The inaugural meeting of an extended working group to develop an action plan for Tecumseh to deal with lake flooding was held this morning at Town Hall. The group, consisting of representatives from Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA), Essex Power, Enbridge, Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the OPP, Tecumseh Fire and Rescue Services and Town staff will now meet and communicate regularly until the lake flooding threat has abated.

The purpose of the group is to prepare a response should a lake flooding event occur. At this morning’s meeting, the group went over work completed to date, resources available and what to expect based on current and expected lake levels. Water levels in the Great Lakes have reached record highs this year and Lake St. Clair is currently sitting above its previous record height in 1986 with a possibility of an additional two to six inches of water expected by the end of August. The Town has recognized the potential impact this will have on residents when north/northeast winds hit the shoreline. The effect would be intensified should a large rain event similar to those in 2016 and 2017 hit the Town.

“We have been in a constant state of lake flood warnings this year. Our partners in Leamington, LaSalle, Amherstburg, Lakeshore, Essex and Kingsville have experienced flooding of roads and municipal parks. This is no longer a case of ‘if’, but ‘when’ for Tecumseh,” said Gary McNamara, Mayor of Tecumseh who is supportive of the working group’s activities. “The lake levels are higher than the last major flood event in 1986 and properties on the shoreline have already seen the impact of this water increase. We are doing everything possible to protect our municipal infrastructure and share in the responsibility to help our residents prepare. How serious an emergency this is, is completely dependent on the winds and the rain but we believe it is better to be prepared for any outcome.”

Town staff is currently in the process of adding to its dedicated web page with information for residents and property owners on what to do in the event of a flood, including measures for evacuation. Additionally, ERCA will be holding four public open houses in August to educate the public on lake flooding and the impacts the region is currently facing.

Information on how to protect your property from flooding is available on the Town website at www.tecumseh.ca/floodprotection. Subsidies for installing a backwater valve and/or disconnecting downspouts and installing a sump pump are also available at www.tecumseh.ca/financialsubsidy. Residents who already have a backwater valve or sump pump installed should conduct regular checks that they are clean and operating effectively.

Information on this and all Town of Tecumseh news and events is available at www.tecumseh.ca, Twitter (@TownofTecumseh), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/townoftecumseh).

August 18, 1-4pm at Atlas Tube Centre, 447 Renaud Line Rd., Belle River. Ages 6-17 & all skill levels welcome. $30 per child. For more information call 519-800-3665 or visit www.windsorexpress.ca

Ontarians have been encouraged to gather with the Moksha Canada Foundation to celebrate diverse cultures and lifestyles during its FREE Diversity Tour 2019, including Toronto, Markham and Windsor. 

Diversity Tour 2019 has been celebrating Canada's cultural kaleidoscope by bridging today for brighter tomorrow, and by presenting an array of local cultural performances that showcase diversity, inclusion and unity. The Diversity Tour has been engaging diverse cultures, fashions, tastes and traditions from our growing Canadian mosaic. 

Diversity Tour 2019 proudly offers an inviting and welcoming environment, by creating positive experiences between people from diverse communities and cultures. Each festival is an opportunity for children, youth, adults and seniors to express themselves, and to become a part of a growing inclusive community that enriches our lives. Participants and patrons will range from local groups to participants and patrons from other provinces - and from the world! 

Moksha's final summer 2019 celebration will be a two day long FREE festival held at Riverfront Festival Plaza. This festival will feature a safe place for families to celebrate cultural diversity with local artists and performances, a Kids Zone, food vendors, and local businesses and service providers. 

The general public is welcome to attend, and local groups of all ages are welcome to perform. To participate or for more information on the Windsor Diversity Festival visit www.MokshaCanada.com

In April 2019 the Ontario government reduced funding to Legal Aid Ontario by 35%. In response to this, Legal Aid Ontario cut funding to community legal clinics by $15 million dollars. This means:

• 20 clinics are dealing with a funding reduction between 6 - 45%, while all other clinics face smaller cuts, though still deeply impactful;
• Many central supports for clinics have been cut or eliminated;
• All clinics have been directed to no longer prioritize doing systematic advocacy work on behalf of the communities and clients;
• These cuts are retroactive to April 1st and they are just the start.

The cuts to Legal Aid Ontario will continue to increase, reaching 45% by 2021 – which will mean more cuts to funding for community legal clinics. This is the most significant attack on community legal clinics in Ontario’s history. It is particularly devastating for those clinics and communities that have been especially targeted for cuts. Community legal clinics are independent, community based non-profit corporations. We help the most vulnerable people in our province with the basic essentials of life: keeping a roof over their head and some money to put food on the table. This massive cut to funding for community legal clinics will mean reduced front line services – something that Premier Ford promised would not happen with government budget cuts.

On July 30, 2019, our legal clinic, along with all community legal clinics across Ontario will be participating in a Day of Action to promote awareness of these cuts, and the significant impact it will have on our low-income residents. We will have a mobile legal clinic on site, to provide general legal advice on various areas of law, as well as our “Stop the Cuts: Access to Justice For All” campaign information and flyers as well as the unique opportunity for community members to voice their opposition to these government cuts via the official campaign site: https://stoplegalaidcuts.nationbuilder.com/

Join us on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, from 11am-2pm at Charles Clark Square, 215 Chatham Street East Located between Chatham Street East and University Avenue East, midway between Goyeau and McDougall streets. All legal and administrative staff from the Windsor-Essex Bilingual Legal Clinic will be attending and participating in this event.

The Belleville Seventh-day Adventist Church is holding a garage sale! Proceeds will be used to help needy people.

Date: Monday, August 5. Time: Noon to 4 pm.

Place: 253 Dundas Street West, Belleville