I am the first local Amherstburg blogger. My questions to the candidates in 2014 created an historical first opportunity for residents to submit questions anonymously through to the candidates. Since then, others copied my format and several Facebook pages keep residents more informed about who wants to represent our town.
I will continue to question candidates, although not all respond any more than they respond to my emails.
All questions will be sent after nomination period closes August 21.
The Town of Amherstburg denied my request to delegate. Again. This is the second time the procedural by-law was cited to deny my public engagement, even though my requests were in compliance with the very restrictive procedural by-law, as acknowledged by Deputy Clerk Sarah Sabihuddin.
Other municipalities welcome residents to speak to items on the agenda. But no, Amherstburg orders that a delegate can speak to an agenda item if it requires a council decision and the item stems from an admin report or by-law.
I completed the online delegation form, identified agenda item 15.2 Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee Achievements in 2025 and 2026 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan; I wish to delegate as a form of civic participation. I will request council to create and enact a Community Engagement Policy.
But, admin set a precedent this time – “demonstrate how the requested action is connected to the matter under consideration.”
I insisted I complied with the procedural by-law but the deputy clerk countered with, in part, “At this time, your request identifies a proposed action (the creation and enactment of a community engagement policy); however, a clear connection to Item 15.2 – Multi-Year Accessibility Plan has not been established. As a result, the request does not meet the requirements set out in Section 9.4(c) of the Town’s Procedural By-law, which requires delegations to clearly identify the agenda item and the action requested in relation to that matter.
Accordingly, your delegation request has been deemed non-compliant with the Procedural By-law and is denied for the upcoming meeting. You remain welcome to speak to this matter should you wish to resubmit a delegation that clearly demonstrates how your comments relate to an item that is before Council prior to 3:00pm today.”
Irony 1: “The Town of Amherstburg actively encourages public engagement by inviting members of the community to participate in Council and Committee meetings, fostering a sense of inclusivity and transparency in local governance.” 9.1 of the Procedural By-law.
But delegates must follow very strict rules to participate.
Irony 2: A delegation is a person intending to address the Council or Committee on a matter listed on the agenda where a decision of the Council may be required. 9.2
But Mayor Prue, in his 2022 inauguration speech stated, “I hope Council will agree to allow more public deputations without having to all put our hands up and waive the rules every single time. I think people should have the right to make a deputation before Council when the item is on the agenda.”
“When the item is on the agenda.” That’s what he said. So why agree to the very strict rules?
Irony 3: (The very strict rules). Delegations during other proceedings of Council or Committees are permitted in relation to matters listed on the agenda stemming from all Administrative reports and by-laws; in accordance with the following:
a) Persons wishing to delegate at any Council or Committee meetings, shall advise the Clerk, no later than the Thursday before the meeting. Delegations shall provide their name, contact information, association with any organization (if applicable) and the agenda item to be addressed;
b) Delegation requests will first be reviewed to determine if it is merely seeking information, and if so, will be directed to the appropriate member of Administration for a response;
c) All delegations shall indicate the item on the agenda they wish to speak to, what action they wish the Assembly to take and shall provide a copy of any material intended for public distribution (this is the very strict rule cited for my denial this time);
d) Delegations appearing before Council, who have previously appeared before Council on the same subject matter, shall be limited to providing only new information in any subsequent delegation request. 9.4 (This section is the one Deputy CAO Melissa Osborne relied on to deny my request to speak at the Economic Development Committee Meeting. Note: it states council, not committee).
Irony 4: The Clerk may, from time to time, establish or amend procedures related to the Delegation Process, provided that such procedures do not conflict with the provisions of By-law 2023-085. 9.5
Council’s legal role is to create policy so admin should not be allowed to use discretion to establish or amend procedures that conflict with the intent of section 9.1 of the procedural by-law: “The Town of Amherstburg actively encourages public engagement by inviting members of the community to participate in Council and Committee meetings, fostering a sense of inclusivity and transparency in local governance.”
“A politician should have three hats. One for throwing into the ring, one for talking through, and one for pulling rabbits out of if elected.” Carl Sandburg
Council’s 24 minute debate about a shorter time frame to display election signs at the April 13 meeting was unnecessary.
While the discussion focused on personal anecdotes and reminiscences, municipalities province-wide updated their election sign by-laws after being made aware of a 2025 court decision.
Like earlier court decisions, the Ontario Superior Court determined that certain time-based restrictions constituted an unjustifiable infringement on freedom of expression under Section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter ofRights and Freedoms.
Some municipalities aligned the sign by-law amendments with the strategic goal of supporting community well-being by balancing rights, safety and fairness.
The RTT article notes BJ Wilder’s research showed everyone except LaSalle is using May 1 as the starting point for allowing signage.
According to information posted to their accounts, Essex restricts signs until 45 days before the election and Tecumseh candidates must wait until September 19.
The Superior Court judge was not convinced by the argument that other municipalities had adopted similar restrictions.
The court decision notes in part, “it is not sufficient for the Township to say, ‘we are doing what everyone else is doing.’
The Township must present evidence of a search for a minimally impairing solution. In this case, there is no evidence that the Township, or any of the municipalities whose practices it relied on, did so.
The township also did not sufficiently demonstrate why election signs required more rigorous location restrictions than other types of signs such as those promoting real estate sales or community events.Interestingly, the judge noted a dual effect of the restrictive sign by-law. “By limiting the display of election signs, the Township was also limiting when citizens could express their political views by displaying election signs on private property.”
This recap reflects the audible portions of the meeting. Members of the committee spoke without their microphones activated several times during the meeting, including Chair Shirley Prue who frequently speaks away from the microphone. I have raised the issue several times with council and administration.
The committee could still benefit from training on procedures, as I suggested during my June 2022 delegation. There seems to be confusion about the necessity of motions.
Also notable is member Emily Rutherford’s repetitive requests she made in January to address three concerns adversely affecting people with disabilities in the community.
There were only two scheduled agenda items:
The multi-year accessibility plan
National AccessAbility Week
Chair Shirley Prue asks the clerk to take the roll call and read the land acknowledgement.
2026 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan
Prue asks the clerk to read her message to be included in the plan.
Prue asks if any comments from them, other than editorial was received.
Clerk mentions receiving comments from various stakeholder groups, including service providers and employment agencies, all very supportive of the plan.
No one asked how many comments or what they were.
All the comments echoed this seems a very progressive plan that puts accessibility in the forefront.
Some feedback was specific. For example, TWEPI sent information on hosting accessible events.
Once this is adopted, the final adopted version will come back to the next committee meeting to discuss next steps and the implementation; look at 2026 and 2027 goals.
Implementation and Ongoing Efforts
The clerk discusses the committee’s efforts to incorporate stakeholder engagement in various activities and the importance of ongoing feedback.
The plan is described as a living document with projects that will be reviewed annually to ensure they remain priorities.
Marc Renaud praises the committee’s active role in identifying and addressing accessibility issues, emphasizing the need for continuous improvement.
Prue encourages members to stay informed and communicate issues to ensure the highest common denominator of accessibility is met.
National AccessAbility Week Update
The clerk outlines the schedule for National AccessAbility Week, May 31 to June 6, including a multimedia campaign, flag raising ceremonies, and speaking engagements.
Mayor Michael Prue and Chair Shirley Prue will speak about the importance of accessibility at the June 3 flag raising at the Libro. (Someone previously encountered barriers at the town hall flag raising).
I’m looking forward to the speeches. Mayor Prue has acknowledged the town has not brought it (AODA) into force; has said if people won’t get out of the way on sidewalks, they won’t get out of the way; and stated, “This town has not been compliant. And I have promised, as mayor, and the council has promised, that we will hence for, hence forward, going forward, always be AOD compliant. And I want people to know that the those who have disabilities have every right to use every one of the services in this town, the same as everyone else,” at the start of 2025 – the AODA deadline.
But the town continues with Open Air and an agreement with Movati.
The town will feature an accessibility-focused book display at the Amherstburg branch of the Essex County Library.
Invitations will be sent to various local organizations to participate in events and activities during the week.
Easter Seals pledge forms will be available at the flag raising ceremony to encourage community commitment to accessibility.
Anyone can make that pledge there, hold it up, wearing their red shirt, publicly reaffirm their position, and hopefully that encourages a sense of advocacy and support and community activism that will really sort of drive forward change in communities and different places.
I have advocated for a strong commitment to accessibility for 35 years. And I know other residents are committed to change, but we need a strong political commitment, not another piece of paper.
Communication and Outreach
The clerk details the communication plan for National Accessibility Week, including social media posts, Rivertown Times articles, and gateway sign messaging.
The purpose behind this proposal will be to really celebrate National AccessAbility Week by raising awareness about accessibility and promoting the initiatives to be more inclusive
Key messages will be that:
National AccessAbility Week celebrates the leadership, achievements and contributions of persons with disabilities in building stronger and more inclusive communities
Accessibility is a shared responsibility, that together residents, businesses and community partners can help make Amherstburg more inclusive for everyone.
Throughout the week, the town will showcase local accessibility features and municipal parks, trails and facilities and share supports that are available to support persons with disabilities.
The flag raising ceremony will serve as a symbol of our continued commitment to accessibility, inclusion and community collaboration.
Our communication channels will be using the website to feature these announcements, social media posts, which will be featuring local champions and accessible spaces and tips.
The hashtag #NAAWeek2026 will be used to promote the week and encourage community engagement.
Emily raises a concern about the inclusion of assisted living facilities in the outreach; the clerk promises to reach out to them.
Tony Pietrangelo suggests reaching out to grade schools, emphasizing the importance of involving students in accessibility initiatives.
Unfinished Business
Tony Pietrangelo requests an update on the committee’s finances, including the status of the reserve fund.
The clerk explains that the reserve fund is built up annually with a base contribution of $55,000, with additional funds from specific projects.
The committee discusses the need for regular financial updates and the importance of identifying barriers before allocating funds.
Emily brings up the issue of a hazardous pylon near the beer store, which the clerk acknowledges and promises to address.
She brought this up in January; see list of her January concerns below.
Emily mentioned she wasn’t at the last meeting, but she was at the previous one and believed something they discussed was meeting up about the blind sign over at Blue Haven and what we were going to do at the crosswalk that they’re trying to implement near blue Haven. She wondered if that was still something that they were going to discuss. The clerk said when her availability is open, they’ll have that call.
She brought this up in January; see list of her January concerns below.
Emily brought up three concerns at the January meeting:
She pointed out the pylon in the middle of the sidewalk near the Beer Store that’s been there for about a year and a half. At that meeting the clerk said we hope to affect the repair as quickly as we possibly can, following that and remove that notification of the hazard as we remove the hazard itself; he can follow up to find out.
She raised concerns about the safety of crossing Front Road near the Blue Haven facility. The clerk advised in January the budget deliberations addressed those concerns in terms of council hearing the concerns of the residents and moving a motion to include the funds necessary to construct the crosswalk in close proximity to Blue Haven.
She raised concern about signage indicating a blind resident lives in the area. The clerk said at that time certainly I can take that and follow that up offline. Generally, those requests, we receive them often in terms of areas where you know there may be needs and then signage is erected to reflect that need. So that’s not a problem. We can follow up on that. Let’s chat after the meeting and we’ll pursue that for you.
New Business
Emily raises concerns about the placement of barriers during Open Air weekends; the clerk agrees to review and address.
The committee discusses the importance of ensuring accessibility for all, including the use of sidewalks and proper placement of barriers.
Prue emphasizes the need for continuous improvement and community involvement in accessibility initiatives.
The meeting concludes with a motion to adjourn, which is seconded and approved.
The committee would receive emails. I requested copies of those emails but have not received a response. I have repeatedly requested that documents be attached to agendas to create efficiencies.
People have been asking – how did Amherstburg become certified as an ‘Age-Friendly Community?’
I tried to find out.
MPP Anthony Leardi told council he had the pleasure of being at the March 9 council meeting on behalf of Raymond Cho, Minister of Seniors and Accessibility.
“We have a special award to present to the town of Amherstburg tonight. It is an award that does not go to every municipality. In fact, very few municipalities have received this award. Fewer than 15% of the municipalities in Ontario have achieved this recognition. It is a recognition given to municipalities who achieve age friendly communities. And I am pleased to present this to you, mayor and council, on behalf of Minister Raymond Cho the Minister of Seniors and Accessibility, in recognizing Amherstburg’s attainment of the Age Friendly Community award. Congratulations,” said Leardi.
The photo op:
Photo by Ron Giofu
Councillor Linden Crain posted the above photo and mentioned initiatives in his March 10 social media posts.
“Proud to see Amherstburg recognized as an Age-Friendly Community by Ontario’s Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, Raymond Cho. Thank you to MPP Anthony Leardi for his continued support of initiatives that help make our community more welcoming and accessible for seniors,” wrote Crain.
On March 12, I asked council for the “initiatives that help make our community more welcoming and accessible for seniors.”
No answer.
I also shared my opinion; given how some seniors and people with disabilities are disgracefully treated in this community, council should be ashamed, not proud.
On March 13, I left a lengthy comment on the town of Amherstburg’s Facebook page when it shared the above photo.
Good optics, but Amherstburg is not an age-friendly or inclusive community given its historical treatment of some seniors and persons with disabilities. Concerns about some barriers in the community have been ignored. For example, accessibility is the number one concern in the first residents’ survey but council took no meaningful action regarding the feedback. Thanks to a very restrictive procedural by-law, and Crain’s motion, residents are prohibited from delegating regarding Open Air barriers for two years. In 2025 Prue referenced the AODA and said, ‘this town has not been compliant. And I have promised, as mayor, and the council has promised, that we will hence for, hence forward, going forward, always be AOD compliant. And I want people to know that the those who have disabilities have every right to use every one of the services in this town, the same as everyone else.’ We know we have the right to equal participation but we can’t exercise it. The town continues with an agreement with Movati for swims despite knowing the pool is inaccessible to some residents. The town continues to approve businesses that are inaccessible to some residents despite knowing the AODA customer service standard was enacted in 2008. The town hall still has barriers. Playgrounds are minimally accessible but not inclusive. The senior centre parking lot is a disgrace but money has been prioritized on unnecessary items like walking trails. Some feedback on the multi-year accessibility plan has not been included in reports. When people complained about patio barriers on sidewalks, Prue said if they won’t get out of the way on the sidewalk, they won’t get out of the way. He thought a business case had been made, and he believed that is in the best interest of the town to be a welcoming and friendly place for people to sit out and have a meal in the sun. Clearly, barrier removal is not being prioritized.
No answer.
On March 15, I visited Crain’s Facebook page and asked, “what initiatives?”
I reminded Crain that I asked on Facebook and by email but no one answered. I also reiterated my opinion that Amherstburg is not an inclusive or age friendly community given how some seniors and people with disabilities are treated.
No answer.
I also reached out to the ministry on March 12.
Officially, the honourable Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, recognized 69 communities, including Amhersturg, at the Age‑Friendly Communities Recognition Ceremony at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto on January 18.
Representatives from southwest Ontario communities received their awards at ROMA. Photo courtesy of Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility
“The Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility (MSAA) Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) Recognition Program recognizes municipalities and organizations that create more accessible environments for people of all ages and abilities. This includes safe and accessible public parks and community centres, as well as recreation programming to help local seniors stay active in more walkable communities, with access to transportation and services that make it easier for people to get around,” emailed Wallace Pidgeon, Director of Communications, Office of Minister Raymond Cho.
“MSAA has an evaluation process and criteria that are used to determine which communities receive recognition based on demonstrated progress and initiatives that support age‑friendly, inclusive environments,” stated Pidgeon.
I asked both Critchley and McArthur, “what was the criteria and what did the nomination process entail?”
No answer.
I followed up with the Ministry at the end of March, “Can you advise where I would find the specific criteria for the awarding of the certificate, assuming it’s the same for every municipality?”
“In AFCs, community leaders and residents work together to ensure that local policies, programs and services are inclusive and support the social and physical environments that enable Ontarians to live safe, active and meaningful lives,” notes the Guide.
Four steps in the 2021 Guide’s Age-Friendly process are:
Amherstburg received a $60,000 Inclusive Communities Grantto ‘foster inclusive community involvement‘ in 2020-2021.
The $60,000 was used to hire a consultant to complete a Needs Assessment and Action Plan Report, obtaining direct input from those most affected, seniors 55+, older adults 65+ and persons with disabilities.
The town appointed some members of each of the accessibility and seniors committees to form the new Inclusive Community Advisory Committee on April 27, 2021.
The WHO website contains a detailed explanation and a history of AFCs.
So, what the town of Amherstburg did to become an AFC seems vague.
I know what an AFC is, in theory, but the reality doesn’t seem to fit.
Some of the town’s strengths listed in the report:
These five pages of the report list all identified existing strengths and suggested improvements.
Strengths like sufficient accessible parking, information about transportation services, and valued input from seniors and people with disabilities are noted.
Residents have complained about a lack of parking spaces; information about transportation is pointless if transportation is limited and/or unavailable.
My input as a person with a disability has not been valued. I’ve advocated for a strong commitment to equality without success for decades.
The number one complaint in the first residents’ Open Air survey is accessibility, but council took no meaningful action after learning about the survey results.
The parking lot at the seniors centre has needed repairs and paving for years but it hasn’t been prioritized.
Social media posts about seniors at the centre having to supply their own mop and bucket to clean the building, also used by others, circulated recently.
Seniors Advisory Committee meetings were last held February 8, 2022 when recorded votes were taken for approval of minutes and adjournment with minimal or no substance to discussions.
Perhaps the most convincing evidence of the lack of a commitment to inclusivity is Mayor Prue’s 2023 declaration that in this town we have not brought it (AODA) into force.
“2025 we’re going to have to make everything accessible in this town, that’s the law. I was in the legislature 20 something years ago, and I spoke to this issue when the bill was presented in the legislature, and I scoffed at them. I scoffed at the liberals who were standing up waving this piece of paper around, saying we’re going to be accessible, because it could take 25 years to bring it into force. Well, in this town, we have not brought it into force.”
“This town has not been compliant. And I have promised, as mayor, and the council has promised, that we will hence for, hence forward, going forward, always be AOD compliant. And I want people to know that the those who have disabilities have every right to use every one of the services in this town, the same as everyone else,” said Prue at the start of 2025 – the AODA deadline.
Ontario launched the Age-Friendly Program in 2017 ‘to recognize municipalities and organizations across the province that have made outstanding progress in creating inclusive and accessible communities for people of all ages and abilities,’ states a provincial press release.
Ontario’s first Age-Friendly Community Recognition Awards were given to 40 communities for Being Inclusive and Accessible for Seniors.
“We hope to make this an annual event,” emailed Pidgeon.
Provincial recognition of an age-friendly community will trigger eligibility for pan-Canadian recognition and international endorsement through the World Health Organization.
Principles Integrity, Amherstburg’s integrity commissioner, concluded, “Members of Council enjoy qualified privilege for statements made during Council and Committee meetings. The Councillor, when he used the expletive ‘f***ing bitch’, was quoting verbatim the words spoken by the local board member which were the very subject-matter of the discussion at Council. For this reason, we find that the Councillor’s statement and use of the expletive in the Council meeting does not constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct.”
McArthur repeated the language, twice, that he said was, “offensive, it’s hurtful, it’s aggressive, it’s misogynistic.”
McArthur has referred to himself as a wordsmith so he could’ve easily found alternative words instead of repeating the ‘offensive’ language in public.
McArthur moved the motion to publicly discuss a committee member’s conduct because, “I thought you folks would want to hear it.”
McArthur didn’t think a committee member’s behaviour was appropriate.
Principles Integrity agreed.
In a February 23, 2026 report on council’s complaint of the committee member, Principles Integrity found:
“[55] We find that the respondent’s behaviour was inappropriate and that it breached the Code of Conduct. His statement respecting the CAO was disrespectful. The expletive and name- calling was rude and uncalled-for, particularly about an individual he has never met, never interacted with, and apparently has no reason to disparage.”
Are residents being denied another opportunity to provide input on policing?
Council’s December 5, 2022 recommendation and subsequent council motion was to extend the Windsor Police contract deadline to renew to March 31, 2023 so public consultations could be held.
Mayor Prue made a point of ensuring the public understood the town requested an extension ‘so that we can hold public consultations’ on the police contract which would take place between December and March.
No public consultations were held.
Then, before the extended March 31 deadline, on February 8, 2023, council directed the CAO to renew with Windsor for a five year period commencing January 1, 2024 to end December 31, 2028.
I requested members of council defer the February 8 decision pending promised public consultations, to no avail.
Councillor Linden Crain’s response was, the February 8 “open public meeting is the consultation as promised. The Windsor Police Service also completed a telephone survey in Amherstburg.”
I don’t believe public consultations are the same as a 5 minute delegation, if one is allowed to delegate or one might receive a random phone call.
Crain is the one who is quick to deny residents the opportunity to speak from the gallery.
Has Crain indicated an unwillingness to hear from residents on other occasions?
He was the sole opposition to a residents’ Open Air survey, stating they’ve done an Open Air survey for residents and businesses so he felt it would waste staff time. CAO Critchley confirmed there was no resident wide survey.
Crain was part of the team that created the THRIVE Open Air white paper; from the THRIVE website, ‘We believe that it should be a permanent summer feature.’
During the 2022 campaign, Crain said yes to removing barriersduring Open Air. If there are particular barriers in place, I am more than willing to investigate further and help find a solution. But he voted in favour of it.
Crain also said he didn’t even think Open Air should have been a topic of discussion, that they shouldn’t even be discussing this every year because eventually it’s going to be nothing.
During the November 21, 2024 Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Crain moved, McArthur seconded That: 1. The report on the Open Air including the Business Survey and Open House BERECEIVED for information; and 2. Council SUPPORT the continuation of Open Air, in the same format, same times, and same duration, for the remainder of the current term of Council.
During the November 25, 2024 council meeting, when residents would not have had an opportunity to delegate, Crain moved, and McArthur seconded That: 1. The report on the Open Air including the Business Survey and Open House BERECEIVED for information; and 2. Council SUPPORT the continuation of Open Air, in the same format, same times, and same duration, for the remainder of the current term of Council.
During the February 8 meeting, council learned that the 5 year average cost for policing Amherstburg with Windsor Police was 5.4 million; LaSalle’s was 7.8 million; Amherstburg saved a 5 year average of $1,742,205.
Compared to savings of $1,742,205. over 5 years with Windsor, savings of around $10 million with the OPP would’ve been significant.
With significant savings residents could’ve seen more investment in our crumbling infrastructure instead of half assed projects like partially paved parking lots and exclusive playgrounds.
During an August 2025 council meeting, Prue said the town will continue to provide updates on policing as it becomes available.
But, now policing is back on the in camera agenda for March 9 – still no public consultations and no updates.
Municipal council members have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the municipality and its inhabitants. They must act honestly, in good faith, and avoid conflicts of interest, a duty often reinforced by the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and local codes of conduct.
the burg watch 