Essex County Counts: Federal Election Priorities

Make sure the candidates knocking on your door during the federal election campaign know that Essex County counts!

The County of Essex has identified priorities it wants the incoming federal government to address to help build a more resilient economy and a brighter, more prosperous future for the residents of Essex County.

The election will be held on Monday, April 28. Before casting your ballot, ask yourself where your local candidates and their party stands on these issues.

Tariff Threat

The residents, businesses and municipalities of Essex County are rightly concerned about the potential impact of tariffs and the economic turbulence being created by Washington’s muddled messaging on the issue.

Economic certainty is essential for investment and growth. Even talk of tariffs can have a chilling effect on economies like ours that are heavily dependent on manufacturing, agriculture and cross-border trade.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has warned that the Windsor region would be the third-hardest hit by U.S. tariffs, with its modelling showing that automotive and parts manufacturing would be the second most negatively impacted sector in the country. A Conference Board of Canada report recently warned that automotive tariffs could result in the loss of 4,300 local jobs and a total of 160,000 jobs across the country in the second quarter of 2025.

Which candidate and party do voters think can best defend our economy against the threat of tariffs and which has the best plan to offer financial support to the businesses, employees and communities that will be impacted by any protracted trade war?

Which candidate and party has the best plan to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers and build a resilient Canadian economy that can flourish and grow despite external threats and actions?

Affordable Housing

The need is great and growing in the County of Essex for affordable housing and attainable homes. Even in a region like ours with a relatively low cost of living, it is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to buy their first home and for people to find rental accommodations. Our supply of aging affordable housing stock continues to deteriorate and there are not enough affordable housing developments being built to meet increasing demand.

Essex County is working on a Regional Affordable Housing Strategy with the City of Windsor and is committed to working with the senior levels of government to hit housing targets and promote the construction of thousands of homes in our region, which is growing at an historic rate. But we can’t do it alone and require the federal government to come to the table with funding and with creative solutions so that every Essex County resident can enjoy the security of having a roof over their head.

Strategic Investments and Infrastructure Funding

Essex County is growing at an historic rate, fueled by generational investments like the new battery plant, hospital and Gordie Howe Bridge. Strategic investments by the senior levels of government laid the foundation for those projects and similar investments will be required to fully leverage their positive economic impact, particularly in the automotive and agribusiness sectors.

Our population is expected to increase by as many as 3,900 residents a year – more than double the average of the previous 15 years. The county’s population could hit 315,000 over the next three decades. The number of jobs is likewise expected to grow, from 72,000 jobs to as many as 124,000 by 2051.

The County of Essex is laying the foundation for that growth by investing nearly $100 million in our road network in 2025, the bulk of that to build capacity to facilitate the construction of thousands of homes. Our local municipalities are likewise spending millions of dollars on water and wastewater infrastructure necessary for growth.

At the same time, we are facing rising costs because of inflation and the need to build infrastructure that can withstand the impacts of climate change. The County of Essex needs the federal government to acknowledge these pressing infrastructure issues and partner with municipalities to build sustainable, resilient infrastructure to support the construction of homes and economic diversification and development. The County of Essex needs a federal government that will continue to make strategic investments in the automotive and agricultural engines that power our economy.

Support for the Great Lakes and Clean Drinking Water

The County of Essex is surrounded on three sides by water and supports federal efforts to address water outflow from the Great Lakes basin and ensure a continued supply of clean drinking water.

County of Essex Council unanimously passed a resolution in March calling for continued support of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and for the senior levels of government to take all necessary steps so “the residents of the County of Essex can continue to maintain access to clean, fresh water.”

The Great Lakes – Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario – and their connecting channels are home to about 20 per cent of the world’s fresh water – an estimated six quadrillion gallons of water covering an area greater than 151,000 square kilometres.

The Great Lakes are a critical resource that must be protected for our health, our economy and our future. They are the source of clean drinking water for more than 40 million people and they are also home to more than 3,500 plant and animal species unique to the basin.

The Great Lakes directly generate more than 1.5 million jobs and $60 billion in wages annually. Recreation activities on the Great Lakes, including boating, hunting and fishing, generate more than $52 billion annually.