In celebration of the exceptional flora that is uniquely Amherstburg, The Belle Vue NHS Conservancy, in support of the Amherstburg Community Foundation will assist the Town in hosting the first annual Rhododendron Garden Tea Party.

On Sunday, May 27, the Downton Abbey-themed event will feature two sittings – one at 11:30am and the other at 3pm in the Kings Navy Yard Park, where guests will be immersed in the beauty of Amherstburg’s nationally acclaimed rhododendron and azalea collection. The tea party portion will be a ticketed event and will feature a unique garden dress display.

A Downton Abbey- inspired costume contest for women, men and children to denote the fascinating eras of Belle Vue, is one of the highlights of the program.

“The rhododendron gardens are one of the focal points of Kings Navy Yard Park each spring,” says Mayor Aldo DiCarlo. “We will be honored to welcome visitors with the added garden tea program. When the gardens are in full bloom, it’s an amazing spectacle for this region.”

For more information, visit www.amherstburg.ca/gardenteaparty or facebook.com/amherstburgconnection, or phone 519-730-1309. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Gordon House, 268 Dalhousie St. Amherstburg.

Residents of the Town of Essex can feel safer knowing they can get the information they need during an emergency with the launch of a new alert system. The Town officially launched Essex Alerts at the Regular Council Meeting as of March 19. “This is a much needed addition to our emergency management system and will help to make sure information gets out quickly and efficiently,” said Rick Arnel, Chief of Essex Fire & Rescue Services. “We’re excited to offer Essex Alerts to our residents and we encourage them to register.”

The alert system is powered by Everbridge, which provides emergency notification systems to government and private organizations around the world. Everbridge is also currently used by a number of local municipalities. “Registration for the system is voluntary so we’re asking all residents to log on and sign-up,” said Alex Denonville, Manager of Communications. “The registration process is very simple and only needs to be done once.”

“While some publicly listed home phone numbers have been added to the database, the system relies on residents registering themselves,” Denonville said, adding that, as of April 3, Town staff will be able to assist residents who do not have access to their own computer.

Residents can sign up to receive notifications to their preferred devices, including email, home phone, cell phone, and fax machine.

Residents interested in signing up for Essex Alerts can visit www.essex.ca/alerts