2016-03-04 Warden Tom Bain 9th Annual Warden's Luncheon speech

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Warden Tom Bain 9th Annual Warden's Luncheon Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce March 4, 2016 Ciociaro Club Head table guests, members of County Council, members of Essex County municipal councils, Mayor Dilkins and members of Windsor City Council, ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, good afternoon and welcome to the 9th annual Warden's State of the County address, made possible by our friends at the Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce and, once again, the lead sponsor of today's luncheon, Libro Credit Union. Jennifer, thank you and Libro Credit Union for again sponsoring this event. Your Credit Union has a rich history of contributing to the ongoing vitality of our Essex County communities. Beyond its day-to-day offering of financial services and products, the Credit Union is deeply embedded across our region through its substantial support of a variety of community and social development, financial literacy and economic sustainability initiatives. The positive impact the Credit Union has had, and will no doubt continue to have, upon the lives of so many residents throughout Essex County is most appreciated. I have a quick personal illustration of Libro's commitment to the community — the Credit Union was instrumental in providing financing for the construction of a 10 race paddock at Leamington Raceway. Thanks so much Jennifer for your confidence and your support. I would also like to thank Matt and the Chamber for this opportunity to come before you today to share some of my thoughts and perspectives on what lies ahead for the County of Essex and its seven local municipalities throughout 2016. The Chamber has a long history of advancing the business interests of its members, seeking to impact the political agenda at all levels of government. I can confirm that Matt and his staff have not been at all shy in reaching out to County elected and administrative officials as they develop policies, policies and advocacy positions. While we may not always agree on each and every point of view taken by the Chamber, we can always rely on honest and open dialogue. This is indeed the hallmark of an engaged and collaborative community. As evidence of the County's strong partnership with the Chamber, I would like to highlight a few of the key initiatives we have been working on together: 1. The Chamber has been actively supporting the Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus in their SWIFT project, aimed at bringing ultra-high speed broadband access to rural areas across southwestern Ontario and we appreciate their continued support. 2. Perishable Agriculture Commodities Act or PACA — the Chamber has been working with our agriculture sector to ensure PACA style legislation is adopted in Canada to ensure our small agriculture businesses can get paid in the event their U.S. customers go bankrupt.