Check out the report linked below!

Another great report and initiative I am so blessed to be work-adjacent to! The annual RISE Needs Assessment Report looks at the barriers, opportunities and recommendations needed to ensure a strong ecosystem for female entrepreneurs across Windsor-Essex. Reports like this, especially done in collaboration with key stakeholders locally, set the stage for action to improve our outcomes locally - getting more women working for themselves, employing others, and in the workforce more generally. Check it out!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year! A cheers to all of the wonderful opportunities we will have as a community!Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year! A cheers to all of the wonderful opportunities we will have as a community!

Wrapping Up 2020 in Ward 3 - https://mailchi.mp/d58853aef8af/2020wrapup-lakeshore-ward3 My first newsletter was released today. I wanted to take the opportunity to wish you all the happiest of holidays and the best for the new year ahead. I took a moment to share some of my favourite highlights of our work over the past year. Take a look!