Windsor City Council has narrowly voted in favour of spending $3-million on a holiday lighting display at Jackson Park.
Council voted 6-5 in favour of the plan during Monday night's meeting, with Mayor Drew Dilkens providing the tie breaking vote. Councillors Fred Francis, John Elliott, Ed Sleiman, Jo-Anne Gignac, and Paul Borrelli voted in favour, while councillors Rino Bortolin, Chris Holt, Irek Kusmierczyk, Bill Marra and Hilary Payne were against the plan.
The mayor recently asked administration to determine the capital and operational cost associated with creating the signature lighting display throughout Jackson Park for the 2017 holiday season as a final celebration for Windsor 125 and Canada 150.
"Imagine Jackson Park completely lit up, and then food trucks, vendors carolers, hopefully sleigh rides if we have some snow -- just a real experience that's going to make people feel proud of their community," says Mayor Dilkens.
Around 500 trees in the park will be decked out in lights, as well as canopies lights and other large lighting displays.
Councillors who voted against the plan say the money could be better spent on city services and infrastructure.
Councillor Holt says every single one of his constituents who contacted his about the holiday lighting display were not in favour of the plan.
"I really didn't see a plan worthy of $3-million of support. I saw an idea of what we might do," he says. "Anytime we invest in our communities, anytime we invest in our neighbourhoods, I fully support it -- anything that brings the residents and city together... I just didn't see the supporting documentation."
The $3-million cost of the project will be spent to purchase and install new equipment to support the lighting display, which would be similar to other displays, such as the one at Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit. A report presented to city council says $300,000 in operating costs has been factored in, and the city is hoping to have that covered by corporate sponsors.
To pay for the massive lightning display, the city will use around $1-million in surplus from an Enwin special dividend, another $400,000 from the Windsor World Junior Hockey placeholder, and $500,000 surplus from this year's OLG funding. Additional costs up to around $1,100,000 will come from enhanced capital budget placeholder funding for a new city hall parking garage.
-With files from Mark Brown
