Leamington Council has approved further financial relief measures for residents and business owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The move follows Council’s previous decisions to waive all penalties and interest charges on municipal payments since March 25, 2020.

Financial relief measures reflect the Municipality’s concern for the community’s well-being and economic condition. These measures include:

• Waiving all penalties and interest on any overdue balances through to and including July 31, 2020.
• Waiving all returned cheque or electronic payment fees through to and including July 31, 2020.

“While financial relief may be necessary for some residents and businesses, property owners are encouraged to maintain their regular tax, water and wastewater payments to support Leamington’s ability to continue to provide essential services,” said Laura Rauch, Director of Finance and Business Services. “It is critical that the Municipality maintain positive cash flows in order to pay for ongoing operational costs and planned capital projects.”

For more information on COVID-19 planning and preparations by the Municipality, please visit: leamington.ca/COVID19.

For questions about property taxes, please contact the Tax Office at 519-326-5761 or taxes@leamington.ca.

Community members can enjoy the same toe-tapping musical offerings as the Town’s annual Tune Up the Parks concert series moves to digital.

For over five years, the series has featured local artist and bands sharing their musical talents every week in local parks throughout the community. With the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and limitations on group sizes, this year’s series will start with online performances.

Performances will be posted to the Town’s Facebook page at 7:00pm on Mondays and Wednesday starting Monday, June 15, 2020. Performances will also be archived on the Town’s YouTube channel for those who would like to re-watch.

The Tune Up the Parks concert series has served as a celebration and recognition of local musicians and an opportunity to come together as a community.

The Town is still seeking additions to the Tune Up the Parks series lineup. Individuals and groups interested in participating can email jaloisio@essex.ca

Beginning Saturday, June 13, the Municipality of Leamington will open public washrooms at the Leamington Marina, Rick Atkin Park, Mersea Park, Seacliff Park and Seacliff Beach, daily from 8:00AM to 8:00PM. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, residents should avoid municipal parks and beaches if they are busy, and should avoid using washroom facilities unless absolutely necessary. 

If washroom facilities are required, users should maintain a distance of two metres or six feet from others at all times while waiting in line, and should wash hands with soap and water. It is also recommended that cloth masks or face coverings be worn, especially when physical distancing is not possible within the washroom facilities, and that users bring their own hand sanitizer.

For the protection of municipal staff and users, washroom facilities at these locations will be temporarily closed intermittently throughout the day to undergo both routine and extensive cleaning.

Signs will be posted in all public washrooms outlining warnings related to COVID-19 infection risk, and safe behaviour expectations while using any municipally owned washrooms. If the public does not follow washroom safety rules, restrictions could be placed on these facilities.

More information about the Municipality’s response to COVID-19 is available at leamington.ca/COVID-19.

Tecumseh Road East will be reduced to a single lane in each direction at Norman Road for sewer installation work from Monday, June 15 to Wednesday, June 17.  Detour signage will be in place.

Eastbound E.C. Row will have crews on the shoulder between Huron Church Road and Dominion Boulevard for work on the sound barriers on Saturday, June 13 from 6:30am to 1pm. Motorists are asked to use extra caution in the area and slow down.

Continuing their mission of creating a welcoming community for all, the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County is excited to announce that with the support of ethnic and cultural organizations across our community, the spirit of Windsor’s longest running festival is poised to return this month. Respecting physical distancing guidelines, organizers are offering a creative way to celebrate diversity and culture from the safety and convenience of your electronic devices. Presenting Carrousel@Home.

On Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27 the Multicultural Council will host our first-ever social media-based celebration of local culture. Based entirely online, Carrousel@Home will showcase many of the wonderful traditions of the cultures here in Windsor-Essex. 

“Carrousel of the Nations is an institution in our community.” explains Kathleen Thomas, Executive Director of the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County, “In addition to being an award-winning food and drink festival, for over 40 years it has been an opportunity for visitors and residents to discover the cultures and traditions that make Windsor such a unique and amazing place to live. The MCC is proud to continue to encourage and celebrate the harmony created when a diverse community comes together, and we are overjoyed that we have the technology and capability to share performances and presentations- and even provide access to some of the famous food- through Carrousel@Home.”

The event will be streamed simultaneously on Facebook Live and Twitch, and will be hosted by Carrousel of the Nations Chair and Multicultural Council President Allison Johnson. Carrousel@Home promises to be an entertaining and exciting celebration of culture. Demonstrations of traditional arts, cuisine, history, and more will illustrate the diversity of Windsor-Essex and encourage us all to continue to embrace our identity as one of the most multicultural communities in Canada.

Carrousel@Home will stream on Facebook Live and Twitch on Friday, June 26 from 4pm – 8pm and Saturday, June 27 from 12pm – 8pm.

For more information, please visit www.carrouselofnations.com