The Brain Injury Association of Windsor and Essex County (BIAWE) continues to hold its regular support group meetings online through Zoom and has added
a new program for those affected by an acquired brain injury (ABI).
Despite the difficult situation we all find ourselves in during this Covid-19 pandemic, BIAWE recognizes that those suffering with the symptoms of a brain injury or take care of someone with a brain injury can feel particularly distressed and lonely. That is why BIAWE continues to provide comfort and support to this vulnerable population.
BIAWE offers monthly support groups for survivors and caregivers called “You Are Not Alone”, one for Young Adults aged 18 to 30, another one for Caregivers only and a Survivor Social. We have added a weekly “Coffee Chat” for those who just want to call in to talk and connect with others. BIAWE also offers a six-week GOALS program for survivors and a one-on-one year long telephone support for survivors and caregivers.
The support groups offer opportunities to interact and share with others in the comfort that they are not alone and others have similar feelings and experiences. This reduces feelings of loneliness, isolation and feeling judged. It also helps survivors stay motivated to manage the symptoms of their ABI and stick to their personal treatment plans.
Participation in support groups helps reduce distress, depression and anxiety. To register for these free programs, call 519-981-1329 or email to info@biawe.com. A referral is not necessary.

The Burlington Performing Arts Centre - Due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19, we have made the decision to suspend operations and cancel all performances and events through to the end of June.

The City of Windsor wants to remind residents that all play structures and all park amenities in all parks throughout the city are closed due to COVID-19.

Parks themselves, trails and open spaces remain open, but social distancing—staying at least 2 metres away from each other (approximately 6.5 feet)—is to be respected at all times. Gatherings of five or more people are banned in Ontario, and the City of Windsor By-Law Enforcement Officers are enforcing this ban. Within parks, the 2-metre rule should apply to all interactions, even if falling under the provincial five-person restriction. 

What does 2 metres look like? The height of an average door is about 2 metres.

The City of Windsor maintains 989 hectares of parkland, 134 kilometres of trails, and over 2,000 acres of green space across our community. These open spaces allow for appropriate social distancing, while permitting residents to remain active and fit, both physically and mentally during the current public health crisis, but we must respect the social distancing spacing.

The following amenities within the city’s parks are closed to the public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Playgrounds
• Sports fields
• Basketball and tennis courts
• Off-leash dog parks
• Beaches
• Skateboard and BMX parks
• Picnic areas
• All park benches and tables throughout parks
• Outdoor community gardens
• Park shelters
• Outdoor exercise equipment
• Marinas and boat launches

For more information or to report concerns please call 311 Monday to Friday between 8am and 4pm.

Town of Essex Mayor Larry Snively is excited to announce the launch of Essex Plays at Home, a new online initiative to bring recreational activities to the comfort of your own home.

“With recreation facilities closed and programs cancelled, we know that a lot of our community members are looking for something to do, whether it’s to be active or learn something new,” Snively said. “The Essex Plays at Home project will give families and individuals of all ages the chance to participate in some at home recreation.”

The Essex Plays at Home project is broken down into four categories: pre-school, youth, family, and lifestyle & adult fitness. Each category will offer unique activities such as self-guided arts and crafts, home scavenger hunts led by staff via online video feed, fitness classes, as well as links to other online resources.

The online initiative will launch on Monday, April 6 with information posted to www.essex.ca/PlaysAtHome

You are invited to watch Glenwood United Church Online Worship Services live on Sundays at 10:30am at facebook.com/glenwoodunited/ or visit our website glenwoodunited.com.

"Quinte Connection" on YourTV is the hub for community events, groups and individuals to share information and ideas.  Join host Lindsey Harren as she speaks with interesting individuals from the Quinte region on this weekly informative magazine style program.  This week Lindsey chats with Wendy Warner from the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation, Frank Rockett from Quinte Humane Society and a visit with some of the members of the band "Long Range Hustle".  Quinte Connection airs daily at different times including Fridays at 7:00pm.  Check the website for more airdates and times.

Windsor Fire and Rescue and the City of Windsor are rolling out a new way for residents to receive emergency information—fast!

It’s called Windsor Alerts. Visit windsoralerts.ca to sign-up.
The Windsor Alerts system will be used to notify subscribers of significant emergency situations and disasters, such as large fires, tornados, flooding and more. Every resident is asked to sign up by providing their cell phone, email address, home phone and home address. The home address information is important as it allows for geo-positional notifications to be sent out to affected areas.  

Alerts may be broadcast via the following delivery methods:

·Email account (work, home, other)

·Cell phone (SMS Text)

·Home phone (Voice)

·Cell phone (Voice)

·Everbridge Mobile Member App

·TTY device

The City of Windsor encourages residents to register everyone in their family for this important service. Each family member will have to be registered separately. Residents will always have the option to remove their contact information in the event that they no longer wish to receive notifications. More emergency and non-emergency options will be added for residents to sign up for at a later date.

The Windsor Alerts system is built on the same Everbridge platform used by numerous municipalities across Canada, including our neighbours in Essex County. Everbridge is a global leader in mass notification.

For more information on City Services, visit www.citywindsor.ca or call 311. For more information on fire and rescue, visit www.windsorfire.com.