IMG_9235 by townse5 from the windsoriteDOTca Flickr pool.

Protesters gathered in front of MPP Sandra Pupatello’s downtown office yesterday. The group, including Windsor Workers’ Action Centre president Ron Drouillard and director of labour studies at the university Alan Hall, spoke up against Schedule 9 of Bill 68, which states workers must confront their employers before filing an official complaint.

Essex County’s wineries are making the news across the border. Comparing our local grapes to those that grow in California and France, Metromode Magazine encourages Detroiters to spend a couple days in our region- this weekend is a good start, with the Shores of Erie Wine Festival taking place from today until Sunday.

More news on the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market location dilemma. City administration has suggested council should reject the market’s request for funding, saying the old Greyhound bus station isn’t necessarily worth restoring. Mayor Eddie Francis requested a sketch from Windsor architect Matt Woods depicting what a new market along Pelissier Street could look like. The mayor will speak with market organizers tonight, and council will discuss the matter on Monday.

A 22-year old liquor-nabber was tazed yesterday at the Roundhouse LCBO. Police responded to a call at around 8pm last night, and found the store’s security guards having difficulty restraining the “large man”. Police used the taser gun after the man failed to comply with them.

ERCA has put its two cents in regarding offshore turbine in the Great Lakes. The Essex Region Conservation Authority submitted a report to the province saying the 5km exclusion zone currently proposed isn’t enough. They’re concerned mainly with protecting the water intake pipes, while other opponents to the wind farm are worried about fishing and navigation routes, and environmental and recreational impacts.

Would a major attraction do the job?  Tax breaks for businesses?  A water feature?  Business incentives such as free rent?  Oceans of free parking (like Devonshire Mall)?

Discuss below!

home away from home by skintone from the windsoriteDOTca Flickr pool.

The Windsor Chamber of Commerce wants less taxes for local business owners. In a survey of their 250 members, 52% believed the current administration is “on the right track”, while 20% disagree. The group of local business owners would also like to see a solid plan for economic growth. They hope the timeliness of the survey will help  spotlight the issues.

The newest French language school in Windsor will be named by experts – the students. In a contest that will run through October, the students (and their parents) will be asked to submit their chosen name along with a brief explanation. The Totten Road public school is designed to be as green as possible, and class sizes are currently small. “It’s like a private school,” says principal Hani Fadel.

More good news for area francophones. CBEF will return with a morning show broadcast entirely en français, hosted by veteran Charles Levesque. After receiving hundreds of complaints from the 35,000 French-speaking locals, CBC decided to reinstate the morning show, which will air on 540AM from 6:35 to 7:00 each weekday morning.

A 37-year old Windsor woman was clocked at 200km/h on the 401 Monday. Not only was she driving double the speed limit, she was headed west in the eastbound lane in Lakeshore. Police had to use spike belts to stop the Dodge Ram truck. The woman was charged with impaired driving, dangerous driving and driving with a BAL over 80mg.

This fall’s election has drawn the highest number of candidates in 22 years. In all, there are 48 people running for mayor or city councilor, and the new 10-ward system is being cited as the reason for the increase in hopeful community leaders. You can see the entire list of candidates at the Citizfaction website (where you can also submit your ideas for improving the city).

Windsor singer-songwriter Pat Robitaille is offering his latest record, change, as a free download for a week.  The news comes to us via producer Adam Rideout-Arkell.  Robitaille was born and bred right here in Windsor and “paints a landscape with a song as if a hundred people have given their advice” according to his website.

Here’s the link to Pat’s newest album and the free MP3 downloads.

Check out Pat Robitaille on iTunes.

Discuss!

Privatization? by ravenswift from the windsoriteDOTca Flickr pool.

Since August 10th, Windsor parking enforcement had been instructed NOT to issue tickets to vehicles parked at expired meters. For weeks, Windsorites have enjoyed free parking at all of the city’s meters, because of a paperwork delay during the re-writing process of the governing bylaw.

As of right now, parking enforcement is back to normal, with tickets going out to vehicles parked not only at expired meters, but also non-functioning meters with a blank display or with a display that reads “FAIL”.

Click here to learn more about the city’s parking enforcement, and click here to see the set list of applicable parking fines.

A Dark Horse by DCI Photography from the windsoriteDOTca Flickr pool.

Two Windsor-area horse drivers have been fined for fixing races. Kevin Wallis of Maidstone and Gene Piroski of Cottam were fined $100,000 each and had their harness racing licenses suspended for 10 and 12 years respectively for conspiring to affect the outcome of races at Windsor Raceway.

Two men have been arrested for robbing a Shoppers Drugmart on the city’s west end. The robbery occurred yesterday evening  around 9pm, when two men demanded narcotics be handed over at the pharmacy. The robbers were captured shortly after, at the gas station across the street.

A Hollywood-backed production will be filmed in Windsor next year. Gavin Michael Booth, of Mimetic Entertainment, will write and direct the first film in the upcoming “Diary of Lori Lang” trilogy, entitled Cheer For Your Life. Mimetic is accepting resumes and headshots from local actors and crew persons who are interested getting involved.

Windsor native Daniele Di Franceschi took the gold at this year’s Tour di Via Italia. This is the second time he’s won the Elite men’s race, beating over 200 other cyclists from across the continent. Windsor’s Bradley Carroll placed fourth, after Chris Uberti of Northville, Mich. (2nd) and Jeffrey Schiller of London (3rd). 

It’s back to school for a record-breaking number of college students today. St. Clair has reported the highest enrollment rate ever with 8343 students starting classes today, a 57% increase since 2000. College president John Strasser says the new Mediaplex attracted many new students to the school.