Windsor police have arrested a man who allegedly robbed the same convenience store three times in one week.

The most recent robbery, at the Mac’s convenience store at 380 Mill St., happened around 10 a.m. Sunday. Police said they believe he also hit the same store on March 6 and 11.

The robber was armed with a knife each time, according to investigators.

Officers arrested the suspect around 7 p.m. Sunday after getting a call about a suspicious person wearing clothes that matched the description of the robber.

Windsor police are still looking for a triple robbery suspect after arresting the wrong man Sunday night.

Police believe the same person robbed the Mac’s convenience store at 380 Mill St. three times in one week.

The most recent robbery happened around 10 a.m. Sunday. Police said they believe that person also hit the store on March 6 and 11.

The robber’s face was covered and he was armed with a knife each time, according to investigators.

Officers arrested someone around 7 p.m. Sunday after getting a call about a suspicious person wearing clothes that matched the description of the robber. But they later released that person with no charges.

The OPP’s annual awareness campaign to fight distracted driving begins today.

“If you are texting, talking on your cellphone or preoccupied with other activities while behind the wheel, you are not driving safely,” said OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes. “It does not suffice to keep your eyes on the road. Driving involves sharing space with drivers, their passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians and it is impossible to do so safely unless your eyes and mind are solely focused on driving.”

The campaign runs until March 20. Police said 2015 marked the third consecutive year that distracted driving was a cause of more road deaths on OPP-patrolled roads than any other factor.

Last year, 69 people died in crashes where driver distraction was a factor. Police said 61 deaths were speed-related, 51 were seatbelt-related and 45 involved alcohol or drugs.

The OPP said studies have found that distracted driving — especially texting and talking on cellphones — is as dangerous as driving drunk or stoned.

“Distracted driving is just not worth it,” Yasir Naqvi, minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, said in a press release. “It has been shown to be just as dangerous as drinking and driving, something we all know is wrong.”

Since 2013, OPP officers have laid about 20,000 distracted driving charges each year throughout the province. Police said that’s more than double the number of impaired driving charges for the same period.

Police said they also lay numerous charges every year for other driving distractions, including people who are eating, self-grooming or tending to kids in the back seat.

The OPP is also urging passengers to take a zero tolerance approach and speak up when in a vehicle with a driver who is not paying attention.

“We all have a role to play in keeping our roads safe and I want to remind everyone to go hands-free and put your hand-held devices away,” said Naqvi. “It can mean all the difference.”

The historic Mariners’ Church of Detroit held its annual Blessing of the Fleet Sunday in a tradition that dates back more than half a century and heralds the start of boating season.

The 1842 church that has been called the Cathedral of the Great Lakes blesses the flags of vessels both large and small from both sides of the border.

“I would never miss it,” said Ken Kmieske of Roseville, Mich.

The 76-year-old sailor is a three-time past president of the Huron Pointe Yacht Club who brought the club’s flag to be blessed.

The Rev. William Fleming performs a Eucharist service at Mariner’s Church of Detroit, Sunday, March 13, 2016.

“I’ve been to a lot of churches but this is unbelievable. The thing I like about it is you’ve got everybody from different countries or nations. The blessing of the fleet to me is something else.” 

Participating groups included the International Ship Masters’ Association, the U.S. Navy, the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve, HMCS Hunter in Windsor, coast guards from both countries, sea cadets and numerous yacht, boat and sail clubs. A freighter to a sailing vessel called Sweet Dreams were among the two dozen or so flags presented before the church gathering and laid on the altar to be blessed.

Kmieski said it starts off the spring fling and preparation of boats like his 28-foot yacht.

“It doesn’t make any difference if you have inflatable as long as you’ve got a boat,” he said of the blessing.

The choir performs at the Mariner’s Church of Detroit, Sunday, March 13, 2016.

Mariners’ Church of Detroit was founded in 1842 by Julia Anderson who wanted a stone church to serve the spiritual needs of Great Lakes sailors and it has been serving them ever since. Workers on freighters are picked up so they can attend the church and although not everyone in the 250-member congregation has naval links today, there are some families that have gone there for generations.

The church was recognized in Gordon Lightfoot’s The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and holds a memorial service in November for lives lost on the Great Lakes. In 1955 the landmark church was moved to its current location beside the Renaissance Center and the tunnel exit.

“We’re often called the Cathedral of the Great Lakes,” said Rev. Bill Fleming before the service.

The Blessing of the Fleet starts with the Mariners’ Hymn and includes the tolling of a bell and taps to remember those who lost their lives on the Great Lakes. 

Fleming blessed the fleet by asking Almighty God to be with his children who sail upon the Great Lakes. “Guard them from the dangers of the waters, from the violence of enemies, and from every evil to which they may be exposed, both on the water and in port, as they put their trust in the compass of Thy Holy Word,” he said.

shill@postmedia.com

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Members of the Mariner’s Church of Detroit perform the Blessing of the Fleet, Sunday, March 13, 2016.

A stained glass depicting Jesus Christ is pictured at the Mariner’s Church of Detroit, Sunday, March 13, 2016.

The Rev. William Fleming performs a Eucharist service at Mariner’s Church of Detroit, Sunday, March 13, 2016.

The Rev. William Fleming listens to the Canadian national anthem before performing a Eucharist service at Mariner’s Church of Detroit, Sunday, March 13, 2016.

The effort is being hampered by thick fog blanketing the region.

Angler Wayne Munro was fishing when emergency crews — firefighters, police and paramedics — converged on the river shortly before 9 a.m.

A few minutes later they all saw “an ATV floating down the river upside down, wheels up in the air.”

The Coast Guard retrieved the ATV from the river and crews cleared the scene.

Emergency crews respond to reports of an ATV in the Detroit River on March 14, 2016. (Dan Janisse/Windsor Star)

Firefighters dressed in full gear — their faces covered with a breathing apparatus — can be intimidating to anyone. For refugees in Windsor from war-torn Syria, it can be especially unsettling. 

Waled Alrbdoi, centre, helps his daughter Bayan Alrbdoi, 7, navigate simulated streets at The Safety Village Monday March 14, 2016. Baraa Alribdawee, right, joins the fun as dozens of local Syrian refugees were invited to meet Windsor’s emergency service personnel at The Safety Village, Monday March 14, 2016. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

So Windsor Fire and Rescue Services, Windsor Police Services and other front-line emergency responders helped nearly 150 refugees feel safer Monday through programs at the Children’s Safety Village in Forest Glade. 

“They need to be able to build a positive relationship with these professionals,” said Lina Chaker of the Syrian Canada Council. “They need to be able to know they can trust them when they need help, even if the firefighter or police officer looks scary.

“It’s hard because they are coming from a war-torn country so they may not have the best images of these government officials.”

In an attempt to dispel these negative perceptions, local firefighters and police officers showed the refugee children they have nothing to fear.  

Kids got a chance to see firefighters in full gear and even went outside to listen to the siren and see the flashing lights on the truck. Many posed for photos with the fire department’s mascot Sparky. 

“We had a firefighter put his gear on because it’s really important for them to know what he would look like coming through smoke and also to not hide,” said Jeff Goldthorpe, a fire prevention officer in Windsor. “It’s a bonus as well because many of the younger kids have their parents with them so it’s a chance for us to educate them at the same time.”

Refugees were also told about the importance of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, making a fire emergency escape plan, the “stop, drop and roll” technique and, of course, how to call 911. 

Local Syrian refugees get their first look at Windsor’s emergency service personnel at The Safety Village, Monday March 14, 2016. In photo, Windsor firefighters deploy the aerial ladder, which captured the attention of most of the visitors. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

“This is extremely important for fire prevention,” Goldthorpe said. “We believe fires are mainly prevented through education first. Our goal is to have them leave better educated on how to prevent fires before they happen.”

The majority of the refugees don’t speak English, so interpreters were made available throughout the day. It was also a chance for the refugees to get out of their hotel rooms — where many have been since their arrival — and socialize with others.

Windsor police focused on safety tips and the rules of the road, explaining what certain signs mean.

The event was an opportunity to form positive and lasting relationships, said Cealia Gagnon, community service officer for the Children’s Safety Village. 

“I think they are nervous and engaging them this way makes them a whole lot more comfortable to walk up to us,” she said.

“Within 15-20 minutes, they are holding our hand. We let them try on our stuff and it makes them understand that it’s just a uniform.”

Transportation to the event was supplied by Unifor Local 444 and the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County. 

ksteele@windsorstar.com

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During a cool, misty rain, Syrian refugee Heba Abo Ghazha, 4, watches Windsor firefighters deploy the aerial ladder The Safety Village, Monday March 14, 2016. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

Local Syrian refugees Maher Alumar, left, with sons, Ibrahem and Ammar, get their first taste of Windsor roads and Windsor’s emergency service personnel at The Safety Village, Monday March 14, 2016. Behind, Windsor Police Constable Cealia Gagnon, directs traffic as other families have experience the simulated roadway. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

Local Syrian refugee Heba Abo Ghazha, 4, intently watches Windsor firefighters as they deploy the aerial ladder The Safety Village, Monday March 14, 2016. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

The collision occurred about 11:30 a.m. at the E.C. Row westbound off ramp at Huron Church Road. The officer was uninjured.

The original collision call was for an SUV that had slid off the road.

An unmarked O.P.P. cruiser was rear-ended on Monday, March 14, 2016, while investigating an accident on the westbound EC Row off ramp at Huron Church Rd. in Windsor, ON. The officer was not injured. The damage to the black cruiser is shown.

An unmarked O.P.P. cruiser was rear-ended on Monday, March 14, 2016, while investigating an accident on the westbound EC Row off ramp at Huron Church Rd. in Windsor, ON. The officer was not injured. The damage to the black cruiser is shown.

An SUV that slid off the westbound EC Row off ramp at Huron Church Rd. in Windsor, ON. is shown on Monday, March 14, 2016. An O.P.P. unmarked cruiser was rear-ended while investigating the accident. The officer was not injured.

Tired of fielding an escalating number of complaints about parking in Leamington’s central core, the town proposed changing its parking guidelines for the first time in more than 25 years at Monday’s council meeting.

An administrative report presented to council recommended increasing the turnover of on-street parking within a block in all directions of the town’s main intersection of Erie and Talbot Streets.

“There are several owners of businesses in uptown who park in prime spots to the total cost of everyone else doing the right thing,” said Leamington Mayor John Paterson.

“The aim is to get them out of those prime spots and into the parking lots uptown. We want to free up those spots for customers.

“The question is how do we get them there?”

Paterson said the culprits park in front of their stores and then “jump a space” to avoid getting ticketed after two hours.

Though this has been an ongoing issue, Paterson said the number of complaints has spiked in the past year.

To combat the problem the administrative report proposed: increasing free parking in municipal parking lots from three to nine hours; offering free on-street parking between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.; during business hours decrease free on-street parking to 30 minutes within one block of the intersection of Talbot and Erie Streets; offer two-hours of free parking in the balance of the uptown.

Lisa Bradt, vice-chair of the Leamington Business Improvement Association, feels the town’s proposals are a good starting point for discussions.

“The BIA is asking for a more consistent time frame,” Bradt said. “Some lots are two hours free parking other are three.

“We’d also like more signage, so the hours are clearer. We don’t want people getting tickets because they weren’t sure of the hours.”

Bradt said the BIA will consult with its membership to get a clearer picture of what they’d like to see.

Bradt also didn’t dispute Paterson’s statement that a few business owners are causing a problem by monopolizing on-street parking outside of their establishments.

“We have seen that occur unfortunately,” said Bradt, who is co-owner of Bradt’s Butcher Block. “We’re trying to educate our membership to leave the prime spots open for consumers. We want store owners to get off the street and use the lots.”

However, Bradt said she has some concerns about limiting parking to 30 minutes around Erie and Talbot Streets, while having two-hour limits a block away.

“I think that might be a little confusing for people,” Bradt said.

The proposed changes will come with a significant cost to the town.

Lengthening the time for free parking will leave Leamington’s parking fund — which is used for maintenance of lots and expansion — with a projected $40,000 deficit by the end of 2016.

Currently, the fund generates an average of $90,000 annually based on fees and a parking levy imposed on businesses in the core.

Paterson said there are a number of options to eradicate any deficit. A couple of obvious solutions include raising ticket fines and the parking levy.

“We haven’t talked about any numbers,” Paterson said. “We’re not there yet on that. We want to see what the merchants and public have to say first.”

Paterson said the town is taking a go-slow approach by proposing to wait until 2017 to reassess the issues of fines and levies.

dwaddell@postmedia.com

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Windsor’s wildlife appears to be suffering since the city decided to pack away its curb-side trash.

A new report indicates that skunks are stinking up Windsor a lot less since residents were ordered to stow their trash in hard-sided containers.

Last year, the first full year since the change was made on July 1, 2014, city hall and the local humane society fielded 525 complaints about wildlife, down a quarter from 687 calls in 2013. There were 591 calls in 2014.

“It’s trending downwards, which is what we wanted to see — we’re limiting their food,” said Anne-Marie Albidone, Windsor’s manager of environmental services.

The requirement for hard-sided trash cans was pushed through politically after an apparent population explosion among urban skunks triggered a flood of complaints from citizens. Skunk complaints more than doubled in Windsor between 2012 (336) and 2013 (687).

City hall doesn’t break down the individual types of wildlife that are the subject of public complaints, but Albidone said skunks, raccoons and opossum are the urban big three. Windsorites had a particular loathing, however, for just one of those citified animals.

“It was the skunks that started the hard-sided container conversation,” said Albidone.

Access to food, water and a good place to live are the three main factors controlling urban wildlife numbers, and prohibiting residents from putting their trash out on the curb in bags closed a big source of food.

Garbage bags left behind by collectors leaves a clear in indicator not everyone remembered the new hard container rules in Windsor on Wednesday, July 2, 2014.

Windsorites have embraced the change. Since the end of a three-month grace period after implementation of the bag ban, not a single order had to be issued to non-compliant residents, according to a report going to council next week.

Albidone said added bonuses include: Windsor’s streets are looking “neater,” and garbage collectors have reported less injuries due to sharp objects tossed out with the waste now inside hard-sided containers.

An education program, in which city officials inspect properties experiencing wildlife problems, is also seeing reduced demand, with 21 requests for service in all of 2015, compared to 28 in the last six months of 2014.

Trash handling isn’t the only factor affecting wildlife numbers. Albidone said those experiencing problems are given such tips as removing garden and fruit-tree wastes before they become food sources for unwanted critters.

When residents “aren’t providing these extra resources” to wildlife — including feral cats — then their numbers will go down, said Melanie Coulter, executive director of the Windsor-Essex Humane Society.

“Definitely, we’ve seen a big drop in numbers,” said Coulter, whose organization gets calls from people reporting sick, diseased or injured wildlife.

Those wildlife numbers don’t include rats, covered under a separate program and for which there was an increase last year when 800 properties signed up for Windsor’s rodent control program.

City staff will inspect properties and call in a contractor if rat burrows are confirmed. Starting soon, however, that program will start costing residents after council, during the 2016 budget deliberations, agreed to begin charging for the service.

dschmidt@postmedia.com

twitter.com/schmidtcity

Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Monday. Check out the gallery.

Wayne Munro fishes on a foggy morning on Monday, March 14, 2016 in Windsor, Ont.

A man pushes a stroller and walks his dog on a foggy morning on Monday, March 14, 2016 in Windsor, Ont.

Local Syrian refugees Maher Alumar, left, with sons, Ibrahem and Ammar, get their first taste of Windsor roads and Windsor’s emergency service personnel at The Safety Village, Monday March 14, 2016. Behind, Windsor Police Constable Cealia Gagnon, directs traffic as other families have experience the simulated roadway. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

Local Syrian refugee Heba Abo Ghazha, 4, intently watches Windsor firefighters as they deploy the aerial ladder The Safety Village, Monday March 14, 2016. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

Waled Alrbdoi, centre, helps his daughter Bayan Alrbdoi, 7, navigate simulated streets at The Safety Village Monday March 14, 2016. Baraa Alribdawee, right, joins the fun as dozens of local Syrian refugees were invited to meet Windsor’s emergency service personnel at The Safety Village, Monday March 14, 2016. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

Local Syrian refugees get their first look at Windsor’s emergency service personnel at The Safety Village, Monday March 14, 2016. In photo, Windsor firefighters deploy the aerial ladder, which captured the attention of most of the visitors. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

OPP Constable Karen Sinnaeve watching for distracted drivers on McNorton Street and St. Thomas Cres. Monday March 14, 2016. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star)

OPP Constable Karen Sinnaeve watching for distracted drivers at a busy, four-way stop on McNorton Street near Tecumseh Arena Monday March 14, 2016. (NICK BRANCACCIO/Windsor Star

OPP Constable Karen Sinnaeve watching for distracted drivers at a four-way stop on McNorton Street near Tecumseh Arena Monday March 14, 2016.

An SUV that slid off the westbound EC Row off ramp at Huron Church Rd. in Windsor, ON. is shown on Monday, March 14, 2016. An O.P.P. unmarked cruiser was rear-ended while investigating the accident. The officer was not injured.

An unmarked O.P.P. cruiser was rear-ended on Monday, March 14, 2016, while investigating an accident on the westbound EC Row off ramp at Huron Church Rd. in Windsor, ON. The officer was not injured. The damage to the black cruiser is shown.

An unmarked O.P.P. cruiser was rear-ended on Monday, March 14, 2016, while investigating an accident on the westbound EC Row off ramp at Huron Church Rd. in Windsor, ON. The officer was not injured. The damage to the black cruiser is shown.

Gina Bulcke, director of organizational effectiveness at the Windsor Regional Hospital Ouellette campus, displays an app that helps track empty rooms and better manage patients on March 14, 2016.

Gina Bulcke, director of organizational effectiveness at the Windsor Regional Hospital Ouellette, is shown with a projected screen from an app that helps track empty rooms and better manage patients on March 14, 2016.

Graig Sutton, a robotics programmer at Valiant Machine and Tool in Windsor, Ont., works on a roller conveyor unit on March 14, 2016. The company recently won a supplier of the year award from General Motors.

Syrian refugees, Fatmi Ftaym al Ahmad holds her daughter Lamis as they view a green iguana during the free Zoo2You show at All Saint’s Church in Windsor, Ontario on March 14, 2016. The event sponsored by Unifor Local 444, The Syrian Council Canada, Windsor Chopper, and All Saint’s Church provided a free evening of entertainment by Zoo2You and snacks for many of the Syrian refugees in the are.

Syrian refugees view a snake during the free Zoo2You show at All Saint’s Church in Windsor, Ontario on March 14, 2016. The event sponsored by Unifor Local 444, The Syrian Council Canada, Windsor Chopper, and All Saint’s Church provided a free evening of entertainment by Zoo2You and snacks for many of the Syrian refugees in the are.

Syrian refugees view a snake during the free Zoo2You show at All Saint’s Church in Windsor, Ontario on March 14, 2016. The event sponsored by Unifor Local 444, The Syrian Council Canada, Windsor Chopper, and All Saint’s Church provided a free evening of entertainment by Zoo2You and snacks for many of the Syrian refugees in the are.

An 82-year-old woman has been waiting 22 hours for a hospital bed.

She was admitted to Windsor Regional Hospital Sunday morning with two infections. If she shares a room, she could make someone else even sicker.

Gina Bulke, who’s responsible for the flow of patients through the hospital, has her eyes peeled on an iPhone app, which will tell her in real time when a bed becomes available for the elderly patient. When the patient’s label flips from red to yellow, Bulke will know she’s been assigned a room.

The app, called Vibe, an Internet program designed by a Kitchener-based tech company, is being used at Windsor Regional to reduce wait times for hospital beds.

It’s one example of innovative technology hoping to make health care better and giving Ontario companies work.

It’s time for Windsor to leverage its health-care sector for more economic opportunity, says the head of the local Chamber of Commerce.

A new report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce says the province needs to tap into the private sector and take a serious look at how to deal with changing demographics.

It found nearly four in five Ontarians are worried our health-care system isn’t sustainable.

Gina Bulcke, director of organizational effectiveness at the Windsor Regional Hospital Ouellette, is shown with a projected screen from an app that helps track empty rooms and better manage patients on March 14, 2016.

The number of seniors in the province is projected to double in the next 20 years. Although health spending is nearly half the provincial budget, it’s not increasing with inflation or growing to meet needs of an aging population, according to the report.

The report outlines several key challenges facing Ontario’s health-care system: an aging demographic suffering from chronic illnesses, unsustainable growth in costs, a disjointed system where knowledge isn’t always shared and a growing life and sciences sector lacking investment.

“Should we insert the private sector to deliver things cheaper and drive innovation higher?” asked Matt Marchand, president and CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. The provincial Chamber of Commerce will be releasing five reports over the coming year delving into the issue, proposing its ideas for transformation of the health-care sector.

Oculys, the company that developed the Vibe app, works with hospitals to design a tool that pulls in data from multiple departments — the emergency room, the intensive care unit, and wings with patient rooms — to keep doctors, nurses and staff up-to-date on bed backups.

The program has eliminated daily morning meetings and frequent phone calls when there was no way to check how many beds were open. Although hospitals still deal with long delays, staff have a better way to find out immediately where beds are free and why the wait has been so long. It can help calm a frustrated patient and make sure patients are sent to a bed as soon as it’s available.

Gina Bulcke, director of organizational effectiveness at the Windsor Regional Hospital Ouellette campus, displays an app that helps track empty rooms and better manage patients on March 14, 2016.

On Monday afternoon, Bulke flipped open the app to see that 15 of 20 ER beds at the Ouellette campus were in use and total occupancy was around 85 per cent. At the Metropolitan campus, a yellow label warned that three people were still waiting for a bed assignment.

“I don’t know if we would have been able to develop this degree of technology,” she said. “I don’t know if we could have made it as sleek. They’re quite innovative.”

Marchand said it’s not about privatizing health care or moving toward a U.S. model. In fact, he said universal health care makes Windsor and Essex County more competitive than other places, where businesses have to pay for employees’ health insurance.

The goal is rather to find ways that private sector innovation, such as new technologies, can make public health care more efficient and lower costs.

“The end game of this is to maintain our very important competitive advantage that we have in the health-care sector,” Marchand said. “We’ve got experts from every angle on this. We’ve got hospitals, we’ve got doctors, we’ve got everybody involved in this discussion.”

ctthompson@postmedia.com

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The French’s Food Company president is at a loss as to why Loblaws stores are ceasing to sell the fastest-growing condiment in Canada — French’s ketchup.

“We had heard last week and we tried to confirm things,” Elliott Penner said Monday from the company headquarters in New Jersey.

“We heard this coming from consumers. And we tried to confirm things and found out that was indeed what they had done.”

Sales of French’s ketchup in Canada have skyrocketed in recent weeks after a Facebook post by a man in Orillia calling on Canadians to buy the ketchup, which has been produced with tomatoes from Leamington processed at the former Heinz plant for more than a year.

Highbury Canco took over the former Heinz plant in June 2014.

A request for comment from Loblaws, which owns Zehrs and Real Canadian Supertstores, was not immediately responded to.

Penner, a native of Cambridge, was at a loss as to why Loblaws would stop selling a popular product.

“To say we are disappointed is probably an understatement,” he said.

“We’ve worked with Loblaws and their companies for years and they have been a great trading partner and continue to be a great trading partner for us.

“What we know is that we have just been overwhelmed by the support we have seen from Canadian consumers and it has made French’s ketchup the fastest-growing condiment in Canada. We can’t keep the product on the shelf where it is and we’re just delighted by that.”

Penner said the surprise jump in demand in Canada means they’re looking to increase production.

“In fact we’re looking at ways to ramp up production and do whatever we can to meet that demand,” said Penner.

He said Loblaws’ decision is particularly unusual because there was a promotion in their stores in December introducing two new flavours of their ketchup in Buffalo and garlic.

“It was probably our best ad with them ever,” said Penner.

“It was like up 40 per cent and they wanted to break our new flavours, they wanted to help our one bottle equals one meal campaign with Canadian food banks. It was all quite positive. We got that message and we were taken aback just like everybody was.”

Penner said French’s will just carry on whether or not Loblaws rethinks their decision.

“I think in the end it will be OK,” said Penner.

“A good thing we’ve got going is great consumer demand, a great product and I think a strategy that links the local community to what they think is appropriate. I think any time you do those things you’re going to be successful.”

chthompson@postmedia.com

Money for nothing?

Local leaders say Windsor-Essex is the perfect place for Ontario or Ottawa to test a guaranteed annual income system.

Both Mayor Drew Dilkens and Essex County Warden Tom Bain told the Star they’re onside when it comes to using the local population as guinea pigs for a radical proposal to combat poverty by paying everyone a basic monthly income — replacing the current patchwork of social assistance programs.

“We’re just seeing the rates of poverty increase … this may be the way to go,” said Dilkens.

“Certainly, it would be worth a try — I’m more than willing to talk to Mayor Dilkens about this,” said Bain.

No sooner had the provincial Liberals announced in their 2016 budget a pilot project to test a basic income program than Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Percy Hatfield began lobbying to have Windsor-Essex selected as the laboratory in which to examine how it might work. Hatfield said Community and Social Services Minister Helena Jaczek asked him Thursday whether the city’s mayor and county’s warden were onside.

“We’ll certainly have that conversation in short order,” Dilkens said Tuesday.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens is pictured in this 2014 file photo.

While no details have been divulged yet about how such a program might be rolled out, Jaczek said in a statement that an initial test will look at “the potential of a basic income to determine if it will provide more consistent support to clients, streamline the delivery of income support, and achieve savings in other areas, such as health and housing supports.”

A spokeswoman for the minister said Tuesday a number of municipalities have already expressed interest in hosting a pilot program. Among them, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley has publicly stated that his community would be an ideal site.

It’s “kind of a radical idea,” but it’s one that’s gaining traction across a wide social and political spectrum, according to Adam Vasey of Pathway to Potential, Windsor and Essex County’s poverty reduction group.

Ottawa is also considering the concept. A Liberal-dominated parliamentary committee called on the Trudeau government to explore the idea in a pre-budget report tabled last week.

Studies elsewhere have shown that a guaranteed income program — which Vasey said should offer a minimum income at or above the official poverty threshold — ends up costing society much less than the current hodgepodge of payments and benefits for those on social assistance, disability or low-income seniors.

Designed properly, proponents say a guaranteed minimum income would be more efficient and less costly than administering the existing series of social programs that help low-income residents. Incentives, for example, by not punishing via clawbacks low-income recipients earning additional income through employment, would encourage participants to seek jobs or self-employment.

“What if people could be freed up to do what they wanted to do?” said Vasey. 

Adam Vasey, director of Pathway to Potential, is advocating for a “basic income” pilot project. Vasey is pictured in Windsor on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.

A pilot project in Manitoba in the 1970s showed poverty could be virtually eliminated in the community, while triggering big savings in health-care costs and stimulating the economy. Researchers detected very little abuse amongst the participants.

The current system is not working, say those involved in assisting the poor. Poverty and unemployment has been persistently high in Windsor and Essex County, with about 75,000 area residents now ranked among Canada’s poor.

“The basic idea would be to do away with all the punitive scrutiny … do away with a lot of that bureaucracy,” said Vasey. He said the current system represents a “constant struggle” for the community’s most vulnerable, including those who have employment but only in so-called “precarious jobs.”

With more than 800 rules to follow when it comes to Ontario Works alone, Windsor community development and health commissioner Jelena Payne concedes there’s “a lot of paper-pushing” in the system. And even after being forced to divulge “very personal information,” Payne said social assistance payments “still keep people well below the poverty level.”

The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, the voice of the local business community which already recently jumped aboard Pathway to Potential’s “Living Wage” initiative, is also open to seeing guaranteed income tested locally.

“We have a poverty problem here in Windsor-Essex — this is certainly something worth looking at,” said chamber president and CEO Matt Marchand.

dschmidt@postmedia.com

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As with all fun things, there’s just the right amount of humiliation.

Hockey fever has gripped Essex and Amherstburg as the towns’ teams battle it out for the Great Lakes Junior C hockey title. About 1,000 fans have been packing the arena at each game, the people are loud and the mayors of each town have put their dignity on the line with a little wager.

“The loser is going to have to wear the other team’s sweater at a county council meeting,” said Essex Mayor Ron McDermott.

At Tuesday night’s pivotal Game 5 at the Essex Centre Sports Complex, the atmosphere was tense but boisterous. In the end, the Essex 73’s beat the Amherstburg Admirals 3-1 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven league championship.

Amherstburg must win Game 6 at home Friday to keep the series alive. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

“You’ve got a lot of comraderie between the fans and it’s all good fun,” said 73’s fan Bob Emmons, decked out in a team hat and jersey.

“Good clean fun.”

Mary and Rick Watson along with Essex 73’s fans celebrate a first period 73’s goal against the Amherstburg Admirals on March 15, 2016 in Essex, Ont.

Emmons likened it to the (mostly) friendly rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

“It’s good for both teams being so close together because fans can commute back and forth rather than having to go to London or something like that,” said Emmons.

Clad in his Amherstburg Admirals cap, John Holzel was among about 25 per cent of the crowd who made the trip to cheer on the visitors.

“This is exciting,” said Holzel.

“A little bit of trash talking going back and forth.”

Every game of the final has delivered excitement — and lots of fans. The Essex mayor said Game 4 brought in 998 fans. At Game 3, there were 1,055 people. 

“All the games have been action packed,” said Scott Miller, the Essex 73’s general manager. “The fans are really getting into it. They’re showing up in large numbers at both rinks. And they’re getting noisy.”

Essex 73’s Matt Zelko checks Amherstburg Admirals Luke Gangnon during game five of the Great Lakes Junior C Finals on March 15, 2016.

Admirals vice-president Matt Fox said the rivalry has been building for a while.

“I think with the final series we had last year and the battles we’ve had this year, it’s definitely built a lot of excitement,” he said. “Whenever you have teams that get to the top, everyone is trying to knock them off, so I think that builds the rivalry itself.”

Apart from the teams, no one has more to lose than McDermott and Amherstburg Mayor Aldo DiCarlo.

“It’s bragging rights, especially for Amherstburg,” said DiCarlo. “The 73’s are the team to beat. They haven’t lost in six years or something like that. I would feel for the Essex team that finally loses that title, but you would have to admit that the team that finally upsets them is going in the record books.”

Amherstburg Admirals Luke Gangnon handles the puck near Essex 73’s Matt Zelko during game five of the Great Lakes Junior C Finals on March 15, 2016.

The mayors made the same bet last year. After the Admirals lost, DiCarlo had to suffer the indignity of wearing a 73’s jersey to county council.

“Yah, he looked good in it too,” said McDermott.

DiCarlo said he’s been promised it won’t happen again.

“This year the Admirals coach and ownership told me I am not wearing that jersey,” he said. “Hopefully they’re right.”

Despite McDermott’s cocky demeanour, he is slightly worried.

“We won the first game then they came back and beat us two straight,” he said. “Well, the first loss they gave us was probably our first loss since sometime in November. The town is not used to seeing their team lose. But this Amherstburg team is playing quite well. I think this Amherstburg team has come a long way. Looks like this could be a rivalry for some time to come.”

The twinning of the Ambassador Bridge inched a step closer to reality on Tuesday after the U.S. Coast Guard issued a permit approving the Detroit International Bridge Company’s location and plans for a new span.

“The coast guard’s permit action is based on the potential impact of the project on navigation and the human environment,” said coast guard public relations officer Lisa Novak.

“Outside of those parameters, we don’t have an opinion on whether the bridge should be built.”

In a news release out of Washington, the coast guard says it completed an environmental assessment in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, and the coast guard determined the new bridge “would not have a significant impact on the environment.”

“It’s a very narrow scope, and we had the environmental assessment in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act,” said Novak. Six years after its initial rejection, the coast guard was recently ordered by a U.S. federal court to make a new decision expeditiously.

“We determined that the project would not have a significant impact on the environment, so we issued a FONSI — finding of no significant impact — and the coast guard also determined that the navigational clearances of the proposed twin span would meet the navigational needs of the current and foreseeable future navigation, and that is the coast guard’s principal concern when permitting the bridges,” said Novak.

“I’m not really surprised, but we were hoping for something different,” Olde Sandwich Towne businesswoman and longtime bridge opponent Mary Ann Cuderman said of the decision.

“It’s certainly another piece of the puzzle for them,” said Mayor Drew Dilkens. “At the end of the day, we’re putting our faith in the (Canadian) federal process,” he added.

In its news release, the U.S. Coast Guard pointed out that Canada has a completely separate application process and that Canadian approval is required before construction on any new international span can proceed. And even on the American side, the coast guard notes that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. National Park Service must still give their approval because the bridge company has yet to secure title to park property needed for the replacement bridge.

“This puts it one inch farther, but it’s not the be-all, end-all here — we’re praying they don’t reach the goal line,” said Cuderman.

Transport Canada is still reviewing the Ambassador Bridge’s twin span proposal under Canada’s International Bridges and Tunnels Act.

Led by the City of Windsor, there has been vocal public opposition to the Ambassador Bridge company’s proposal. The vast majority of 409 submissions made during the most recent federal public consultation period — and which were made public in late February by Transport Canada — were from those who are opposed to at least some aspects of the plan, including local businesses.

Dilkens said Transport Canada can impose conditions as part of any bridge expansion approval that would be designed to protect the surrounding community.

Among the city’s concerns, the mayor said, is the size and location of the proposed inspections plaza. As Windsor’s oldest community, Dilkens said Olde Sandwich Towne has to be protected from becoming a “fenced-off area” that is separated from the rest of the city.

“That’s the scary part, the plaza is massive,” said Cuderman. “That’s the part that is the most intrusive and could do the most damage to Olde Sandwich,” she added.

Owners of the Ambassador Bridge welcomed news of the approval.

“We are pleased to obtain the Coast Guard navigation permit. This is important, another step forward, after much delay and we are very encouraged with this development,” Mickey Blashfield, spokesman for Detroit International Bridge Co., said in a news release Tuesday night. “We look forward to moving forward on our second span.”

While not willing to weigh in on this week’s decision by the U.S. Coast Guard, a spokesman for the proposed downriver Gordie Howe International Bridge said it will have no bearing on the publicly owned project.

“The announcement about the U.S. Coast Guard permit for the Ambassador Bridge Enhancement Project is a matter between the Detroit International Bridge Company and the U.S. federal government,” said Mark Butler, spokesman for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority.

“The new Gordie Howe International Bridge is being built to provide redundancy, additional capacity, system connectivity through the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway and connection to I-75, and improved border processing, resulting in greater crossing time predictability,” said Butler.

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Windsor Star’s award-winning photographers covered the city and county Tuesday. Check out the gallery.

Leamington Mayor John Paterson comments on Highbury Canco in Leamington, Ont. on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.

University of Windsor student Austin Roth is against the UWindsor transit pass, which will be decided in a referendum vote. He is shown at the campus on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.

Daniela Espinosa-Perdomo, left, Elle Dresser and Kalie Chapman-Smith got some hands-on experience during a trades camp for young women at Union Gas on Rhodes Drive in Windsor Tuesday March 15, 2016.

Daniela Espinosa-Perdomo, left, receives mentoring from gasfitter Melissa Fleming during a trades camp for young women at Union Gas on Rhodes Drive in Windsor on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.

Matt Guignard, left, and Pramod Mendonca have developed EatDrinX, a geo-location app that allows restaurants to showcase their menus, daily specials and more on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.

Adam Vasey, director of Pathway to Potential, is advocating for a “basic income” pilot project. Vasey is pictured in Windsor on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.

Amherstburg Admirals Luke Gangnon handles the puck near Essex 73’s Matt Zelko during game five of the Great Lakes Junior C Finals on March 15, 2016.

Essex 73’s Matt Zelko checks Amherstburg Admirals Luke Gangnon during game five of the Great Lakes Junior C Finals on March 15, 2016.

Mary and Rick Watson along with Essex 73’s fans celebrate a first period 73’s goal against the Amherstburg Admirals on March 15, 2016 in Essex, Ont.

Amherstburg Mayor Aldo DiCarlo and Essex Mayor Ron McDermott react during the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League Final between the Essex 73’s and Amherstburg Admirals on March 15, 2016.

The Windsor Star publishes, at no charge, a new team photo every Wednesday.

Current high quality photos should be submitted by email to jdoherty@postmedia.com. State why the team should be considered for publication and identify each person in the photo from front row to back row, left to right.

For more information, phone 519-255-5531 between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Windsor Aquatic Club swimmers earned six gold, eight silver and three bronze medals at the 2016 Speedo Western Canadian open in Winnipeg. Front row, from left: Maddy Gatrall, Kate Netherton, Charla Tatic, Sophie Gatrall, Melanie Levack, Ethan Barta. Middle row: Trenton Baker, Tressa Billson, Diana Tennant, Victoria Mallett, Gracey Smith, Maddie McDonald, Kalin Lougheed, Leia Pupatello. Back row, from left: head coach Mike Mcwha, Brendan Oswald, Reid Stewart, Hayden Mitchell, Ethan Fazekas, Joel Potma, James Potma, Quinn DeGraaf, Fallon Mitchell, Nicole Depooter, Mackenzie Burnett. Missing: Jasmine Aden, Renee Liu, Kelly-Marie Barrett, Matthew Kwong, Malcolm Tatic

Windsor police have arrested a man they believe is responsible for four robberies at the same convenience store.

Officers arrested the suspect around 3 a.m. after he allegedly tried to rob the Mac’s at 380 Mill St. Investigators believe he’s also the person who robbed the same store on March 6, 11 and 13.

Police said the culprit had his face covered and used a knife in all of the robberies.

They haven’t released his name.

The Family Video store on Tecumseh Road East is raising money for lymphoma research this month and inviting kids of all ages to dress up for its Star Wars day Saturday and Superhero day March 26.

More than 775 Family Video stores across North America have teamed up with the Lymphoma Research Foundation to raise money and awareness. This month, customers will be asked to round up their total at the cash register to donate to the foundation in the Round it up for Lymphoma campaign.

The 1290 Tecumseh Road East store is also hosting special events and silent auctions this month including a March 19 Star Wars day, a March 20 bottle drive and a March 26 Superhero day — when people in Star Wars/superhero costumes/shirts or with memorabilia on respective days can receive free movie rentals on select movies in the favourites and nearly new sections and get two for $1 movie rentals. 

There is an in-store silent auction that includes an official team-autographed hockey stick from the Windsor Spitfires and other prizes and raffles. 

The LaSalle store is holding a classic movie day March 26 where employees will be dressed up as classic film stars and classic movies will be free to rent that day. The Tecumseh Family Video store will have a Pie in the Face contest March 26 where customers can donate to vote for the store manager or an employee to get a pie in the face or donate to throw the pie.