#19

CS Wind lays off 51 employees, hopes to recall them in the summer

SHARON HILL, WINDSOR STAR
More from Sharon Hill, Windsor Star

Published on: February 22, 2016 | Last Updated: February 22, 2016 6:03 PM EDT

A CS Wind employee works on wind turbine at the company's plant in Windsor on June 4, 2015. JASON KRYK / WINDSOR STAR

CS Wind has laid off 51 workers.

The unionized workers received two weeks pay in lieu of two weeks notice when the layoffs were announced Friday, director of corporate affairs Jeff Heath said Monday.

“There’s a slowdown, lack of work,” Heath said. “Some of our customers postponed some of their projects.”

Heath said the company chose to secure 40 hours of work for the most senior 280 employees and lay off the workers with the least seniority. 

He’s hoping the laid-off workers are called back to work by mid July. The company builds towers for wind turbines and is producing towers for projects in Michigan and Ontario.

“We anticipate this to be a short-term layoff. It’s dependent on the customer’s projects and how they react,” he said.

CS Wind has been in Windsor since 2011 and has produced more than 1,000 wind towers since opening here.

My feelings: I can truly say they did not care about the Quality as they say they do.They're notorious for laying people off. Eventually the place will shut down.

I think that Windsor needs to plan something out. And my idea is that they open more factory's and put this people to work. And for the sirens they need jobs. They need the job more then we do.     

#18

Missing baby found safe in back seat of stolen car after father left engine running in Toronto parking lot

The Canadian Press  03.19.2016

This three-month-old baby was found safe and sound after someone stole the car he was in.

A Toronto police cruiser.

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A three-month-old baby in the back seat of a stolen car was found safe and sound Sunday night, about four hours after the theft.
Police received a tip from a member of the public about an infant in a car spotted in a parking lot in the city’s northwest, said Toronto Police Const. Craig Brister.
“They had seen a vehicle with a baby in the back seat and were concerned about the well-being of the child.”
The infant was unharmed and was being reunited with his family.

They had seen a vehicle with a baby in the back seat

The discovery followed a frantic search that led to an Amber Alert being issued and had a number of police forces responsible for the suburbs around Toronto, as well as the Ontario Provincial Police, on the lookout for the stolen vehicle.
The car was taken from a flea-market parking lot in Toronto’s west end Sunday afternoon, police said.
“A father (who) had been at the flea market had got out of his vehicle to go inside the flea market for whatever reason and had left his three-month-old infant in the back seat,” Brister said.
As the father came out of the market, his car was driving away. He gave chase on foot but couldn’t get to the driver.
As of Sunday night the police were still looking for a suspect, described as having blond hair and being in his 40s.

The response we had on social media was massive

Police were not ruling any motives for the theft in or out. Investigators were trying to determine whether the suspect even knew there was a baby in the back seat or whether he may have known the owner of the stolen car.
Police gave the search maximum publicity, with not only Toronto police but neighbouring forces flooding social media with descriptions of the car and the baby.
It was not immediately clear if the person who tipped police had seen the flood of publicity, but public concern about the child’s well-being was overwhelming said Brister, who was handling the social media portion of the police effort.
“The response we had on social media was massive,” Brister said. “The number of people that were asking questions, I couldn’t keep up.”

My feelings:what was the 3 month old baby doing in the back of the car with out a parent.
The dad should had be put in jail. This make wrong all over including in my stomach. my is blowed away. I wonder were the mom is in this an how she feels.

#17

'My world shattered': Family grieves son killed in collision

Carolyn Thompson, Windsor Star
More from Carolyn Thompson, Windsor Star

Published on: March 20, 2016 | Last Updated: March 20, 2016 8:57 PM EDT

Carol-Ann Michaud, right, mother of Jean-Francois Michaud, and Dave Foulis, a close family friend, visit the site of her son's death on March 20, 2016 in the 200 block on Albuna Townline in Leamington. Dax Melmer / Windsor Star

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Carol-Ann Michaud thought the 1 a.m. phone call was to wish her happy birthday. Instead she found out her son was dead.
“My world shattered. I’ll never be the same, ever, as long as I live,” she said.
Michaud’s 34-year-old son Jean-Francois had just finished up a shift at Double Diamond Farms around 10 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day.
He’d headed out, but for some reason his mother doesn’t understand, he turned back. Maybe he forgot his phone. Maybe it was cold out and he decided to take a friend up on the offer for a ride.

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The Leamington man was travelling north on County Road 31, also called Albuna Townline, just south of Highway 3 and a short distance from his work, when a grey 2004 Pontiac Montana minivan and his bicycle collided. The minivan, driven by a 20-year-old Tecumseh woman, was travelling the same direction as Michaud on the two-lane road.
Michaud was pronounced dead at the scene.
“It takes your heart out. It’s so hurtful. I don’t even know how I’m going to go day by day,” his mother said. “I will be hurt every birthday. I will live with this.”
A Windsor taxi driver, she had been working that night. When she got the phone call just after midnight, she had a feeling her son was the victim as soon as she heard the name of the road: Albuna Townline. She was right. It was him.
Standing at the scene of the accident Sunday afternoon, she clutched her hands together and pressed them to her chest, guarding her heart.
“I have to hold myself together because I’m scared it’s going to come out. It hurts so much. I’ve never hurt like this ever,” she said. Tears welled in her eyes and she covered her face with her hand.
“I would give my life to have him back,” she said. “The night this happened, I thought, God please, why? Don’t take my son. It’s not supposed to be this way.”
Michaud said she still has many questions about what happened that night.
Ontario Provincial Police have said it’s unlikely charges will be laid in the collision. The regional coroner ordered an autopsy to be conducted on Michaud’s remains, to be performed in London.
Police said Michaud was wearing dark clothing and there were no lights on his bicycle at the time of the collision. Michaud’s mother disputes that. She says there may not have been lights but that his bright red mountain bike always had reflectors on it. She added he was wearing tan — not dark colour clothing — that day.
She said Michaud was an avid BMX rider who loved tinkering with his bikes. He was an experienced rider who could do repairs and maintenance on his own.
Michaud said she’s disappointed no charges have been laid. She wants answers.
She can’t sleep properly. She wakes up every hour. At first, she didn’t believe it was real. She thought he’d come home.
There’s a cross of white roses surrounded by green standing at the spot where Michaud’s body was found. A white ribbon tied tightly flutters in the wind. The cross stands in front of a pile of sand, covering dark marks where Michaud’s blood stained the ground.
“This is all I have left of him,” his mother said. “A pile of sand here.”

A cross sits at the site of Jean-Francois Michaud’s death on the 200 block of Albuna Townline in Leamington on March 20, 2016. Dax Melmer / Windsor Star

Michaud saw her son a few days earlier on Monday to celebrate his birthday. They were close, sometimes seeing each other every day. She’d give him rides to work or stop by to see how he was doing.
Now, she will never see his face again. Michaud said the funeral home told her it won’t be possible to have an open casket at his funeral.
“Today I understand why you say I love you. It’s so important. It’s important to say I love you before you go to work. It’s important to say I love you when you get up. And cherish this moment. Not be angry,” she said.
Michaud describes her son as loving and kind. A father of three, he adored his children and would always help others when he could, she said.
Just two years earlier, one of Jean-Francois Michaud’s sons Ryker died.
His mother says maybe it was time for the two of them to be together again. She believes they’re both in heaven, reunited.
She said she plans to return regularly to the spot where Michaud died, to replace the cross that marks his last breath.
“I will never forget this spot for as long as I live,” his mother said. “Forever. This is where he went.”

My feelings: my heart goes out to this people. And if anything happeneds or any updates please posted on this  blog. Now I understand why people say I love you before they go to work. My prayers goes out to you and the loss of your grandson. If I lost any of my little sister or brother the I would be devised.  

#16

Woman charged with careless driving after destructive early morning crash

Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star
More from Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star

Published on: March 7, 2016 | Last Updated: March 7, 2016 4:55 PM EST

A woman has been charged with careless driving after an early morning crash March 7 on Moy Avenue. Facebook photo/Robert Stewart

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A woman has been charged with careless driving after a clamorous early morning crash Monday that startled sleepy residents and caused heavy damage to six cars.
Robert Earl Stewart said one of the cars went spinning out of the control after hitting the other vehicles in front of his house.
“You could see the lights passing by the front of the house as it spun,” said Stewart, who ran out to help immediately after the crash. “The noise and the lights, I knew something was way too close to the house for comfort.”
The crash happened shortly before 1 a.m. in the 800 block of Moy Avenue. Windsor police Const. Andrew Drouillard said the driver and her passenger suffered minor injuries.

Drouillard said the driver hit five cars. Her name hasn’t been released. Speed and wet roads may have been factors. Drouillard said the woman almost hit a couple parked cars, over-corrected and slammed into several other vehicles.
Stewart was sitting in a chair watching a movie when the screech of crumpling metal pierced the early morning quiet.
“I vaulted out of the chair,” said Stewart. “I did think it was coming up the lawn toward the front of the house.”
He threw on his shoes and called 911 while running out the door. There was a man and woman standing next to the wreckage, trying to find a lighter.
“They’re standing right next to the car which has fluids pouring out onto the road,” said Stewart. “You could hear it pouring out, and they’re arguing about whose got a cigarette lighter so they can light up the smokes in their mouths. Neither of them can find a lighter and she’s yelling at him to get back in the car and find the lighter.”
Stewart said the woman told him she’s 22. She was bleeding heavily from the head. The man with her appeared to be around the same age, said Stewart.
After he scolded them not to light up for fear of causing an explosion, the man and woman told Stewart they had been headed to a nearby convenience store.
“They were both a little bit confused about which direction they were travelling in when the police got here,” said Stewart.







My Feelings are that the women should put to death. This is happening to offend and they need to make an explain out of her. For this can stop and show that this have to stop this min. If they make an explain out of her then the people that drinking and driving will be afraid of this and will thin twice. And    

#15

Changes to Smoke-Free Ontario Act could doom Windsor cannabis vaping lounge

Dalson Chen, Windsor Star
More from Dalson Chen, Windsor Star

Published on: March 10, 2016 | Last Updated: March 10, 2016 8:44 PM EST

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There could be big trouble in the future for Windsor’s first cannabis vaping lounge — and it’s coming direct from the provincial government.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announced Thursday it will propose legislative changes meant to “strengthen (Ontario) smoking laws to better protect people from second-hand smoke, whether from a tobacco product or medical marijuana.”
Among the suggested revisions to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act: prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes and smoking and vaping of medical marijuana in all enclosed public places, enclosed workplaces, and “other specified outdoor areas.”
That means it would become illegal for medical marijuana users to smoke or vape at downtown Windsor’s Higher Limits.
The lounge at 251 Ouellette Ave. opened less than two months ago for the explicit purpose of offering medical marijuana licence holders a safe place to partake of their prescribed medication.

Jon Liedtke, co-owner of Higher Limits, said he was disappointed by how the ministry’s announcement conflates medical marijuana with tobacco products.
“I think that’s lack of education. I think that the people who are writing the laws don’t know anything about the substance,” Liedtke said. “It’s shameful and reprehensible, especially in 2016.”

Inside Higher Limits cannabis vaping lounge in downtown Windsor. Dalson Chen / Windsor Star

Liedtke pointed out that tobacco products are not allowed at Higher Limits, and the establishment’s vaporizers are approved by Health Canada as medical equipment.
“They can’t tell people where and when to take medication,” Liedtke said. “You have your medical rights.”
As an example, Liedtke said one of his regular patrons lives in public housing. “Under the proposed changes, he wouldn’t be able to take his medical marijuana at home. He wouldn’t be able to take it at my place of business. He wouldn’t be able to take it at a patio, on a sidewalk, in a park. Where is he supposed to consume his medication?”
The changes would put even further restrictions on e-cigarettes. The list of places where the devices can’t be sold would be expanded, rules would be set on how e-cigarettes can be displayed and advertised, and there would be no testing of e-cigarettes where they’re sold.
But Don Carom, owner of e-cigarette store VapeVine at 2184 Howard Ave., said he was expecting such measures. He’s been preparing his business for it: VapeVine has been doing online sales across Canada since 2014. “I’m not really worried,” he said.
Carom said he considers VapeVine to be a retail shop rather than a lounge, and his main concern is that the proposed changes would make it harder for walk-in customers to make informed choices about their purchases.
“We believe there should be an exemption for vape stores,” Carom said.

The storefront of VapeVine at 2814 Howard Ave. in Windsor. VapeVine.ca

A date has yet to be set for when the proposed changes will be brought before the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
In the meantime, Liedtke said Higher Limits remains open and he’ll be doing what he can to keep it that way. He’s already reached out to local MPPs and legal counsel.
“We have no intention of going away,” he said.
“When we opened up, we were told by people in the industry to get ready — There’s always going to be a fight. But we certainly didn’t expect that within two months it would be the province actively seeking to prohibit our entire business model.”

A poster at Higher Limits cannabis vaping lounge in downtown Windsor. Dalson Chen / Windsor Star

dchen@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/WinStarChen

Jon Liedtke, co-owner of Higher Limits cannabis vaping lounge in downtown Windsor, demonstrates use of one of the establishment’s medical grade vaporizers. Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

My feels: To better protect people from second hand smoke. The only people in a vap lounge are the smokers. If you are not vaping you go in knowing that second hand smoke will be in the air non lethal of course. I  think that  the hole thougth of vaping is a bad idea.
And A second thought is that they should banned it all together from smoking drinking and vamping. 

#14

Take us to court, MPAC tells Kingsville museum

The Kingsville Historical Park Museum is full of artifacts dating back to the Boer War. But tucked away in an office are documents related to a more recent epic battle — one with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.

The agency responsible for assigning values to properties for taxation purposes in Ontario has refused the museum’s request for tax exemption. The only avenue of appeal is through the courts.

“We can’t afford to do that,” said Katherine Gunning, the museum’s secretary-treasurer. Last year, she and group of fellow volunteers ran the museum on a budget of $32,000.

The property between Division Street South and Lansdowne Avenue where the museum is located used to be owned by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 188. Legion halls and the property they occupy are not subject to property tax. In 2009, when the museum assumed ownership of the two parcels of land behind the legion it had occupied since 1989, the property was taxed for the first time.

Katherine Gunning admires One Man — Two Wars display of Kingsville’s own Capt. Charles Rupert McCallum on March 9, 2016 at Kingsville’s Military Museum and Historical Park on Division Road South. Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

Gunning said the initial tax bill shocked her. The 1.2-acre site cost the museum $80,000 to buy. MPAC assessed it at $271,000. Gunning appealed and won only a lower assessment.

But she questioned why the museum should pay taxes at all. She spent $1,000 on a lawyer who couldn’t get MPAC to budge either.

Libraries and philanthropic organizations don’t pay property taxes, according to the Assessment Act. The museum includes a room lined with books on military and local civil history. Visitors interested in genealogy drop in to peruse archives housed there.

In addition, the museum is a not-for-profit, registered charity.

In an email to the Windsor Star Thursday, MPAC spokeswoman Darlene Rich said she is aware of the museum and its mandate. She again suggested the option of appealing through Superior Court.

“MPAC’s role is to assess properties in accordance with the legislation set by the Ontario government,” she said. “There is no provision in the Assessment Act that exempts museums.”

Kingsville Historical Park Museum is taxed as a commercial property, Rich said, because, “No other property class applies.”

Treasured war medals of our area’s soldiers are framed in a wooden display booth at Kingsville’s Military Museum and Historical Park on Division Road South. Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

Yet, just a few miles away, on Arner Townline, another museum pays no taxes. The Canadian Transportation Museum and Heritage Village is tax exempt thanks to a private member’s bill former MPP Remo Mancini got passed at Queen’s Park in 1985.

“That was a long time ago,” said Mickey Moulder, vice-chairman of the Historical Vehicle Society of Ontario which operates the 100-acre site. “They said it was the last time they would let that go through.”

Most museums in the region are housed in buildings owned by municipalities or the provincial government. As such, they are tax exempt.

“There aren’t too many that are in the same boat as us,” Gunning said.

Vintage Canadian Air Force camera from 408 Squadron at Kingsville’s Military Museum and Historical Park. Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

Admission to view the museum’s 11,000 artifacts is by donation. It gets a $4,000 a year grant from the town and $1,545 from the province. It holds an annual yard sale of donated items and relies mainly on bingos to keep the lights on.

Every year, Gunning goes cap in hand to Kingsville town council for money. As a charity, the museum gets a 40 per cent tax break from the town. The town also agreed to give the museum $10,000 over three years to help pay the rest of the $6,600 tax bill.

“We see the value of supporting that cause,” said Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos. “They showcase our heritage. They showcase our military history…They’ve captured the history of our veterans.”

Families from Kingsville and Leamington have entrusted the museum with such heirlooms as military medals, cavalry leathers and discharge papers. The museum is home to the manacles worn by a prisoner of war who survived the raid at Dieppe. Curator Kevin Fox tells visitors the story of how Sgt. Major Maurice Snook would give his wrists a reprieve from the heavy cuffs by unlocking them with a key from a can of Spam when the Germans guarding him weren’t looking.

The museum is one of only a few in Canada that has First World War uniforms. It has four of them. One display shows the complete uniforms worn by three generations of soldiers from the same family.

“The town has always identified the historical museum as a destination point,” Santos said. It attracts tourists, like 55 seniors from Michigan who visited Saturday.

Santos said the site should be tax exempt.

“I think it only makes sense.”

ssacheli@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/winstarsacheli

One Man — Two Wars display of Kingsville’s own Capt. Charles Rupert McCallum at Kingsville’s Military Museum and Historical Park. Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

My feels :I think the army is a bad idea. I think that war is a bad idea. I think the world and the way that we act is a bad idea, from executions, maybe just executions. This man shouldn't proud of what he did or what he has or cladded.  

#13

ontario's hypocritical liquor rules

READER LETTERS

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Published on: March 9, 2016 | Last Updated: March 9, 2016 6:00 AM EST

Ontario residents will soon be able to buy beer in grocery stores. CHRIS YOUNG / THE CANADIAN PRESS

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The provincial Liberal government has reached the ultimate heights of hypocrisy allowing the sale of alcohol in grocery stores.

After imposing strict regulations on the sale of tobacco products and requiring even the smallest variety stores to absorb the expense of “concealing” the products from view, now, small children riding in grocery carts can see and familiarize themselves with what one day soon might become their favourite beer and wine.

So children are not allowed in liquor stores, but grocery stores are OK. Besides, it’s just beer and wine and everyone knows these alcohol products don’t pose any health or social problems, right?

Seriously, there is no moral integrity in this government. And to those who say Windsor-Essex shot ourselves in the foot for not electing a Liberal candidate, I ask how could we, in good conscience, and for the sake of decency, vote for such lowly miscreants?

                  My feels We do not want anyone selling disgusting and nasty cigarettes which serve no purpose other than something to be addicted to. Alcoholics cause problems not bottles of beer or wine inside of a grocery store. I think that they should put up the jail time for teens because more teens under the age are doing drugs, alcohol.

#12

2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan starts at $45,740

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica’s pricing has hit the “sweet spot” in its segment, but there’s no guarantee the vehicle’s dramatic redesign will steer consumers back into minivans, an industry expert said Tuesday.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price will range from $45,740 to $54,740, the Windsor Star has learned.

It will be offered in three trim levels: Pacifica Touring-L ($45,740), Pacifica Touring-L Plus ($48,740) and Pacifica Limited ($54,740). The MSRP does not include a destination charge of $1,745.

MSRP comparison

Honda Odyssey minivan: $30,690 to $48,750

Toyota Sienna minivan: $31,675 to $49,700

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Buick Enclave luxury crossover SUV: $48,560 to $56,060

GMC Acadia crossover SUV: $37,145 to $57,260

The Pacifica, which is expected to arrive in dealership showrooms this spring, is replacing the Chrysler Town and Country, with an MSRP ranging from $45,195 to 48,695.

Though it is higher than its Town and County predecessor, the Pacifica’s pricing is “right in the sweet spot for that type and size of vehicle,” said auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers.

“I don’t think price is going to be the issue,” said DesRosiers. “They’re throwing a massive amount of technology into those vehicles to lure consumers. The big question is whether consumers will embrace minivans again.”

Production of the Pacifica began late last month at the Windsor Assembly Plant, which underwent a $3.7-billion overhaul, including development of the plug-in hybrid version. FCA also hired an additional 1,200 workers to help the plant build both the Pacifica and current models of the lower-priced Dodge Grand Caravan. The plant, which runs on three full shifts, employs about 6,000 hourly workers.

The new Pacifica features eight-passenger seating and is powered by a redesigned 3.6-litre, V-6 Pentastar engine that produces 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. It also comes with a nine-speed transmission.

FCA announced Tuesday that 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan has earned a highway-cycle fuel-economy rating of 28 m.p.g. from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — a benchmark unsurpassed by any minivan on the market and 12 per cent better than the Town and Country.

The Pacifica also offers city- and combined-cycle fuel-economy ratings of 18 m.p.g. and 22 m.p.g., respectively, the company said. “The latter marks a 10 per cent jump compared with the outgoing vehicle, while the former delivers a 5.9 per cent gain.”

Chris Paniccia is photographed in a field of minivans at Racicot Chrysler in Amherstburg on Tuesday, March 8, 2016. TYLER BROWNBRIDGE / WINDSOR STAR

Chris Paniccia, manager at Racicot Chrysler in Amherstburg, said the pricing is in line with the current Town and Country.

“You are going to get value for what you’re getting; to have the pricing where it is, it’s a good start,” said Paniccia. “They’ve kept it close to what consumers are going to expect.”

The Pacifica is positioned to compete with SUVs and crossover utility vehicles, such as the Ford Flex, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevy Traverse, he said.

“They’ve done a good job pricing it in that segment as well as giving us one vehicle to compete with so many different vehicles.”

FCA, which created the minivan segment more than 30 years ago, has said that the Pacifica “revolutionizes” the segment with “nearly 40 new minivan firsts designed to offer comfort, convenience and functionality for consumers.”

Over the last 15 years, Canadian consumers have purchased between 80,000 and 90,000 minivans annually, said DesRosiers. During that same period, annual purchases of mid-size SUVs have soared from 100,000 to 175,000 units.

“Getting over consumer preferences for SUVs and crossover utilities is going to be big,” he said.

“For 15 years, Chrysler hasn’t been able to move the needle in the minivan segment enough,” he said. “It’s going to take restyling, a huge media campaign and a lot of buzz.”

Constructed on an all-new platform, “Chrysler Pacifica will deliver ride and handling capabilities that not only exceed its primary competitors, but are on par with high-end premium sedans,” FCA said in a recent statement.

The Pacifica hybrid is expected to begin production later this year.

FCA has dominated minivan sales in Canada and the United States. On this side of the border the Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan command about 70 per cent of segment sales. The Caravan, FCA’s value minivan, ranges in price from $21,895 to $35,495.

FCA Canada CEO Reid Bigland has said the company still hasn’t made any final decisions about the future of the Grand Caravan, which will continue in production at least through this year.

The Pacifica is designed to compete in the luxury end of the segment, going head to head with such competitors as the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey.

my feels: Holy cows!  It's always been my dream! Ohm no thanks, I'll stick to walking . I think that this is too much. Because of taxes and these days of no Jobs. If I had to get a car I would get a used car.