“We can have a bright future, but to get there we need to shape and plan our tomorrows.” —20-Year Strategic Vision, Windsor City Council

City Council is committed to Windsor being the absolute best that it can be. To see our community thrive, we laid out three main goals for the 20 year strategic vision, more jobs; addressing our City’s reputation; and improving quality of life for our citizens.

These carefully chosen objectives are building blocks that help make and keep cities great.

A city is, first and foremost, a home for its residents. Like any home, a city needs infrastructure, stability, security and functionality; but it also needs colour, warmth, vibrancy, laughter and love to be a place where we can grow, and where we can proudly open our door to welcome visitors.

To be strong, a city must be more than its streets and sewers; more than its buildings and services. A strong city is a dynamic place of civic pride and a hub for innovation, culture and creativity. A strong city has a “we can make it happen” attitude, a diversified economy, and meaningful opportunities for employment. It is a place where caring neighbourhoods, green spaces, multiculturalism, tourism and healthy living are all key priorities.

Windsor is a very strong city.

Through decisions, investments, initiatives, partnerships and planning, 2016 was a year of growth, development, achievement and celebration.

For the first time in 15 years, Windsor’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.7 percent; one of the lowest jobless rates in the country. The focus and investments made with respect to economic development are paying off. Fiat Chrysler’s continued growth and investment here is critically important. The push to help provide access to quality employment opportunities also plays an important role in this positive shift.

Both the City and County committed to raising our local 10 percent contribution required to fund the new Windsor-Essex Hospital System, sending a clear message that we are united in support of a shared vision, and demonstrating that Windsor wants to attract the best and brightest healthcare professionals to our City. This project will transform our regional healthcare system, spur economic development, create jobs and benefit all of us in countless ways for decades to come.

The “Rio Olympics” illustrated how past, present and future investments in our sports and recreation infrastructure allows athletes to train in Windsor and find success at the top levels. Focusing on Sports Tourism as an economic driver that can also change the stories that are told about our City, we played big in 2016 and kept Windsor on the world stage.

Large-scale international events like the upcoming “13th FINA World Swimming Championships” (25m), along with local and national competitions of all sizes, give us the opportunity to show the world what makes Windsor a world-class destination.

Our city is now known to excel at hosting sports competitions while providing unforgettable experiences for participants. We see solid proof of this in our successful bid to co-host the 2017 MasterCard Memorial Cup with the Windsor Spitfires, and in being shortlisted to co-host the 2019 World Juniors with London.

20 Year Strategic Vision continues HERE