Latest news with #MichaelChantler
CTV News
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘Live at The Square' set to energize City Hall Square
The City of Windsor unveiled the long-awaited renovations to City Hall Square on July 13, 2025. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor) Windsor's new City Hall Square is making a splash in its first week. 'You can see behind me every day people are out here enjoying the facility, enjoying the features that we have out here. Kids playing in the fountain, jumping out of the water,' said Michael Chantler, the city's commissioner of Community Services. City Hall Square is a community gathering place that has been used frequently since its launch five days ago. 'It's not just a fountain. It's not just a splash pad. It's not just an ice rink,' Chantler exclaimed. The city has created activations for children. An event celebrating dogs is coming up this weekend. Residents are also encouraged to bring a lawn chair downtown because there will be music in The Square every Friday from now until Oct. 31. 'We are coming up with activations, whether it's the stuff we do with the kids during the day or it's our evening entertainment, like the Live at The Square free concert entertainment that's coming up,' Chantler said. Show times and musical acts can be found on the City of Windsor website. Events like Live at The Square bring people downtown who, in turn, may venture off into the core. There are a lot of events coming up this summer like Downtown Showdown on Ouellette Avenue on July 26, hosted by Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling, which excites downtown business owners. 'It'd be great if we did five days a week,' said Duane Chouinard, owner at Eastwoods, who gets traffic from the Casino and Macassa Bay and appreciates any event or activation the city initiates downtown. 'Anytime there's any type of event, whatever it is, it just brings a lot of people to downtown core.' Kevin Dinardo is bringing an outdoor pole-vaulting event to the riverfront July 25 and 26 near the Macassa Bay. 'It's always good to take some of the events outside of the stadium, put it into an atmosphere where there's going to be general population to get them a little bit more of an experience of, you know, track and field events that they might not see,' Dinardo said. The atmosphere was electric atop the Pelissier parking garage last weekend when Border City Boxing held an event on the roof top with many staying downtown after the show. 'It was incredible,' said Chris MacLeod, chair of the Downtown Windsor BIA. 'It's events like that that change people's perception about downtown.'
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Windsor moves forward with $3.1M fire truck order amid tariff uncertainty
A fire truck at Station 1 in Windsor, Ont., on Oct. 8, 2023. (Melanie Kentner/CTV News Windsor) Windsor City Council has approved the purchase of two new fire vehicles — a decision staff say could save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars if tariffs rise in the near future. The $3.1-million order includes one aerial and one pumper truck, both replacing aging vehicles nearing the end of their service life. City officials say one of the key motivations for moving quickly is uncertainty around international tariffs, particularly as they relate to U.S.-built emergency vehicles. 'The nice thing is that right now, emergency vehicles are exempted under those tariffs,' said Michael Chantler, the city's commissioner of community services. 'That could change any given day.' Chantler said the lead time to receive the trucks is already a couple of years — and ordering now locks in lower pricing. 'By doing it now we save a couple hundred thousand dollars on the price of the vehicles,' he said. 'Then we have setup once the vehicles arrive… and we don't know where the cost will be on that equipment when those trucks arrive.' Each truck is expected to cost an additional $80,000 to fully equip after delivery. Mayor Drew Dilkens supported the move but said it highlights the financial strain the city faces when replacing major assets. 'We can afford to buy two new fire trucks, but it's at the expense of something else,' said Dilkens. 'If we're paying 73 per cent more on a $1.5-million fire truck, that means there's something else we can't do downstream.' Council's decision comes amid broader discussions about capital funding and long-term asset management. 'We still have to make sure we have police cars and fire trucks on the road and responding to 911 calls,' Dilkens added. 'But these are real pressures… and they speak to the inflationary issues we see as a city.' The new fire vehicles are expected to arrive in early 2026.
Global News
19-06-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Ontario city's lone public beach shuttered as summer arrives: ‘Safety must always be the priority'
With temperatures expected to be in the 30s this weekend, Windsor's only public beach will remain off limits for those looking to cool off with a dip. Last week, city council unanimously voted to close Sandpoint Beach while a coroner's investigation into the recent drowning of a 15-year-old male is underway. The teen died while swimming on the beach on May 18, becoming the ninth drowning victim in the water since the beach opened to the public in 1980. 'We understand how much Sandpoint Beach means to residents and families, especially during the summer months. However, safety must always be the priority,' Michael Chantler, commissioner of community services, stated in a release. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy After council decided to close the beach last week, the city said it would be putting up fencing to close off waterfront access and installing signs to warn visitors of the dangers in the water. Story continues below advertisement The city said that work is expected to be completed by Tuesday. 'The Parks and Recreation team is moving quickly and with urgency to put safety measures in place to protect the community,' Chantler said. 'We are already on site, developing signage, arranging for additional fencing, and speaking directly with visitors. We want people to know we're taking this seriously, and we're doing everything we can right now to prevent further tragedy.' Temperatures are expected to reach 32 C on Saturday before rising to a high of 34 C on Sunday, according to Environment Canada. There are other options for area residents to cool off, with splash pads opening last month and a number of indoor pools offering recreational swims. City outdoor pools are scheduled to open on June 29 in time for the long weekend.
CBC
11-06-2025
- CBC
Sandpoint Beach is closed indefinitely. Here's what you need to know
The City of Windsor says there will be measures in place at the city's only public beach this summer to make sure people stay out of the water. City councillors voted unanimously on Monday to close Sandpoint Beach for safety reasons pending the outcome of a coroner's report into a 15-year-old swimmer's death last month. In a statement Tuesday, the city explained the steps it's taking to prevent people from swimming. There will be staff on site to inform the public of the closure, more signage explaining that the water is dangerous, and fencing to close off access to the water. While the beach closure is indefinite and effective immediately, the city says it could take until June 24 for all of these measures to be in place. The parkland, playground and sand will remain accessible to the public. The city says the decision was made for safety reasons following nine drowning deaths since the beach opened in 1980. An area just west of the beach, where several people have drowned, is notorious for dangerous currents. Signs and fencing are already in place in that area. "We understand how much Sandpoint Beach means to residents and families, especially during the summer months. However, safety must always be the priority," Michael Chantler, Windsor's commissioner of community services, said in a media release. "The Parks and Recreation team is moving quickly and with urgency to put safety measures in place to protect the community. We are already on site, developing signage, arranging for additional fencing, and speaking directly with visitors. We want people to know we're taking this seriously, and we're doing everything we can — right now — to prevent further tragedy." The city has approved a $15-million master plan to relocate the beach a short distance to the east and upgrade the amenities in the area. Councillors expressed hope that the coroner's investigation into the most recent death will shed light on the safety risks in the area. Council will revisit the master plan for Sandpoint once the outcome of that investigation is known.
CTV News
10-06-2025
- CTV News
Here's how the city is closing off water access at Sandpoint Beach
Windsor city council voted unanimously to close Sandpoint Beach to swimmers and the city is taking several steps over the next few weeks to ensure water access is closed off. The decision took effect on Monday, June 9, 2025. It eliminates public access to the water while council awaits the results of a coroner's investigation currently underway. The decision has been made to support community safety and wellbeing, and in response to the ninth tragic drowning incident since the beach opened to the public in 1980. 'We understand how much Sandpoint Beach means to residents and families, especially during the summer months. However, safety must always be the priority. The Parks and Recreation team is moving quickly and with urgency to put safety measures in place to protect the community. We are already on site, developing signage, arranging for additional fencing, and speaking directly with visitors. We want people to know we're taking this seriously, and we're doing everything we can — right now — to prevent further tragedy,' said Michael Chantler, commissioner of community services. Over the next few weeks, the City of Windsor will facilitate closing off water access at the beach through the following measures: Scheduling city staff to be at the beach to inform visitors of the closure Installing additional signage to remind visitors that the waters are dangerous Installing additional fencing to close off the remainder of the waterfront access The city anticipates having all measures to close off water access at Sandpoint Beach in place by June 24, 2025. Water access at the beach will remain closed indefinitely. Sand area, playground, parkland will remain open While water access is closed at this time, the sand area around the playground and the parkland will remain open and accessible for families to enjoy the sand and outdoor waterfront setting. City council also directed city administration to review the Sandpoint Beach Master Plan to determine whether the planned work to relocate the beach, modify the existing shoreline, and upgrade amenities will be able to effectively eliminate the risks posed to swimmers entering waters adjacent to the mouth of the Detroit River, where they may be susceptible to the dangerous currents that exist within the established nearby shipping channel.
