Amherstburg Town Hall. Town council has nearly doubled the amount earmarked for upgrades to H. Murray Smith Centennial Park as part of the 2026 budget, with the aim to improve the park next year. There was already over $500,000 from the 2025 budget that, thanks in part to the town not getting a provincial grant, went unused. Thanks to a pair of motions to redirect money from other capital budget items, $450,000 were put towards H. Murray Smith Centennial Park. Another $50,000

Town council has allocated its community grants for 2026 and spent the same amount of money as last year. As noted in the Dec. 10 issue of the River Town Times, the town is still dividing the $51,547 that was spent in 2025 among the same groups in 2026. With $2,000 already having been pre-committed to 2nd Amherstburg Scouting, it meant slight reductions to most of the others. Amherstburg Community Services (ACS) will go from $15,000 in 2025 to $13,612.50 in 2026. The Amherst

The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) board of directors has approved its draft 2026 Budget for circulation to member municipalities. “Total municipal funding for 2026 remains consistent with the 2025 level, thanks to the previous year’s surplus,” announced Tim Byrne, ERCA CAO. Some projects for the year ahead that have been highlighted by ERCA include updating flood hazard mapping, GIS updates to the Limit of Regulated Area and continuing to promote a planning-first