Local mayors have eye on the future

The Leamington District Chamber of Commerce held their annual Breakfast with the Mayors Trifecta event on Friday, January 19 with 200 people attending at Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens.

About 65 local businesses were represented at the event, where the mayors of Kingsville, Leamington and Pelee Island spoke about the past year and what is planned for 2024.

Chamber President Chad Robinson welcomed guests and dignitaries and briefly spoke about the optimism in the region.

“Our region is poised to lead more than just our local area,” he said.

Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers was up first and spoke of the challenges of his first year as Mayor and the triumphs they’ve had along the way.

“I stand before you older, wiser and greyer,” he said.

Rogers referenced three large storm events that occurred in 2023 and how they made for a challenging year.

“I’m a firm believer that 10 percent is what happens to you and 90 percent is how you react to that,” he said. “One thing we did learn is that we have the team for anything thrown at us.”

Rogers touched on the town’s long-term strategic plan which was approved in December and the work done by the town during 2023, including road resurfacing, town-wide meter upgrade, new heavy equipment, the Lions Park Community Playground, the Mobi-Mat at Cedar Island Beach and the new Have Your Say Kingsville website.

“When I say I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, that’s an understatement,” he said. “2024 is going to be a big year for our town. It’s time to execute the plan.”

Leamington Mayor — and Essex County Warden — Hilda MacDonald followed with a speech about positivity and building relationships with community partners.

“I’m about celebrating all of the things about Leamington from the past and into the future,” she said.

MacDonald referred to ongoing plans for Leamington’s 150th birthday celebrations this summer and how far the town has come since the 1974 100th celebration.

As for community partnerships, she said it’s important to establish relationships with agencies, groups and neighbours long before you need them.

“Relationships we established in 2019 allowed us to reach out to community partners across the region,” she said.

She talked about Leamington’s accomplishments in 2023, which included the new boardwalk and basketball courts, regional transit and collaborations with Habitat for Humanity and The Bridge Youth Resource Centre.

She also talked about infrastructure and the need to be ready for any development that comes along.

“If you build it, they will come,” she said, borrowing a line from the movie Field of Dreams.

MacDonald said that 2024 will bring continued development along the waterfront with a rejuvenation of Rick Atkin Park at the Marina and also the waterfront promenade between the dock and the marina. The North Trunk sewer line continues to be an ongoing need which will open up new development.

And while she’s ready to celebrate Leamington’s 150th birthday, the mayor also looked to the future.

“We celebrate the future and look forward with hope and optimism,” she said, “keeping in mind the people that we serve.”

Pelee Island Mayor Cathy Miller spoke next about the challenges faced by residents and visitors alike to the Township of Pelee.

And while she said they have a plan for the rest of the term, they are a little more focused on what is immediately in front of them.

“Our school got a boost this year,” she said. “We have two new students!”

That brought a chuckle from the audience as Mayor Miller spoke to growth in the middle of Lake Erie and how that presents challenges, but optimism prevails.

“If we create a space for good actors, we can grow,” she said.

The past year allowed Pelee Island to mark a new chapter with law enforcement and health care providers.

“We’re in the planning stages of a new OPP detachment on the island,” she said.

Miller spoke of how the Victorian Order of Nurses said goodbye to the island in 2023, which left a gap in healthcare service in August, but how it created a new relationship between the island and Erie Shores HealthCare.

“Pelee Island is now serviced by Erie Shores HealthCare,” she said. “We’re grateful that their leadership stepped in and stepped up.”

The pink mobile clinic made its maiden voyage to the island in November with plans to make regular visits.

She said that about 107,000 passengers made their way to and from Pelee Island in 2023, and that increased sailings are planned for Saturdays this coming season.

She also said that Pelee Island is being proactive in every aspect.

“Pelee is no longer waiting,” she said. “We’re shaping our future.”