Author of the post:
Brian Cross
Publishing date:
Aug 18, 2020 – – 3 minute read
Short article material
Federal/provincial rescue funds totalling $274 million were announced Monday for the area’s COVID-19- damaged municipalities.
Near a quarter of the money, $6.3 million, is going to Transit Windsor, which is losing $150,000 to $175,000 a week as it runs a decreased service without charging fares since guests get in and leave through the rear door. Consisting Of the Transit Windsor cash, the City of Windsor is receiving $183 million.
The County of Essex is receiving $4.5 million. Amherstburg is getting $568,400, Town of Essex $543,800, Kingsville $542,800, Lakeshore $888,300, LaSalle $734,132, Leamington $713,556, Tecumseh $587,994 and Town of Pelee $51,000 The money– provided based on the number of homes in each town– comes from the Safe Restart Agreement, the deal struck last month by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the provinces to assist with the reboot of provincial economies over the next six to eight months in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We certainly consider this to be a deposit.
The money is meant to assist municipalities deliver the services that Canadians rely on every day, a press release from MP Irek Kusmierczyk (L– Windsor-Tecumseh) says.
” This financing demonstrates our federal government’s commitment to supporting our municipalities and the residents of Windsor-Tecumseh who depend upon safe, reputable and sustainable civil services be they public transit, community centres, public works or the daily operations of town hall,” the former Windsor city councillor stated.
Since of the absence of revenues from programs and transit fares, and the loss of millions of dollars in dividends typically paid by Caesars Windsor, the tunnel and airport (all have actually seen significant income drops due to COVID-19), the city is forecasting a loss of $52 million by the end of this year. That quantity is mitigated by cuts and savings, which bring the total loss to $30 million. The $183 million will approach reducing that deficit.
” When looking at the $30 million deficit … this is $18 million off of that $30 million, so there’s still a hole,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens’ chief of personnel Andrew Teliszewsky said Monday. He said there’s an extra stage of financing that both the city and Transit Windsor will apply to.
” We certainly consider this to be a deposit,” he said of the $183 million.
The city learned from the province last week it was getting the funds.
” Please keep in mind that your municipality is accountable for using this financing for the purpose of resolving your priority COVID-19 operating costs and pressures,” Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark stated in an Aug. 12 letter to Dilkens. A separate letter from Transport Minister Caroline Mulroney tells Dilkens that the $6.3 million for Transit Windsor is “ for the purpose of addressing the recipient’s COVID-19 local transit pressures.”
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Administration is preparing a report for council’s Aug. 24 meeting on using to the next stage, which has an Oct. 30 deadline.
” We’re totally preparing for that when the city applies for the next round of financing, it will be looked upon favourably,” Teliszewsky said.
Transit Windsor shut down its services at the start of the pandemic and then reopened with “enhanced Sunday service” in early May, with numerous limitations to decrease the danger of transmissions such as restricting the number o guests, rear entry and no fares.
The province’s decision to permit Windsor-Essex to proceed to Stage 3 of reopening last Wednesday did not spur a loosening of Transit Windsor constraints. Transit Windsor’s management is presently talking with the Amalgamated Transit Union about a return to regular operations including fare collection and passengers getting in via the front door. Teliszewsky said the bus service is likewise focused on addressing the requirements of local school boards, which normally depend on Transit Windsor for transportation of high school trainees.
He stated returning to farebox collection and front-door boarding is a “priority” for September.
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