Overdose prevention sites, cannabis retailers top of mind for new city council

A new council term begins Monday with some new faces in Windsor.

With four new councillors making up 40 per cent of the table, returning councillor Chris Holt says there's going to be a learning curve.

"It's going to be an interesting first ride," said Holt. "It's like becoming a parent. You have all these expectations, all these assumptions but until you're sitting in that seat, making those hard decisions, you have the delegates coming up, you have no clue what it's going to be like."

As newcomer Kieran McKenzie has shifted from avid council watcher to councillor over the last few weeks, he said he's learned a lot. 

"One of the things that I'm learning is that our administration is incredibly competent," said McKenzie. "We have some incredibly talented people at the city and it's really exciting to get know those folks and hear their perspectives."

McKenzie says he has five or six priorities at "top of mind." 

"The number one is familiarizing myself with the operations of the corporation of the City of Windsor," said McKenzie. "You come through the electoral process with a number of ideas — the nuts and bolts of actually how to accomplish those goals and reach those objectives is an entirely different matter."

Holt says the returning councillors are eager to help the new ones get caught up quickly.

"It's for the betterment of the entire city as a whole that we all get up to speed on the files we've been chewing on for awhile now."

Overdose prevention and cannabis storefronts

Both Holt and McKenzie acknowledge overdose prevention sites and cannabis retail storefronts will be the first issues the new council has to tackle.

"We've had a very challenging month," said McKenzie about the opioid crisis sweeping Windsor. McKenzie called the four deaths in one weekend a "jarring moment for our community."

"I think it is going to demand a response from council. It's a debate I think we're going to have often over the course of these four years."

Holt says overdose prevention sites have been a topic of conversation among many councillors for awhile.

"Numerous councillors around the table have been engaged with [overdose prevention sites]," said Holt. It's something we've been working on behind the scenes. There's a lot of things happening."

When it comes to cannabis storefronts, McKenzie says Windsor is at the forefront.

"We're a major region for production, our proximity to the border — Windsor will be a cannabis tourism destination," said McKenzie. "It's very important for us to be on the ground floor for best practices."

Holt says signing on for cannabis retail locations is in Windsor's best interest. 

"For economic reasons, for harm-reduction reasons. It's for the best in our community. Cannabis is available right now, it's something that's out there," said Holt. "Let's get a handle on it. Let's build it into the infrastructure."

The City of Windsor opened a public survey to ask residents if they are for or against cannabis retail locations. The survey is open until Jan. 4, 2019.

Holt, heading into his second term as councillor, warned McKenzie to not try to do everything.

"Be realistic in your expectations," said Holt. "This job will chew you up and spit you out if you let it.