Town council to send list of wants to province regarding Diageo funding

Town council will send a list of proposals to the province on what to do with $500,000 from Diageo.

Amherstburg town council will send a wish list to the province on what it would like to see the $500,000 in money from Diageo to be spent on.

The money is part of a deal the Ontario government reached with Diageo after the Amherstburg bottling plant was closed. Invest Windsor-Essex also received $500,000 with portion of that money possibly coming to Amherstburg too.

Mayor Michael Prue said the town received an e-mail Monday at 3 p.m., advising what the town wants has to be approved by the provincial government.

 “Our role is quite limited,” said Prue.

Nicolette Dufour, who represents retirees from Diageo with Unifor Local 200, told town council about 130 years of family experience was at Diageo. That included her daughter, who was an employee when the plant closed in February.

Dufour noted many of the retirees were concerned over their ability to give back, noting Amherstburg Community Services (ACS) was an option as to where they would like to see the funds. She noted employees and retirees helped support many causes over the years.

Noting Premier Doug Ford’s emptying of a Crown Royal bottle and pledge to remove Crown Royal from the LCBO, she believed there was leverage for people locally but that went away with the deal with Diageo. She said the town should be the major beneficiary of funding instead of other places in Ontario like Toronto but, in her opinion, things became political as “there are more votes in Toronto than Amherstburg.”

Dufour said she hasn’t spoken with Essex MPP Anthony Leardi on the matter, but believed he has done a lot for the town overall.

“It’s our town that suffered the loss,” she said of the Diageo closure.

Town council will be sending five items to the province for review, one of them being to send the cash to ACS. Prue called ACS one of his favourite causes, but worried about the likelihood of getting that one approved as criteria was moreso for economic development. 

“I want to help ACS but I’m not sure how much it meets the criteria,” said Prue.

Councillor Peter Courtney believed the town should challenge the province by submitting that anyway.

“Let them say no to it,” said Courtney. “Let them show a lack of sympathy, empathy and a lack of caring.”

Councillor Molly Allaire believed that while ACS is a great cause, “that’s a lot of funds to go to one charity.” Councillor Don McArthur agreed, adding the focus is on economic development and that with new jobs, new donations could arise from that.

Putting funding towards the new waterfront festival plaza could lead to economic development, with McArthur adding that an additional $300,000 from Invest Windsor-Essex could boost the project further. A plaque could be part of it acknowledging the workers past and present that worked at Diageo.

Using the money towards the town’s community grant program that town council debates at budget time could cover needs for the next eight years, said Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb. He said some of that goes to historical sites, which in turn, stimulates economic activity.

Prue believed the town should still donate to causes and not rely on outside funding.

“I think we have a responsibility as a council to support these charities directly,” he said.

Gibb also suggested, with council backing it, to explore a bursary program through St. Clair College. He said the town could fund it, set the criteria and have the college manage it. While others pointed out those who use it may end up working elsewhere, Gibb said not every Diageo employee lived in Amherstburg anyway.

Prue was one of those who wondered the benefits for Amherstburg as people could get jobs somewhere else, calling the economic benefits to the town “marginal at best.” Allaire believed the focus should be more on Amherstburg, but McArthur believed it could have economic benefits as he envisioned people who move away coming back home to Amherstburg at some point.

“People always come back to Amherstburg,” he said. “It’s the place to be.”

While council agreed with the bursary suggestion, it was capped at $100,000 of the $500,000.

A suggestion by Councillor Linden Crain to use the funding for North Star High School and its technical training programs like SHSM and OYAP was not included, partially because it was “a school board function,” as the mayor stated. Allaire added Villanova and Lajeunesse were not part of it.

Councillor Diane Pouget wanted to see the re-opening of Balaclava St. included, but agreed that it should be an extra request on top of the $500,000. Some of her council colleagues didn’t think that would be enough to complete the work with Crain and Allaire pointing out a rail line is on part of the lands. 

Crain also was concerned over a possible impact if a potential buyer for the plant wanted the lands in their entirety.Pouget believed the lands could help Fraserville residents leave from their subdivision and also spark economic activity.

“We lost 200 good paying jobs,” she said. “We have to fight back. We have to fight for our residents.”

A report from Deputy CAO/director of development services Melissa Osborne noted the Feb. 13 agreement between Diageo and the Ontario government calling for $500,000 to go to Invest Windsor-Essex and another $500,000 go to community projects.

Osborne said that based on communication with Diageo representatives, the suggested benefitting areas include local economic development, community infrastructure as well as tourism, heritage and culture. 

Areas not generally supported are substance abuse programs, healthcare, advocacy/lobbying organizations, religious organizations and youth services.

“Once Council has provided direction for the funds, Diageo will require a submission outlining the project for them for review and determination of next steps. This may include meetings with administration and/or council if further clarification is required, aligning of timelines, drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding and or discussing any potential PR events both parties may wish to organize,” Osborne said in her report.

Osborne stated there is “a vast array” of projects council could consider with the funding. She pointed out administration hasn’t recommended projects that would require funding not already approved in the capital budget.

Suggested projects include the Richmond St. sewer project including streetscaping and tourism infrastructure upgrades as well as expansion of the waterfront, the latter possibly including outdoor furniture and amenities such as shade structures or a stage. Council ultimately didn’t go down that route as part of the May 25 meeting.

In a letter from Invest Windsor-Essex, the agency proposed a “strategic allocation” of its $500,000 “to support the economic recovery, revitalization and long-term growth of Amherstburg and surrounding communities.” About $300,000 would come to the town, pending provincial approval.

Invest Windsor-Essex (IWE) suggested a $300,000 allocation that would see the organization “provide direct financial support to the Town of Amherstburg to advance a high-impact community enhancement and/or heritage-based economic development project approved by Council and agreed upon by the Town of Amherstburg as a collective.”

“Invest WindsorEssex will deploy targeted investment attraction initiatives focused on securing investments in Amherstburg and/or immediate surrounding region, with an emphasis on food processing and industrial manufacturing sectors,” Invest Windsor-Essex stated.

The IWE letter concludes: “Through a balanced approach that combines community revitalization with proactive investment attraction, Invest WindsorEssex will leverage Diageo’s $500,000 contribution to deliver meaningful, lasting impact. These initiatives will not only enhance Amherstburg’s local environment but also position the region for long-term economic growth, resilience, and prosperity.”

Town council to send list of wants to province regarding Diageo funding

By Ron Giofu