The warden of Essex County says the current trade chaos is 'waking us up to our weaknesses but also making us aware of new opportunities.'
Hilda MacDonald made the comment during the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce's 18th Annual Warden's Luncheon Friday at the Ciociaro Club of Windsor.
MacDonald believes the tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump are increasing the need for the County of Essex to open more industrial land if they want to set the stage for more investment opportunities for businesses to develop within the county.
"Some of those will be in partnerships with the municipalities; we won't do that entirely on our own,' he says. "But I believe those are the kinds of things we need to do, not just to bolster the municipalities themselves but the region as a whole."
County of Essex planning staff is working on developing a Regional Employment Land Strategy to identify land across the county and examining the potential for Community Improvement Plans to spur industrial, commercial, and residential development.
MacDonald says the acquisition of land for an industrial base is very important, but it takes time when it comes to things like zoning issues.
"There's talking with this province, and then there's talking to willing buyers and willing sellers; that's also a stumbling block," she says. "There are so many layers there that it can't be done at the snap of the fingers. Also serviced lands; it has to be serviced. You can't build something and not have water, not have utilities."
"I believe we can get there. Is it going to be quick? I don't think it's going to be as quick as I'd like it to be. But we're also in new territory; we've never done this as a county. I think it's time; if we want to be that regional powerhouse, I do believe we have to have industrial land that's in the county," she says.
Warden MacDonald told the several hundred people in attendance for Friday's speech that "We need to be flexible, but we also need to play the long game. We can't let the current turmoil cloud our vision."