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Warden Tom Bain <br />5 Annual Warden's Luncheon <br />Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce <br />March 29, 2012 <br />Belle River Knights of Columbus <br />Head table guests, members of County Council, members of Essex County <br />municipal councils, Mayor Francis and members of Windsor City Council, <br />ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, good afternoon and welcome to <br />the 5 annual Warden's State of the County address, made possible by our <br />friends at the Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce and the lead <br />sponsor of today's event, the United Communities Credit Union. <br />I want to thank the Chamber of Commerce for this opportunity to come <br />before you today. The Chamber has a rich history of acting as a voice of <br />Business within our region. I want to congratulate you on the many regional <br />initiatives that you are working on and also, to extend a warm welcome to <br />the Chamber's new President and CEO, Matt Marchand. Sheila, thank you <br />and United Communities Credit Union for again supporting this luncheon. <br />For years, the Credit Union has had a positive impact upon the lives of many <br />residents across Essex County, be they members or recipients of the many <br />charitable activities the Credit Union participates in. <br />This year's event is about a month earlier than last year. With the <br />unseasonably warm weather we have had, signs of spring that are normally <br />evident in April are already present in March. For example, there have been <br />numerous sightings of robins, trees are budding, daffodils are blooming and <br />the Maple Leafs have already been eliminated from the playoffs. <br />I am pleased to again have the occasion to speak to you, offering my <br />perspective on the challenges and opportunities I see for our region. <br />At last year's event, I commented upon how the local municipal councils <br />were freshly minted and just beginning to get their feet wet. I likened the <br />Councils to being at the starting gate and ready to go. One year and two <br />budgets later, we are now at the quarter pole, preparing to make a big move <br />and break away from the pack. <br />At the risk of stating the obvious, there is no question that economic <br />turbulence continues. Whether it is the uncertainty borne out of financial <br />instability in Europe, the complications of a high Canadian dollar, the <br />compounding impacts of Tuesday's Provincial budget and today's Federal <br />budget or the pressures facing our local businesses, it is safe to say, our <br />