A group of medical professionals teamed up with a soap company to help the Downtown Mission. 

Nurses and doctors from the Toldo Neurobehavioral Institute teamed up with Charmaine Gillis owner of Ocean Bottom Soap company to donate the purses and man bags and variety of soaps, to the Downtown Mission in time for Christmas.

The Toldo Neurobehavioral Institute is a specialized mental health facility located in the heart of the Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare campus.

They specialize in helping people recover from severe forms of mental illnesses that are complex or resistant to treatment.

From fine galas to family fun to funky parties, there’s a lot to do across Windsor-Essex on New Year’s Eve. Here’s a lengthy but by no means comprehensive list of Dec. 31 events.

Splash into 2016

Inside Windsor’s Adventure Bay Family Water Park.

Let the kids get wet on the last day of the year at Windsor’s Adventure Bay Family Waterpark (401 Pitt St. West). The downtown attraction is offering a New Year’s Eve special: two-for-one admission. Paying one fee will take care of a second fee of equal or lesser value.

There’ll be celebratory water drops with the facility’s giant bucket. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. General admission is $23 for adults, $18 for those under 3.5 feet tall. Windsor residents pay $18 for adults, $13 for those under 3.5 feet tall. Visit www.adventurebay.ca for water park details.

Family recreation in LaSalle

It’s an evening of free family fun on New Year’s Eve at LaSalle’s Vollmer Culture and Recreation Complex (2121 Laurier Dr.). Sponsored by the Essex Power Corporation, the facility is offering free skating and swimming from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by fireworks at 7:30 p.m. Call 519-969-7771 for further information.

LaSalle residents enjoy the New Year’s Eve fireworks at the Vollmer Complex in 2010.

Street party in the Town of Harrow

The whole family is invited to join free festivities on King Street in Harrow, between Victoria and Queen. Starting at 7 p.m., there’ll be live music, kid’s activities, street hockey, complimentary snacks and beverages, and a virtual ball drop at 10 p.m. Find out more by calling 519-738-4752 or at visitharrow.ca.

Free skating at Lanspeary Park

New Year’s Eve skating at Lanspeary Park in 2011.

Strap on the skates and join the family oriented party at Windsor’s Lanspeary Park (1250 Langlois Ave.). Sponsored by AM800 and Tim Hortons, the event offers free use of the park’s rink from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. There’ll be live music and a fireworks countdown at 9 p.m. 

Dinner and dancing with Giovanni Caboto

Usher in the new year Italian style at the annual dinner gala event at Windsor’s venerable Giovanni Caboto Club (2175 Parent Ave.). The antipasto bar opens at 6 p.m., followed by a multi-course meal at 7:30 p.m. with ravioli, tenderloin steak, calamari, and more. A DJ and live band Ciao will keep the dance floor lively into the night. At 11 p.m., there’ll be pizza, cheeseburgers, and a complimentary glass of champagne to tide you over until 2016 begins. Tickets are $150. Call 519-252-8383 to reserve or visit www.cabotoclub.com.

New Year’s Eve at the Caboto Club, 2013.

Dinner and dancing at the Ciociaro

Not to be outdone, Oldcastle’s Ciociaro Club (3745 North Talbot Rd.) is also offering an Italian-style gala celebration on New Year’s Eve. A champagne reception and antipasto bar open at 6 p.m., followed by a multi-course meal at 7 p.m. that includes risotto, chicken scaloppine, beef medallions, and more. Live band Fantasia and a DJ will get the dance floor moving. There’ll be a midnight buffet of pizza, pastries, and porchetta, plus complimentary sparkling wine. Tickets are $105 for non-members, $95 for members. Call 519-737-6153 to reserve or visit ciociaroclub.com.

A Motown New Year’s Eve

The Soul Delegation playing the Olde Walkerville Theatre in 2015.

Ring in 2016 while getting down to the soulful sounds of the Motor City at the Olde Walkerville Theatre (1564 Wyand0tte St. East). Windsor’s Soul Delegation will be playing all the best in old school rhythm and blues, funk, and Motown. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the band starts at 9 p.m. There’ll be complimentary snacks after midnight. Advance tickets are $25, tickets at the door are $30. Reserve a VIP booth for $50. Call 519-253-2929 or visit www.oldewalkervilletheatre.com. Nineteen and older.

Dinner and dancing at the Fogolar Furlan Club

Spend New Year’s Eve enjoying a hearty meal and a heartier party at Windsor’s Fogolar Furlan Club (1800 North Service Rd.). Doors open 6 p.m. for a 7 p.m. dinner that includes bruschetta bread, pasta, chicken in mushroom sauce, tenderloin steak, dessert, and more. There’ll also be a DJ, dancing, party favours, a midnight buffet, and a champagne toast. Admission price includes 10 drink tickets. All that for $100 per person. Call 519-966-2230 or visit www.fogolar.com. 19 and older.

Outside The City Grill in downtown Windsor.

Fine dining at City Grill

Looking for a refined night? Try the special four-course New Year’s Eve menu at downtown Windsor’s City Grill (375 Ouellette Ave.). Dinner is $75 per person. Choose from such main courses as seared halibut, slow-roasted lamb, or truffle chicken. The restaurant will remain open past midnight with live entertainment, a DJ, party favours, and a champagne toast. Book your reservation via 519-915-5948 or at www.thecitygrillwindsor.com.

Celebrate at Caesars Windsor

Singer-songwriter Jody Raffoul performing at Caesars Windsor.

There’s a lot to do at Caesars Windsor (377 Riverside Dr. East) on New Year’s Eve, with no reservations required. On the menu at The Artist Cafe until 10 p.m. will be a $99 three-course lamb dinner. Local singer-songwriter Jody Raffoul and his band will be performing at Cosmos Bar from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. ELYX Lounge offers karaoke and dancing from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., hosted by Big Pat Ryan. Call 1-800-991-7777 or visit caesarswindsor.com for details.

Have a premium New Year’s Eve at Ariius

It’s the first ever New Year’s Eve event at the all new Ariius Nightclub inside Caesars Windsor (377 Riverside Dr. East). Doors open 9 p.m. with complimentary champagne and appetizers. There’ll be party favours, a midnight champagne toast, and a confetti cannon in the club’s upscale freshly-renovated setting.

Tickets are $60, available via thinkwindsor.com or www.eventbrite.ca. Club details at www.ariiusnightclub.com. Nineteen and older.

DJs on the decks at Ariius Nightclub.

Get down with Double A at the Boom Boom Room

DJs from both sides of the border will be spinning at the Bud Light-sponsored Red, White and Blue New Year’s Eve event at downtown Windsor’s Boom Boom Room nightclub (315 Ouellette Ave.). The party will be pumping with big beats courtesy of DJ Evolution from Toronto/Windsor, Distrikt Bounce of Detroit, and the ever-funky DJ Double A of Baltimore. Doors open 9 p.m.

Advance tickets are $20 general, $30 VIP, $200 for a VIP booth (four tickets and a bottle of Grey Goose). Call 519-999-6433 or 248-562-5001 for details. Order advance tickets online via www.eventbrite.ca. Visit boomboomroom.ca. Nineteen and older.

New Year’s Eve at the Boom Boom Room, 2011.

Styling at The Bank Nightklub

Outside the Bank Nightklub in downtown Windsor.

Be advised: A dress code will be strictly enforced at Windsor’s Bank Nightklub (285 Ouellette Ave.) on New Year’s Eve, so put on your most impressive attire if you want to attend this gala event. Doors open 10 p.m. for appetizers and two drink tickets. There’ll be prize giveaways, complimentary party favours, and a social media wall. At midnight, enjoy a champagne toast, the club’s confetti cannon, and pizza.

Tickets are $25, available via www.thinkwindsor.com or www.eventbrite.ca. Bottle service packages begin at $175. Text 519-567-1785 for details or visit www.thebanknightklub.com. Nineteen and older.

Countdown at OneThirtyEight

Enjoy the rooftop patio and the electro-house sounds of Windsor’s DJ Rye at the OneThirtyEight Bar & Lounge  (138 University Ave. West) on New Year’s Eve. There’ll be complimentary party favours, hors d’oeuvres, and a midnight champagne toast. Doors open 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, available via www.eventbrite.ca or by calling 519-995-3171. More information at www.onethirtyeight.ca. Nineteen and older.

A crew of downtown Windsor party-goers, New Year’s Eve 2012.

NYE at Level 3

Inside Level 3 Vodka Emporium in downtown Windsor.

DJ Chris James mans the decks for the NYE bash at Level 3 Vodka Emporium (375 Ouellette Ave.) — Windsor’s only 21 and older nightclub. There’ll be appetizers and the usual complimentary champagne toast. Doors open 10 p.m. Tickets are $30, call 519-890-1194 to reserve. More club info at level3windsor.com.

Fiesta at Tequila Bob’s

Get some flavour from way south of the border this New Year’s Eve at Tequila Bob’s (upstairs at 63 Pitt St. East). Doors open 8 p.m. for a party that offers $3 tequila shots along with the usual complimentary champagne toast and pizza at midnight.

A party-goer and Tequila Bob.

Meanwhile, the Cantina downstairs will have its own festivities. Doors open 3 p.m. to order from the dinner menu of tacos, fajitas, and quesadillas. The restaurant switches to New Year’s Eve party mode at 10 p.m. Space will be limited, so reserve seats early via 226-315-1910.

Tickets for Tequila Bob’s are $20, tickets for the Cantina are $5. Order online via thinkwindsor.com or www.eventbrite.ca. Get details at www.tequilabobs.com or check out the menu at www.thecantinawindsor.com. Nineteen and older.

Country music party at the Bull & Barrel

Some of the line-dancing waitresses at Windsor’s Bull & Barrel Urban Saloon.

How about a hoedown on New Year’s Eve? The Bull & Barrel Urban Saloon (670 Ouellette Ave.) offers a raucous country music party. Doors open 5 p.m. with 15 per cent off the dinner menu. Guaranteed entry before 10 p.m. But just because the music’s twangy doesn’t mean there can’t be complimentary champagne at midnight. Tickets are $20, available via www.ticketweb.ca. VIP bottle service packages start at $220. Visit bullandbarrel.com for details. Nineteen and older.

Over the rainbow at Burlesque Nightclub

The rainbow flag flies high on New Year’s Eve at Windsor’s Burlesque Nightclub (44 University Ave. West). The venue is offering an LGBT-friendly party that includes complimentary champagne upon entry, two drink tickets (valid until 11 p.m.), complimentary champagne toast at midnight, a balloon drop, and go-go boy dancers. Doors open 10 p.m. Tickets are $25, available via thinkwindsor.com or www.eventbrite.ca. Call 226-315-1910 or visit www.burlesquewindsor.com for details. Nineteen and older.

Relax at Revival

Inside Revival Social Lounge in downtown Windsor.

Looking for a New Year’s Eve event that features EDM beats — but don’t want to get too hyped? Try the hypnotic techno sounds of Justin James and Groove Right at Revival Social Lounge (300 Ouellette Ave.). Doors open 9 p.m. General tickets are $10, VIP tickets are $15. Bottle service packages start at $200, available via www.eventbrite.ca. Call 519-819-6433 or visit www.thisisrevival.com. Nineteen and older.

Get electric at Windsor Beer Exchange

Cutting edge electronic dance music is the order at Prim’s New Years event upstairs at the Windsor Beer Exchange (493 University Ave. West). Special lighting is being brought in to complement four DJs (including Windsor’s Prim Hiiro) and LED-enhanced dance performances of poi, hoop, and aerial swing routines. Doors open 9 p.m. No cover. Call 226-674-1212 for more details.

Rock around the clock at Good Time Charly

A rock n’ roll show at Good Time Charly.

It’s a night of classic rock and roll at Good Time Charly (4715 Tecumseh Rd. E.). Doors open 8 p.m. for a non-stop lineup of five live bands: The Formula, British Beat 66, The Force, The Source, and The Blues Side. Enjoy a complimentary buffet, midnight champagne, and a celebratory jam session. Tickets are $25. Call 519-948-0600.

Bowl into 2016 at Playdium Lanes

It’s the annual New Year’s Eve family rock n’ bowl at Windsor’s Playdium 5-Pin Lanes (4985 Wyandotte St. East). The disco lights will be on and the music will be moderately loud while groups of up to six make use of the lanes. Cost is $45 per lane and each session lasts 90 minutes. There’ll be a ginger ale toast to 2016. Bowling starts 3 p.m. A reservation and a deposit are required. Call 519-945-3111 or visit www.playdiumlanes.com.

Golf into 2016 at Silver Tee

A view of one of the simulators at Silver Tee Golf & Virtual Gaming Centre.

Celebrate the arrival of 2016 by working on your swing at Silver Tee Golf & Virtual Gaming Centre (1360 Highway 3 in Oldcastle). The facility is offering unlimited use of its golf and sport simulators on New Year’s Eve.

Doors open 7 p.m. and stay open until 1 a.m. Minimum party of four. $50 per person. Price includes a pitcher of beer, a nacho plate, one large pizza, and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Visit silverteegolf.com or call 519-966-4911.

Zap it up at the Zap Zone

Inside the Zap Zone.

The kids can blast their way into 2016 with all-you-can-play laser tag and more at Windsor’s Zap Zone (1665 Lauzon Rd.). The facility is holding a New Year’s Eve “lock-in” event from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Cost is $45 per person and includes laser tag, pizza, pop, and a midnight balloon drop. Visit www.zapzone.ca or call 519-974-5678.

Laugh it up at the Comedy Quarry

Have a humourous New Year’s Eve at Windsor’s Comedy Quarry (1444 Ottawa St.). Doors open 7 p.m. for a night that includes chicken dinner and a lineup of local stand-up comics. Dinner is served at 7:30 p.m. and the performances begin at 9 p.m. There’ll be a countdown show at 11:50 p.m. $30 per person. Call 519-252-7776 or visit www.comedyquarry.com.

Jokes and more in Amherstburg

Inside Shooters Roadhouse in Amherstburg.

Local comedy impresario Leo Dufour is taking his Komedy Korner to Shooters Roadhouse (17 Sandwich St. North in Amherstburg) on New Year’s Eve. Doors open 7 p.m. and dinner will be served at 8 p.m. (choose steak or pasta), followed by stand-up comic performances at 9:30 p.m. There’ll be a champagne toast at midnight. Cost is $50 per person. Call 519-736-7878 for reservations, visit www.komedykorner.com for information.

Party at the Riverside Sportsmen’s Club

Let the good times roll at the Riverside Sportsmen’s Club (10835 Riverside Dr. E.) on New Year’s Eve. Cocktails will be served at 6 p.m., buffet-style dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. There’ll be a live band and party favours. Tickets are $40. Call 519-735-3031 ext. 10 to reserve. If you just want a seat the bar, it’s $10 per person. Visit www.rcswindsor.com for details.

Rock n’ roll at the Moose Lodge

Windsor cover band Brand X Live will be ringing in the new year at Windsor Moose Lodge 1499 (777 Tecumseh Rd. West) on New Year’s Eve. They’ll be playing danceable rock tunes of yesteryear. Doors open 7 p.m., music begins 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. Call 519-253-1834.

Nearly a month after stepping off their flight from Beirut, the Tonbari family is still waiting for the promised horror of a bitterly cold Canadian winter, but the weather refuses to co-operate.

Among the first to arrive of Canada’s new wave commitment of thousands of Syrian refugees, Ibrahim Tonbari, his wife Zaineb and their four children have enjoyed some of the most unseasonably warm Windsor temperatures in decades.

The cold will come, but it’s the warmth of their Windsor reception that has been the most unexpected discovery, say the city’s newest residents.

“People are happy to meet us here — as newcomers, we didn’t expect that, that was a surprise,” said Tonbari.

Zaineb was alone at home when a neighbour, hearing that the new people next door had just fled turmoil in the Middle East, came over with toys and clothing for the children. Not being able to communicate with a family that didn’t speak a word of English didn’t prevent another neighbour from also knocking on the door with gifts and juice.

“I thought we were going to be strangers, but everything is as back home,” said Tonbari through an Arabic interpreter.

“Back home,” of course, is history.

Tonbari ran a small grocery store in Homs, and the young couple had just finished building a home for their family when the Arab Spring broke out across the region and Syria’s dictator cracked down on protesters seeking freedoms in their own country.

An uprising begun in 2011 flared into a civil war that has so far claimed an estimated 250,000 dead and forced millions of Syrians to flee their homes.

Tonbari and his wife, who have each lost relatives to the violence, joined more than a million fellow Syrians across the border into Lebanon.

“We were afraid for our lives,” said Tonbari. “The situation wasn’t much better (in Lebanon). There’s a lot of discrimination versus Syrians, but our children were safe.”

Their home in Homs was destroyed in repeated shelling by government forces targeting cities where the rebels held sway.

In Lebanon, “we were just getting by on a daily basis,” said Tonbari, who found occasional work as a general labourer in construction. Some days, there was no food, and often — up to 20 times over three years — the family was tossed into the streets when the rent couldn’t be covered.

Zaineb gradually sold off her jewelry to help put food on the table but also to help pay for transportation to access agencies they hoped could help, including the Canadian embassy in Beirut.

On Nov. 29, the Tonbari family, with four children under the age of seven, boarded a flight for Toronto with 26 other Syrians, the first of a massive expected wave of refugees over the next weeks.

“We’ve been told that, come January and February, we’re going to see an influx of hundreds of Syrian refugees coming to Windsor — that’s when the rubber hits the road,” said Jelena Payne, the city’s community development and health commissioner.

Payne said Windsor is ready but that help is stilling being sought from local property owners and landlords.

“Housing is No. 1. They need a roof over their heads,” said Payne. She said Windsor’s Housing Information Services has identified shelter so far for up to 500 individuals. (No public housing will be used to accommodate the refugees.)

Call 311 or visit the City of Windsor’s website to find out more on how to help.

Canada has offered to take in 25,000 government assisted and privately sponsored Syrian refugees by the end of February, as well as an additional 10,000 government assisted Syrian refugees over the balance of 2016.

Payne said Windsor’s commitment so far of up to 500 Syrian refugees is on top of the 200 to 300 government assisted refugees the city welcomes in an average year.

And it doesn’t include additional refugees who might be privately sponsored. As of Wednesday, nine privately sponsored refugees had made it to Windsor since Nov. 4 — when Ottawa’s tally on its commitment began — and another 60 have been identified as finishing their overseas processing and being Windsor-bound.

Friends had told Ibrahim Tonbari of the human smugglers paid to take Syrians on the dangerous trek across Europe, but he said he didn’t want to leave his family behind and was unwilling to risk their safety taking them with him on such a desperate and long journey.

“I had no idea what to do,” he said of an increasingly bleak situation that left him sad and depressed. That’s when Canada gave the green light.

“He says he was literally jumping. It was a way of escaping the misery,” Arabic interpreter Tarek Al Smoudi said, translating Tonbari’s excited words at the family’s new home.

It’s a modest vinyl-sided detached house between the Lebanese-infused commercial district along Wyandotte Street East and the Italian dominated cafés and eateries along Erie Street to the south. The interior is clean and spartanly furnished. It is a huge improvement over the one-room, half-constructed concrete box that was the family’s last home in Lebanon, with its one-pot gas burner for cooking and thin mats pulled over the bare floor for sleeping.

Tonbari said the next priority is learning English, finding a car and getting a job.

His Lebanese experience showed him he likes building homes, something he now wants to do for a living. Then it will be on to achieving the next goal — buying a home of their own.

“Our house was destroyed, our car was stolen — we can’t go back to Syria,” said Tonbari. 

Another priority for both parents is for their kids to get educated and “achieve higher status than their parents.”

Daughter Noura, 7, in Grade 1, has already said she wants to be a teacher. She and oldest brother Blal, 6, in senior kindergarten, began school just days ahead of the Christmas break.

Asked about any worries or apprehensions of finding themselves in a new country with a foreign language and different customs and having to start again from scratch, Tonbari shakes his head.

“After all that I saw, I have no concerns. Our safety is covered,” he said, adding it was also nice to see Canada’s prime minister welcoming Syrians at the airport.

“You have no idea how important it is to be treated respectfully, to be treated with love.

“Thank you, Canada. Thank you, Canadian people.”

dschmidt@windsorstar.com

twitter.com/schmidtcity

About 100 families in Leamington spent some of their Christmas day in the dark after an “animal contact” blew a line fuse.

Power went out just after 3 p.m., according to an update from Essex Powerlines Corporation.

Those affected were located around King Street, Marlborough Street East, Lutsch Avenue, Mill Street East and Orange Street.

Power was expected to be restored by 5 p.m.

ctthompson@windsorstar.com

twitter.com/caroethompson

Sabrina Dahl didn’t want to spend another Christmas alone.

Her kids would be at their dad’s for the holidays and she had nowhere to go. So she wandered into a free Christmas dinner and started to help serve.

More than a decade later, it’s her kids who are organizing the dinner, along with other volunteers and contributors. They welcome anyone who needs a place to go — whether they be homeless, low-income or just lonely.

“The first year I spent it alone, it was not a good day,” Dahl said. “I needed to do something and this is where I ended up.”

People enjoy a free Christmas dinner at The Foundry Pub, Friday, December 25, 2015.

Dahl was serving dinner at The Foundry Pub on Ouellette Avenue Friday afternoon. Her son Brandan Dahl and friend Gerry Meloche organized the event, with the help of volunteers from New Song Church.

The cost of food — plus toys for children and gift cards for visitors — were donated with help from sponsors Wincon Construction and Hogarth Hermiston Severs. They had enough food to serve about 500 people.

Gerry Meloche, one of the organizers of the free Christmas dinner, talks with Xi Zhu, left, and Lan Ren at The Foundry Pub, Friday, December 25, 2015.

Xi Zhu and Lan Ren were spending one of their first Canadian Christmases together. The two, who each immigrated to Canada about 20 years ago, have lived in different cities for decades. Ren just arrived in Windsor about six months ago.

The two women came to The Foundry Pub to share a Christmas dinner — one they wouldn’t have cooked by themselves.

At a nearby table, Ron Kinch, who learned of the dinner through the Downtown Mission, said he’s been struggling with poverty as he waits for his disability application to be approved.

“I’ll be eating from the Mission and places like this until they make up their minds,” he said. Kinch doesn’t have any family in the city, but said he’s spending the day with friends he’s met who are also alone.

“My family is here now — my adopted family,” he said, as he laughed with others chowing down on turkey and stuffing.

Volunteers, from left, Diane Lewicki, Monica Fletcher, Gavin Pratt, 9, and Moe Seddick, serve up a free Christmas dinner for Norman Durette at Chanoso’s, Friday, December 25, 2015.

Sabrina Dahl, whose daughter Lindsay and son Josh were also helping out, said it’s touching that even when the family can spend Christmas together, they choose to do it volunteering.

“It just reminds me about everything I do have, she said, tears in her eyes.

Over at Chanoso’s, another Christmas dinner organizer got choked up as he spoke of the generous donations made to serve up to 600 meals.

“The worse the economy gets, it’s a double-edged sword. It’s harder for me to collect money, but it means the number of people who are going to be at our door is higher,” said Paul Huggard, who runs the dinner. “The people who come out of their own volition on Christmas Day just to help out, what do you say to them?”

Norman Durette enjoys a free Christmas dinner at Chanoso’s, Friday, December 25, 2015.

Huggard said without the generosity of Circle of 7, Petretta Construction, Daniel Scott and John and Shannon Omstead, he’d never be able to offer such food.

Shelley Crowe brandished a wide smile as she rolled her wheelchair out from The Foundry Pub after enjoying a hot meal.

“I didn’t have anywhere to go. No family here,” she said. “I’m blessed. It was really good. They show lots of love here.”

ctthompson@windsorstar.com

twitter.com/caroethompson

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The Downtown Windsor Business Accelerator has launched a crowdfunding campaign for its new building, after city council turned down its request for $90,000 to expand.

“We decided to let the community have a say in what they invest in,” said Arthur Barbut, managing director of the accelerator. “(Windsor) is not investing in entrepreneurship and incubation, so people are either going to Detroit or they’re heading out to London or Kitchener-Waterloo.”

Barbut said councillors Chris Holt and Rino Bortolin — who both had supported the motion to fund the accelerator — are acting as honorary chairs of the fundraising efforts.

Council narrowly voted against providing $90,000 to the accelerator after some spirited discussion during lengthy budget deliberations earlier this week.

Coun. Paul Borrelli wondered about the group’s achievements, calling into questions the economic spinoff numbers.

The mayor said he’d prefer to see economic development funding distributed through a central hub, rather than giving money to many individual organizations.

Entrepreneur Janet Casey, who was at the council meeting, said the accelerator was invaluable for her graphic design business.

“I came looking for an office space and what I’ve gotten is so much more,” she said.

She was running her small business, jcaseymedia, out of her basement and meeting clients in coffee shops.

“Since I’ve been here, it’s really paid off,” she said. “I’ve met entrepreneurs at all levels. I’ve gotten so many tips and pointers.”

She said she’s already expanded her customer base and been able to conduct more professional meetings with clients from Windsor and Detroit.

Holt said he decided to take part because he’s concerned that, after city council turned down the accelerator, businesses might feel Windsor does not embrace and help entrepreneurs.

“I want to see them achieve their goals. I want to see the accelerator grow,” he said. “I want to see a healthy ecosystem that really supports our entrepreneurs.”

Barbut said the accelerator has three options for new locations, where he hopes to expand the number of offices for rent and open a café that university students and the community could join for a small fee. He added that if a large amount is raised, the ideal would be to move into a bigger space, allowing for more innovation.

For example, a makerspace could incorporate a workshop where small businesses use tools and equipment to develop their products. In Detroit, one such place hosts a clothing company, a blacksmith and a 3D printer. As well, Barbut said, he can envision an industrial kitchen, so that entrepreneurs could test out recipes. 

Within its first day, the Indiegogo campaign had already raised $2,000 of its $30,000 goal.

Barbut said he’s optimistic, and the promises on the fundraising campaign confirm it. Those who offer $60 donations can get a free copy of From the Vault, a photo history of Windsor by Windsor Star reporter Craig Pearson and Dan Wells of Biblioasis. Donors of $100 can receive a free business consultation.

If someone donates $10,000, they’re promised the chance to name a meeting room for themselves or their business. And if a $250,000 donor comes forward, they get to name the new accelerator building.

ctthompson@windsorstar.com

twitter.com/caroethompson

Police are investigating after a man was seriously assaulted overnight at a west side motel.

Staff Sgt. Dave Kigar said the man sustained head and rib injuries and was taken to hospital. He is not co-operating with police.

Kigar said detectives are at the Travellers Choice Motel where the assault occurred. They continue to investigate.

Police investigate an overnight assault at the Travellers Choice motel on Sandwich Street on Friday, Dec. 25, 2015.

Police investigate an overnight assault at the Travellers Choice motel on Sandwich Street on Friday, Dec. 25, 2015.

Health care has come a long way in doctor-less McGregor since February, when the Harrow Family Health Team set up a nurse practitioner satellite clinic in the village’s community centre.

That nurse practitioner is at near capacity with a patient load of about 800 people, many of them older people who previously used a very expensive, hospital-clogging method to get medical attention: they went to the hospital emergency, sometimes calling an ambulance if they didn’t have a ride.

The N0R 1J0 McGregor postal code had the highest number of people using the emergency inappropriately, according to Margo Reilly, the Harrow Family Health Team’s executive director.

“The clinic is thriving,” said Reilly, who expects that the number of inappropriate emergency visits by McGregor residents has declined correspondingly, though new numbers are not yet available.

But now the future of the clinic — approved as a pilot project by the Health Ministry — is in jeopardy.

Its funding expires March 31. If its funding isn’t renewed, it’s in danger of closing, said Reilly, who said the clinic actually needs more than the money the ministry has been providing. 

The ministry money just pays for the salary of a single nurse practitioner. The Town of Essex has provided free space in its McGregor Community Centre and even paid the electric bill. The family health team has been squeezing money out of the budget for its Harrow site to pay $50,000 to $60,000 in extra McGregor costs, including employing a medical office assistant, and paying for the phone, Internet, photocopier and computer.

“I’m not really sure what’s going to happen in three months,” said Reilly. “But the Harrow Family Health Team does not have the budget to carry two centres.”

She said the health team is preparing a submission to ask the ministry to fully fund the satellite clinic.

Town of Essex Deputy Mayor Richard Meloche, whose Ward 2 includes McGregor, said people in the area have become really loyal to the new clinic and are inundating local politicians — himself included — with pleas to keep it operating. 

“It’s been pretty crucial,” he said of the new clinic’s impact. 

Nurse practitioner Barb Trojaniak works at the McGregor clinic of the Harrow Family Health Team.

The area has many older residents, many of whom don’t have their own transportation, he said. So when they had a health problem, some would call an ambulance to take them to the emergency, an extremely costly way of providing primary care. The nearest doctors are in Harrow, Amhersburg or Essex.

Meloche said he’s received numerous calls from people who love using the clinic.

“They say how happy and excited they are, they can actually walk or get a neighbour to drive them there,” he said. “There are a number of older people in the village who need some tender loving care.”

Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj said the big new philosophy in the province is to bolster primary care (family doctors and nurse practitioners) so people aren’t relying on expensive emergency departments for care they could get at a clinic.

“It’s hundreds of dollars per visit (at the emergency), compared to tens of dollars (at a clinic), it’s totally different,” said Musyj, who added that keeping a nurse practitioner clinic in a place like McGregor isn’t just about saving money. If a person comes to an emergency room, the doctor just treats the episodic problem, whereas a primary care clinic deals with the problem as well as the overall health of the patient, including preventive care.

Reilly said supporting the satellite clinic has been financially hard on the Harrow Family Health Team, but its board was committed to supporting it because for years it believed the residents of McGregor were underserviced. So it jumped at the chance when the ministry agreed to fund a nurse practitioner.

But the situation became so difficult in the fall it had to cut back the hours at the clinic, from five days a week to two. The hours were reinstated recently, according to an open letter to the community from the health team.

“This will cause financial stress, but the board wants McGregor to have the best chance of long-term success,” the letter says.

bcross@windsorstar.com

twitter.com/winstarcross

Cardiac programs at four Canadian hospitals — including one in Windsor — will split a pot of unclaimed money from a class-action settlement over potentially defective pacemakers and defibrillators.

Windsor Regional Hospital’s cardiac wellness program at the former Hotel-Dieu site on Ouellette Avenue will share the windfall with hospitals in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, said Windsor lawyer Jay Strosberg.

There is about $100,000 left over from funds set up in 2014 to compensate patients. With interest on the funds, each hospital will initially receive between $20,000 and $25,000. They may get additional money in the future once the final accounting on the funds is complete.

Lawyer Jay Strosberg, partner at Sutts, Strosberg LLP, is pictured in this November 2015 file photo.

The money comes from a settlement in excess of $3 million of a class-action suit against Guidant Corporation, Guidant Canada Corporation, Guidant Sales Corporation and Cardiac Pacemakers Inc.

The companies were sued in 2005 over potential battery shorting problems in their implantable devices. The companies settled the lawsuit last year without any admission of liability.

Terms of the settlement included setting up a $1,272,000 fund to compensate patients who had to the have the devices surgically removed. Another $800,000 was to go to patients who suffered what the court termed “extraordinary injury.”

The rest of the money went to OHIP, lawyers’ fees and administration costs.

Patients had until December 2014 to make claims. There were 141 claimants, Strosberg said. With money left over, the court had to determine “what’s the next best use” for the funds.

Strosberg said he negotiated to put money back into the hands of some of the hospitals where the allegedly defective devices were implanted into patients in the first place. Strosberg said he argued that the money should not go to the large centres only, but to Windsor as well.

Of the 11 representative plaintiffs in the lawsuit, six were from the Windsor area. It’s only right that some of the money come to the city, Strosberg said.

“The case was started in Windsor. The settlement was approved in Windsor… There’s definitely a Windsor connection.”

Strosberg said about $130,000 has been dispersed to Windsor agencies this year from funds set up as part of class-action lawsuits he litigated. WEtech Alliance, a Windsor agency that helps technology startups, received $80,000 earlier this year as part of a settlement of a securities class-action.

ssacheli@windsorstar.com

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Anti-theft technology has made it difficult for thieves to drive away with your vehicle, but 2015 will record the first increase in auto thefts in more than a decade, says the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

Thefts up

The number of stolen vehicles across the country rose one per cent to 73,964, said Rick Dubin, vice-president, investigative services at the bureau. That was still down more than 50 per cent from peak levels reached in the 1990s, said Dubin. The Ford F-350 and F-250 pickup trucks dominated the list of top-10 vehicles most frequently stolen. All were older models ranging from 2001 to 2007 with four-wheel drive. The only non-Ford vehicle on the list was the 2006 Cadillac Escalade, with four-wheel drive.

“None of the top 10 stolen vehicles are equipped with an electronic immobilizer as a theft deterrent system, so they are easier to steal,” said Dubin. “We also see from this list that criminals continue to have a huge demand for all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive late model, high-end vehicles.”

Security defeated

Dubin noted a worrisome trend among the top 10 most frequently stolen vehicles in Ontario, which saw a three-per-cent drop in auto thefts in 2015.

“Six out of the top 10 vehicles have electronic immobilizers,” said Dubin. “My concern is, No. 1, probably a lot of people have vehicles running unattended so the keys are inside. “Our No. 2 concern is whether thieves have acquired technology to override electronic immobilizers. This is what police are concerned about.”

Electronic immobilizers became standard equipment on vehicles manufactured in Canada starting with the 2008 model year.

The 2003 Cadillac Escalade, 4DR, AWD SUV topped the list of the 10 most frequently stolen vehicles in the province, followed by the 2010 Acura ZDX 4DR, AWD SUV, 2009 BMW X6 4DR, AWD SUV, 2013 Acura MDX 4DR, 4WD SUV, 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 2WD PU, 2013 Toyota Highlander 4DR, 4WD SUV, 2005 Hummer H2 4DR, AWD SUV, 2014 Toyota Venza 5DR, 4D, 2011 BMW X65 4DR, AWD SUV and 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 2WD PU.

Dismantled for export

“We are seeing containers in the Montreal and Halifax ports stocked with car and truck parts,” said Dubin. “Crooks are trying to fool Canada Border Services Agency and (the Insurance Bureau by dismantling high-end, late-model vehicles. (The two agencies) have seized 41 of these vehicles that had been dismantled.”

They have jointly recovered more than $10 million in stolen vehicles at the ports this year alone, said Dubin, adding that the stolen vehicles had been destined for West Africa.

“Of the 307 high-end stolen vehicles that had been seized, 60 per cent had their keys in them,” said Dubin. “That could be a combination of people leaving keys inside or the use of overriding technology.”

Holidays busy

At least 20 per cent of all thefts are vehicles running unattended, said Dubin. “As winter sets in people are doing warm-ups in the driveway. That’s what criminals are looking for. Right now we’re in the busiest season for auto theft because of the weather and holiday shopping.”

Costly problem

Automobile theft is much more than an insurance problem. It’s an expensive social menace, the Insurance Bureau said. Each year, automobile theft costs Canadians close to $1 billion, including $542 million for insurers to fix or replace stolen vehicles, $250 million in police, health care and court system costs and millions more for correctional services.

A vehicle with an unlocked door or an open window is an easy target, according to the bureau. Always roll up your vehicle’s windows, lock the doors and pocket the keys when you park your car. Park in a well-lit area and never leave valuables in plain view.

gmacaluso@windsorstar.com

twitter.com/winstarmacaluso

The new president of the Essex County Medical Society is an unabashed lover of Windsor who fears the current government cuts to doctors could threaten the quality of care down the road.

“I have family members in Windsor, I would want health care to be the best it can be,” said Dr. Amit Bagga, a nephrologist (kidney specialist) who was born in London, England but moved to Windsor with his family when he was two. He takes over the 145-year-old society from Amherstburg family physician Dr. Tim O’Callahan, who spent much of his one-year term fighting government imposed cuts to doctor fees.

Bagga contends that the Ontario Liberals made big financial errors in other areas and then picked on health care to make up its losses. 

“What’s that going to do? Drive doctors away from Ontario communities. It’s going to make the ones who are training not stay in Ontario, and then it’s just going to create longer wait times,” he said, adding that the cuts are also targeting nurses, physiotherapy and home care.

“It really is pretty black and white: you’re not going to do these systemic cuts to health care and say things are going to get better now, that’s just illogical.”

He said local doctors are concerned about the future.

O’Callahan said the society made lots of positive strides in the last year, including the hiring of a consultant who looked at the entire operation and came up with a roadmap for change in future years.

But he added: “We’re still in that same conflict with the government and until that’s done I think it’s going to be overshadowing everything we’re doing.”

The cuts to fees — totalling about four per cent — are largely due to the rising total amount the government pays to doctors because the population is aging and growing. The fact that people are living longer is a kind of victory, achieved through advances in medicine, and yet it’s also bound to put increasing strains on the system, he said. If you’re living longer, you’re living longer with more health problems, he said.

“Nobody comes in with one problem. People come in with several problems,” said Bagga, whose own specialty is seeing a dramatic rise in people with kidney problems, caused largely by rising numbers of people with diabetes and high blood pressure.

The number of people needing dialysis — a life-saving process that does the blood-filtering job of kidneys — is increasing by 10 per cent a year, said Bagga, who is Windsor Regional Hospital’s chief of nephrology, medical director for the hospital’s pre-dialysis clinic and the Windsor Kidney Function Clinic, and an adjunct professor at the Schulich School of Medicine.

He said the rising tide of older people makes preventive care essential.

“We have to focus on how do you stay healthy for as long as you can,” he said. “Let’s do regular exercise, let’s eat a balanced diet in moderation, let’s rest properly, let’s keep stress reduced — all those principles hold even more importance because if you’re living longer you want to live longer with a good quality of life.”

Bagga grew up in Riverside, attended the University of Windsor for his general science degree, then went to London for medical school and residency. He and his wife Monica, a pharmacist and diabetic educator at Windsor Regional Hospital’s Ouellette campus, have two young children. Both their parents live a few doors away, so they have a good circle of family and friends locally, Bagga said.

“I genuinely love Windsor. People laugh at me, call me the ambassador of the city,” he said. “People are great, the restaurants are amazing, being a border city is great, Point Pelee, great climate.”

As well, he said, it’s become a great place to practise medicine, with the introduction of the medical school here, as well as local residencies for family medicine and now psychiatry. Bagga had to go away to train to be a doctor, but today a student hoping to be a family doctor can stay here for an undergraduate degree, medical school and residency, he noted.

“I think that’s amazing for Windsor.”

bcross@windsorstar.com

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Last spring was one of the worst planting seasons farmers can remember and only a crop insurance extension and a warm fall helped save some crops.

It was so wet that Essex County farmers didn’t get a chance to plant hundreds of acres and left five to 10 per cent of the soybean crop not planted, said Essex County Federation of Agriculture president Lyle Hall.

“One of the worst. One of the worst that I’ve seen,” said Hall who has farmed for about 35 years.

Farmers who usually have crops planted in May faced a record wet June and needed a week extension for insurance at the beginning of July. Hall said before the extension, about 25 per cent of the soybeans were not planted. It rained and some grain farmers still didn’t get to plant anything.

Farmers who did get a short season soybean variety planted faced a cool summer and it was only a long warm fall that saved the crops, Hall said. Corn and soybean yields were average or slightly down, he said.

“This turned out, all said and done, probably an average year. Guys were very pleasantly surprised with the yields that they got,” Hall said.

Essex farmer Brendan Byrne who is the local director for the Grain Farmers of Ontario said he never got to plant about 100 acres of the 1,500 acres he farms. He said there were below average yields in the harder hit areas.

Through social media, he could see farmers in St. Joachim reporting they were finishing planting while growers in Essex and Amherstburg got five inches of rain, Byrne said. The soggiest areas were Essex and Amherstburg, Byrne said. During the summer, many farmers had land that looked more like mini lakes than fields.

“I had two older guys who told me they hadn’t seen anything like this since 1969,” Byrne said.

Because some farmers never got to plant soybeans, they planted a lot of winter wheat this fall. The wheat that was harvested this summer was poor quality because of the wet spring and rain during harvest which meant farmers took about 25 per cent less for their wheat, Hall said.

After two harsh winters, Hall said a regular winter or a mild one with no freezing rain would be good. A little snow is seen as a blanket that can protect fields such as winter wheat. Because of a strong El Nino, forecasters are predicting a mild winter although The Weather Network says to expect cold temperatures and more of a wintry feel by February.

Avoiding frigid temperatures over the winter and spring frosts will be on the wish list for lots of growers. A killer May frost ruined about half of Ontario’s apple crop although Essex County growers were mostly spared that disaster.

Looking for volunteers

The Essex County Federation of Agriculture held its annual meeting in December and Hall will continue to serve as the federation’s president in 2016. Brad Anger is the vice-president and the local federation is still looking for a second vice-president and to fill two positions on its board of directors.

shill@windsorstar.com

twitter.com/winstarhill

In a city where youth unemployment hit a shocking 25 per cent in November, Workforce WindsorEssex is hoping a new program — aimed at providing better information on available jobs, the skills required and how to acquire them — will help put a significant dent in that number.

The four local school boards have are accessing the Windsor Essex Navigates program, also known as WEnav. Another 20 community partners involved will roll it out in the new year.

“The goal of the program is really to help youth develop career navigation skills and knowledge for now, but also for their future,” said Stephanie Dupley, a career pathways educator for Workforce WindsorEssex.

“Youth today are not going to have linear careers, where they work for the same company for 30 years. This program will also help them recognize opportunities for their careers in the future.”

A two-year, $125,000 grant from the Trillium Foundation was used to create the program.

Dupley said the most promising sectors for jobs locally are in agricultural, manufacturing, professional services, information technology and construction.

Developed through extensive consultation with youth, educators, service providers and employers, the program is unique in that it is specifically tailored to the local market.

There are six modules to help young workers plan their future that can be taken as a whole or can be accessed on a selective basis to address a specific need. They cover:

• engaging youth in career planning;
• exploring their interests and how to find careers matching them;
• education on careers beyond the traditional occupations;
• labour market information on what jobs are available, where and what employers are looking for in a worker;
• looking ahead and what training is available to adapt to change; and
• creating a career action plan.

While service providers can access the resources online, much of the skills development is hands-on, Dupley said.

“There are handouts, workbooks, PowerPoint presentations and scenarios to be played out and problem solving exercises,” Dupley said.

It’s through this mix that many of those coveted soft-skills employers are looking for can be developed. Among the most prized skills are communication, positive attitude, dependability, teamwork, adaptability and ability to learn, and volunteering.

“Communication is a big one with employers,” Dupley said. “Volunteering has also become more important.

“Part of the program addresses that by showing how you can gain experiential learning through volunteering.”

Susan Friedl, curriculum consultant for the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, said the program is a perfect way to implement the Ministry of Education’s directive to illustrate different avenues open to students.

“Our teachers have embraced this resource. And finding all labour market information, locally, regionally and nationally in one site is a real benefit to our students, parent and teachers,” Friedl said.

In addition to the four local school boards, St. Clair College and the University of Windsor will also offer the program.

Some of the other service providers involved include Windsor Women Working with Immigrant Women, The New Canadian Centre and the Unemployment Help Centre.

More information on the WEnav program is available at the website www.workforcewindsoressex.com.

Workforce WindsorEssex executive director Tanya Antoniw said after the plan is fully implemented, her organization will study the demographics of users and get feedback from service providers and employers.

“We will further tweak the program based on the feedback,” Antoniw said. “Everything in the program is based on the local market.”

dwaddell@windsorstar.com

For nine years, the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation of Canada, Windsor Learning Centre has been helping children with dyslexia. 

The centre received a donation of $2,014 Monday from Caesars Windsor to help with its program. The centre, located in the Windsor Masonic Temple on Ouellette, offers free tutoring to children with dyslexia between seven and 17 years of age.

“Donations are very important to us as we do not get any funding from government agencies,” said Don Warner, the centre’s fundraising chairman.

“Our program is to take a child in a two to three year program and teach them one-on-one how to turn everything around in their life. We build up their confidence, attitude and in general, their way of life and it’s very rewarding to see the end result.”

The centre uses the highly acclaimed Orton-Gillingham approach to successfully help children learn to read and write. Dyslexia makes learning difficult — with reading, writing, math, verbal expression and comprehension all affected.

In fact, 15 per cent of all children suffer from dyslexia.

“We always like to do unique things,” said Ed Fernandez, manager of resort and convention sales at Caesars Windsor. “We are always looking to give back to the community.”

Centre director Tammy Groulx said the donation from Caesars will be used for training for tutors and resources for the centre.  

ksteele@windsorstar.com

It was nearly 4½ years ago that Christine Lembovski, an 83-year-old woman with dementia, wandered out of a downtown Windsor nursing home and drowned in the Detroit River.

Her family is still looking for answers.

Son Walter, and his wife, Katherine, pushed for a coroner’s inquest. When that didn’t occur, they, together with Christine’s husband, Spiro, sued Revera Long Term Care Inc. That was in 2012. Since then, Spiro has passed away.

“I am so aggravated,” said Katherine, frustrated at the pace of the litigation.

Ristosija (Christine) Lembovski is pictured in this family handout photo.

She says the family hoped the lawsuit would lead to changes in how long-term care homes — especially those owned by for-profit corporations — are run. She and her husband have vowed to donate any punitive damages to seniors’ advocacy groups.

The home where Christine lived was Rose Garden Villa. According to Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care reports, the Dougall Avenue home continued to be plagued with complaints after Christine’s death. Revera renamed the home the Berkshire Care Centre, then sold it to a new operator earlier this year.

The Lembovskis want to know what factors contributed to the family matriarch’s death. Did the staff working that day know she had a tendency to wander? Did anyone notice her, still in her nightclothes, shuffling with her walker out the front door?

Katherine says her mother-in-law’s dementia may have been exacerbated by an untreated infection at the time of her death.

Ministry reports show the home was ordered to install an alarm on the front door following Christine’s death and was cited for not having a written “plan of care” for the woman while she was alive. The document doesn’t name Christine specifically, but the family is sure it’s referring to her in its “critical incident” inspection report.

The family has seen the public reports, but wants internal reports that may shed more light on Christine’s death.

The Lembovskis’ lawyer, Melanie Gardin, said she filed a motion in May to get Aviva to hand over a Quality Improvement Adverse Event Retrospective Review and a briefing note. Aviva has claimed it should not be forced to share the documents with the Lembovskis.

The motion was scheduled to be argued in court in June, but Aviva asked for more time. The hearing was then adjourned to Dec. 14. “The defence lawyers served their materials late and we were not able to reply in time,” Gardin explained.

The hearing has now been moved to April 25.

“Basically a one-year delay,” Gardin said. “The family is entitled to the facts and recommendations underlying the review.” 

Despite repeated attempts, neither Aviva nor the lawyer representing Revera could be reached for comment.

In the company’s statement of defence, Revera has denied any negligence or wrongdoing.

None of the claims by either side have been proven in court.

The family is still suffering and is still seeking justice,” Gardin said. “The delays in the legal system have been difficult and the lack of closure challenging.”

Spiro, too, lived at Rose Garden Villa. He was the first to notice Christine’s absence. As was their routine, Spiro and his wife had breakfast together on the morning of Aug. 14, 2011, after which Spiro went to his room to get his medication. When he returned, his wife was gone.

Spiro tried to convince staff his wife was missing, but they told him she was likely in the washroom.

Meanwhile, boaters were plucking her body from the river.

The family filed complaints against the home. Staff retaliated, Katherine claims. They cleaned out Christine’s room immediately and never posted her obituary for residents to see as was the home’s custom.

“They sanitized her right out of the place.”

The family moved Spiro to Tilbury Manor following his wife’s death. He was happier with his care there, but still missed his wife immensely, Katherine said.

His son promised him Catherine’s death would not be in vain, that the family would lobby to prevent similar deaths in the future, Gardin said. Walter, “made him a promise before he passed that he would not stop fighting for justice for his mother.”

Gardin said she is hoping for a pre-trial before a Superior Court judge by the end of the summer. A trial won’t come until late 2017 or 2018 at the earliest.

ssacheli@windsorstar.com

Twitter.com/winstarsacheli

Windsor’s Roots 2 Wings has been awarded $10,000 through the ADP Canada 2016 small business grant contest.

Roots 2 Wings executive program director Jody Lowrie started the business a few years ago to provide programming for youth and young adults living with a disability. The program is geared toward a wide range of disabilities including autism, visual impairments, Down syndrome, mental health and learning disabilities.

“We offer a daytime program for those done high school,” she said. “It’s a place for them to go and bond. We focus on building life skills, community engagement, socialization, professional development and recreation.”

Before and after hours programs as well as weekend programs are designed to give caregivers a break while their loved ones can socialize with their peers. Community engagement is a priority in programs such as Inspired Sounds Music Therapy, Dance with Soul to Sole, Winstars gymnastics, Pottery and Palettes and pet therapy.

Roots 2 Wings director Jody Lowrie, left, joins team member Candice Gardiner and clients Maria Wahalathanthrige and Ian Powers, right, during music therapy session Dec. 23, 2015.

For Lowrie, Roots 2 Wings holds a special place in her heart. She began the business to meet the needs of her son, Gabriel, who has autism. 

“I started the program from my home,” she said. “When Gabe was finishing high school, I was getting an eye-opener on the lack of services and the need for quality care programming.

“I was worried that the goals and skills we had worked on during his school days would fall to the wayside if he did not receive proper attention and stimulation.”

The need for Roots 2 Wings became apparent as they’ve had to change locations several times in order to meet demands. The program currently has between 40 to 50 people at its Jefferson Road location.

The latest $10,000 grant will help to offset some of the growing costs. 

“We are in need of some accessibility equipment for those that are in wheelchair or have mobility issues,” she said. “We are in need of a lift and transfer equipment with toileting and getting in and out of vehicles.”

For more information, go to roots2wingswindsor.wordpress.com.

ksteele@windsorstsar.com

The nasty weather had to happen some time.

But luckily, after a spring-like December, the wallop of winter weather that hit the Windsor area Monday evening isn’t supposed to last. Tuesday’s high should be around 8 C, with normal highs of around zero for the rest of the week.

Still, high winds whipping off Lake Erie on Monday caused some flooding in Leamington, especially on the south side of Cotterie Park Road which runs along the shore.

Leamington Mayor John Paterson said the waterlogged road was not fit to drive on.

“Our public works has been out there and they blocked the road off and are sitting out the rest of the storm to monitor it,” Paterson said Monday night. “The crews were salting when they saw the flooding and reported it.”

Flooding caused by high winds and waves from Lake Erie is seen on Lakeshore Drive near Fox Run Road in Leamington, Ont. Fierce, Lake Erie waves hammered the Leamington shore on Dec. 28, 2015.

With winds of 30-50 km/h, gusting up to 70 km/hr, the Essex Region Conservation Authority issued a flood warning — scheduled to last till 12 p.m. Tuesday — for Leamington, Wheatley and Point Pelee.

ERCA said there’s a possibility of flooding, shoreline erosion and damaging waves along the Lake Erie shoreline on the east side of Pelee Island.

Meanwhile, Environment Canada warned that freezing rain could make for messy conditions.

“It’s a pretty significant system,” Environment Canada meteorologist Mark Schuster said. “We haven’t been used to them lately. This is the biggest one so far this year.”

Raging waves crash on the shore near Lakeshore Drive near Fox Run Road in Leamington, Ont. on Dec. 28, 2015. The fierce, winter storm that has has caused death and destruction in the United States, has moved into Ontario.

City of Windsor road crews laid a brine solution on major routes Monday to keep wet conditions from becoming icy. Salt trucks then spent the day treating roads further, while Monday evening plows began moving built-up slush to the curb.

A warm front associated with a Texas low produced the band of freezing rain across southern Ontario and Quebec.

Ice accumulation ranged from five to 10 mm, making roads slick.

A large section of west Windsor lost power Monday night.

Enwin Utilities reported that a section bordered by the Detroit River to the north, Tecumseh Road to the south, South Street to the west and Crawford Avenue to the east went without electricity.

Windsor police reported several road accidents but no major ones. A riverboat temporarily broke loose of its moorings at the city-owned Lakeview Park Marina and turned sideways in the canal there before being brought under control again.

The OPP were kept hopping with accidents, many on Highway 401, though only three were reported in Essex County.

cpearson@windsorstar.com

Raging waves crash on the shore near Lakeshore Drive near Fox Run Road in Leamington, Ontario on Dec. 28, 2015.

Raging waves crash on the shore near Lakeshore Drive near Fox Run Road in Leamington, Ontario on Dec. 28, 2015.

Raging waves crash on the shore near Lakeshore Drive near Fox Run Road in Leamington, Ontario on Dec. 28, 2015.

Flooding cause by high winds and waves from Lake Erie is seen on Lakeshore Drive near Fox Run Road in Leamington, Ont.

Raging waves crash on the shore near Lakeshore Drive near Fox Run Road in Leamington, Ontario on Dec. 28, 2015.

A cyclist maneuvers carefully on a slippery Gilles Boulevard in Windsor, Ont., on Monday, Dec. 28, 2015.

A man clears ice off his car on Gilles Boulevard in Windsor, Ont., on Monday, Dec. 28, 2015.

Wayne Zojac didn’t waste any time with his shovel, removing snow and ice from the Sandwich Street sidewalk near Prince Road Dec. 28, 2015.

Hekmate Yako clears ice off his van on Lillian Avenue in Windsor, Ont., on Monday, Dec. 28, 2015.

LaSalle police assist as County Towing operators help a motorist from the south ditch of Front Road Dec. 28, 2015.

Windsor and Essex County emergency services were kept busy responding to several crashes. In this photo, a Pontiac G6 in the median of west bound E C Row at Howard Avenue during the area’s first taste of winter Dec. 28, 2015.

Flood waters were subsiding Tuesday in Leamington’s Cotterie Park area after high winds and rain pummelled Windsor and Essex County Monday.

Municipal crews were out picking up debris and restoring the washed-out roads in the shoreline area on the eastern end of the town, said Mayor John Paterson. Flooding was exacerbated by a power outage Monday which took out private and municipal pumps that could have helped counter the deluge.

Paterson described the water levels Tuesday as “ponding.”

The Essex Region Conservation Authority had issued a flood warning Monday for shoreline areas of Wheatley, Leamington and Point Pelee. The warning has been lifted.

ssacheli@windsorstar.com

Twitter.com/winstarsacheli

She’s won national and provincial awards for her events and conventions, but Teanna Lindsay still worries that people won’t show up to her party.

“Of course!” said Lindsay, who is among Windsor-Essex’s prodigal children who left town to launch careers and are now returning to set up their ventures closer to home. Events don’t always go as planned, she said, and she’s still amazed when it all comes together. “That moment right there is like, ‘Awesome. This came out of my mind.'”

Lindsay is the brains behind some of the region’s newest and increasingly popular events, including the Walkerville and Kingsville night markets and the restaurant-hopping Tasting Trolley. And her work in event management and with local politicians even led her to the federal campaign trail, where she was part of the team organizing rallies and events for Justin Trudeau.

But, the Cottam native said, she never thought she would end up in event planning. After graduating from the University of Windsor in political studies, she went on to work at the provincial level with MPPs like Sandra Pupatello — whom she says is a great role model — in Windsor and at Queen’s Park. As she got more involved with planning events for provincial Liberals, including for former premier Dalton McGuinty’s campaign, she decided to pursue event planning at Ryerson University and starting working with Woofstock, North America’s biggest dog festival, which is held every year in Toronto.

In fact, Lindsay has gone on to win a national award for Best Festival in Canada for Woofstock and she recently bought the trademark for the event with a business partner, meaning she is now officially in charge of a party for some 100,000 dog lovers and more than 200 vendors.

But rather than stay in Toronto, Lindsay wanted to make a go of it back in Windsor and moved back in 2013. “I really missed my hometown,” she said. “I had some ideas and events to start in Windsor that would be a good fit.”

The Walkerville Night Market is pictured in this handout photo.

The idea for the night market emerged over drinks with friends, Lindsay said. Farmers markets are great … if you’re a morning person, that is. The monthly Walkerville Night Market launched in summer 2014 and made a point of featuring all-local food, vendors and musicians. This was key, Lindsay said, because she wants to make sure any event she designs serves its surrounding community or a charity.

“At the end of the day it’s all fine to throw a party but it has to have some meaning behind it,” she said.

The night market concept was so popular among locals and also tourists that it only took a year before it spread to Kingsville. Now there’s talk of bringing it to other county locations in summer 2016.

In the spirit of Windsor-Essex collaboration, Lindsay also launched the Tasting Trolley — a restaurant crawl in a vintage trolley bus with mystery destinations — with local food entrepreneur Jeff Denomme of Papa D’s Hot Sawce. “Everyone loves to eat and there’s such great restaurants here,” she said.

She also worked on the city’s green expo this year with natural goods retailer ShopEco and coordinated the ever-popular Carrousel of Nations.

In between dreaming up and running events in Windsor, Lindsay travelled a bit of Trudeau’s campaign trail. When the opportunity came up to work on the federal Liberal campaign, Lindsay said she simply made herself available to help whenever she could.

Teanna Lindsay, owner of Teanna Lindsay Events, is pictured in her home office on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015.

Pretty soon, she found herself on a team of planners coordinating rallies all over Canada, including an event in Brampton with 5,000 supporters.

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of that,” she said. “It was really rewarding to be a part of something that made history.”

Lindsay hasn’t run out of new event ideas for Windsor-Essex yet, and she has a few up her sleeve for 2016. In the meantime, she’s got another Woofstock to plan, more Tasting Trolleys and Night Markets to host and she’ll be making her mark on Leamington’s home and garden show in March.

Her job entails managing everything for an event from booking venues and arranging city permits to arranging for special fencing and chairs.

What she’s noticed is that people in Windsor-Essex don’t just want to go out to bars — they want to be social and they’re also looking for events that appeal to different demographics. That might explain the popularity of the night markets. “It’s almost like a high school reunion, barbecue feel to those events,” she said.

And it seems to be paying off. Last month, Lindsay took home an innovator’s award from the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence, helping put Windsor-Essex tourist attractions on the same map as Toronto, Niagara and Bruce County.

It’s easy to build relationships and make a difference in a community like Windsor-Essex, Lindsay said, adding if you’re willing to work hard, there are lots of opportunities.

If Windsor’s most recent murder victim hadn’t been gunned down just before Christmas, he would have soon returned to court on his own criminal charges for trying to kill two people in a drive-by shooting.

All three people involved in the latest deadly shooting on Dec. 23, including two victims and the alleged gunman, are known to police.

Alekesji Guzhavin, 30, from London, was killed Dec. 23 after bullets flew at 187 Oak St. Windsor police responded to several 911 calls about multiple gunshots and found him lying dead outside the house.

Another man, 35-year-old Gregory Henriquez from Georgia, was also shot. He was rushed to hospital in critical condition.

Windsor police work at the scene of a homicide at 187 Oak St., Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015.

Ron Foster, spokesman for Windsor Regional Hospital, said Tuesday that Henriquez had improved to serious but stable condition.

Dia’Eddin Hanan, 32, is charged with attempted murder and first-degree murder. His next court appearance is set for Thursday. He has yet to retain a lawyer.

Dia Hanan describes how his brother was stabbed to death on a basketball court at the corner of Glengarry and Wyandotte Street East in this November 1998 file photo.

Police have given no details about the shooting or the events leading up to it. Investigators said Hanan was “known to police,” though they wouldn’t confirm Tuesday if he had a criminal record. But he is no stranger to violence. His older brother Wala died at age 17 in November 1998 after being stabbed during a brawl at Glengarry Park.

That fight began when Dia’Eddin Hanan, his brothers and some other people confronted Ron Parker on the playground.

During a subsequent trial, Dia’Eddin Hanan testified that Parker had beaten him up during the summer of 1998. When he saw Parker on the playground the following November, he sent a friend to get his big brother, Wala. Wala showed up with a third brother, Alex, and a bunch of friends.

A brawl ensued. Parker pulled out a knife and stabbed Wala in the upper right thigh. The stab opened a main artery in Wala’s leg and he died from massive blood loss.

In 2000, a jury acquitted Parker of second-degree murder under the belief he acted in self-defence.

Police wouldn’t confirm this week if Gregory Henriquez, one of Dia’Eddin Hanan’s alleged shooting victims, has a criminal record.

But last August, Windsor police arrested a 35-year-old Georgia man named Gregory Henriquez on drug charges. Officers pulled over a car carrying three people in the 1700 block of Wyandotte Street West. They found crack and methamphetamine.

All three people were arrested. Henriquez was charged with possession of crack cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking.

Windsor police did confirm Tuesday that Guzhavin, who died last week from his gunshot wounds, was the same man charged in a shooting earlier this year.

He was the alleged trigger man in a Sept. 9 drive-by shooting that nearly killed an innocent bystander. A bullet blasted through the bystander’s windshield and came so close to hitting him in the throat that it tore through his shirt collar.

Windsor police investigate after a man driving a Nissan 350Z escaped serious injury after gunshots were fired at his direction, one hitting the front wind shield Sept. 9, 2015.

The victim happened to have a dash camera rolling and caught the whole thing on video.

Windsor police said at the time that the 31-year-old victim was in his Nissan headed north on Howard behind a black Jaguar when a green Toyota passed him.

A man thrust his arm out the window of the Toyota’s passenger side and started shooting at the driver’s side of the Jaguar. One of the bullets ricocheted off the Jaguar and went through the Nissan’s windshield, coming within millimetres of hitting an innocent man in the neck. He miraculously suffered only minor injuries from flying glass.

Police arrested Guzhavin a couple weeks later. He was facing 18 charges including two counts of attempted murder. According to previous media reports, his criminal history before that incident included many gun-related charges.

twilhelm@windsorstar.com

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