Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens seems pleased with the 2026 Ontario Budget.
The $244.2-billion budget was released on Thursday afternoon and includes $101.2-billion for health care, $40.8-billion for education and $14-billion for the post-secondary education sector.
Dilkens says the budget does include a number of items for the Windsor area, including continued support for a new interchange connecting Highway 401 to Lauzon Parkway, investing in the new Fancsy Family Hospital project with a capacity of 594 beds, including 101 net new beds, continued support for the NextStar Energy plant, and continued support for the HART Hub.
In June 2023, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced plans to create a new interchange connecting Lauzon Parkway and Highway 401 - a project that's expected to cost over $125-million - in order to open up more land for development in the Sandwich South area.
This interchange will also benefit the new Fancsy Family Hospital at County Road 42 and the 9th Concession. The cost to build the new hospital is still unknown, and the pricetag was not included in the budget, despite the province paying 90 per cent of the bill.
He says the province didn't need to include a dollar figure for the 401 interchange in this budget because the city isn't prepared to expand Lauzon Parkway in 2026.
"A report going to city council on Monday talks about our Sandwich South infrastructure program, and how we intend on connecting the road from Cabana Road down to the 401. And so we will need to align our funding with the provinces funding, but that particular clover leaf, or half clover leafs that's being proposed is about $125-million. It's a big investment to open up a clover leaf at the 401."
Dilkens says the net new beds at the Fancsy Family Hospital is critical as the region continues to grow.
"You've got to build the hospital, you've got to build the rooms where the beds go in, but then you actually have to provide the nurses and the healthcare workers who help staff those beds. And so, it's an actual overall increase - net new beds - for Windsor-Essex which is great because it's not too late now for the design work to happen to make sure that they're putting enough space in for the expansion that would be required."
He's pleased with the support for Windsor.
"Support for NextStar is still there, helping workers in training and skills... Windsor is mentioned that way as well. HART Hubs, an addition for St. Joesph's Catholic School - another 184 student spaces... so there's some hard things there."
Dilkens adds that he's also happy to see the removal of the 13 per cent HST for all eligible buyers of new homes, an expansion to home healthcare services, and the cut to the small business corporate income tax.
Overall, the province is expecting to end this fiscal year with a $12.3-billion deficit, down from the $14.6-billion projected in last year's budget. It is projecting a deficit of $13.8-billion in 2026-27 - a big jump from the previously forecast $7.8-billion.
-with files from AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides