By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Invest WindsorEssex (IWE) – the lead economic development agency for the region – will continue delivering economic development services for the County of Essex, Council unanimously decided at the November 19 meeting.
County Council made the decision after being presented with IWE’s Corporate Strategic Plan and getting a promise of improved communications.
Council for the County of Essex also committed to a three-year funding model, with annual support held constant at the current rate of $1,122,060, in support of achieving the action items in IWE’s Strategic Plan for 2025-2028.
IWE is funded by the County and the City of Windsor. With that funding, it also obtains provincial dollars.
In the recent past, there was concern about IWE’s services.
A majority of Essex County Councillors voted to reduce the County’s portion of IWE funding 15% during 2025 Budget deliberations, from $1,122,060 to $953,750.
That happened following receiving results from a discretionary regional shared services survey in July of 2024 that was sent out to the seven local municipalities. The survey questioned the seven local municipalities on its overall experience with the two regional shared service organizations, TWEPI and IWE, both acting as regional arms representing tourism and economic development, respectively.
When asked about satisfaction with IWE, 53% of respondents reported being either satisfied or very satisfied with Invest WindsorEssex products/services. From a reputational standpoint, 52% of respondents rated their impression of Invest WindsorEssex as good to excellent. 43% believed their municipality was receiving good value for money from Invest WindsorEssex.
However, during the regular meeting on February 18, a majority of County Council moved to rescind the resolution made during 2025 Deliberations that reduced IWE’s County contribution 15%, after some decision-makers noted they changed their mind after new information was presented or believing the original decision was made too quickly without enough info.
Gordon Orr, CEO of IWE since July (and also the CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island since 2011) presented IWE’s Corporate Strategic Plan and Activity Roadmap to County Council for 2025-2028 last week.
IWE worked with North Guide Consultants from February to June on the document.
Developing the document “included employing a multi-phase methodology, focused on a comparative analyst with other similar-like economic development corporations, confidential stakeholder interviews across the Windsor Essex Region, ecosystem mapping with key partners, and strategic planning sessions with both Invest WindsorEssex’s Board of Directors and Senior Leadership Team,” Orr explained.
Through this, several critical findings were discovered that will help shape IWE’s future success, Orr explained.
Four strategic priority areas were identified: revenue diversification and sustainability, relationship management and trust, value proposition and brand, and sector diversification and future sensing.
The documents also included implementing a long-term funding model of economic strategic initiatives and to provide the best service to stakeholders and business community, Orr said.
IWE will provide quarterly and annual reports that will highlight quantitative impact data carried out by the organization. Key funders will also be regularly informed of all regional investments, expansions, events, resources, and programs available to local business communities. It will also continue to apply for upper-tier funding.
Another is having IWE work with regional economic development partners to conduct comprehensive market analyses across all sectors to understand growth and diversification opportunities.
“A potential threat for the Windsor-Essex region is overreliance on automotive, which makes the region vulnerable to sector-specific economic disruption. Our team – together with our ecosystem partners and local industry leaders – have participated in several roundtables with both federal and provincial representatives to express support and resources needed for our local key sectors to diversify capabilities and explore new markets outside of the US,” Orr added.
He said that over the past few years, IWE’s investment attraction team has secured over $8B across multiple industries.
“IWE is – and will continue to be – committed to advancing economic development and prosperity throughout all municipalities in the Windsor-Essex region,” Orr said. “Our team is here to inform, guide, and connect our business community, investors, industry leaders, and ecosystem partners to ensure future success and growth.”
Over the past four-and-a-half months with the IWE team, Orr said he has realized the desire to help build economic prosperity locally.
“I see much promise on the horizon as we embrace and deliver upon this plan,” Orr added.
County CAO Sandra Zwiers relayed information on other jurisdictions south of London, gathered with help from Kate Burns Gallagher, Executive Director of the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, on how they deliver economic development services to their regions.
The way they are delivered is varied, Zwiers reported.
She told Council it could continue with the status quo in using IWE, scaling back or limiting economic development services or eliminating the service altogether, or narrowing the focus of economic development services to the County.
Zwiers recommended the County continue its relationship with IWE and obtain its economic development services, and commit that to a three-year term. Despite a change in leadership in the recent past, she said the organization has gone through an extensive strategic planning exercise that had the effect of refocusing the operation and addressing some of the feedback that it received from that 2024 survey.
“In our current economic climate, I think it is very important we show a united front to the global market and that we maintain our commitment to economic development services at a time where our residents – and particularly our businesses – are looking for a strong face and support in light of recent cross-border trade challenges,” Zwiers said.
Zwiers added that the goal coming out of the three-year term is to have an updated funding modeling recommended to the City and County, noting it is currently based on the 2011 census.
Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey extended gratitude to IWE for listening as one who raised concerns previously.
Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers wanted to be supportive, yet cognizant of taxpayer dollars over that three-year period.
Orr said the plan is for him to stay with IWE for around six-months to make some recommendations and identify some potential savings, but it is still very much at the board-level for decisions. A meeting is planned in January for both of his organizations individually, review the report he is developing, then see next steps.
Rogers would also like to see more focus on ag moving forward as a billion-dollar industry. Three of the 55 companies listed in the IWE report were ag-related.
Kingsville Deputy Mayor Kim DeYong noted the survey from last year was grim. She noticed there is a plan to have enhanced engagement with municipalities. In Kingsville, some of the concern is that it feels competitive to its local economic development.
“In some instances, we are trying to get some investment, and then Invest WindsorEssex can come and take them out to Windsor or to another community. We feel it is more competitive than collaborative.”
As three-years is a big commitment when the County was looking at cuts last year, she wanted to know if connection has happened yet at the local level. Orr said he has presented the Strategic Plan at a meeting of the regional CEOs. There is a plan to form a regional economic development committee of local municipal administration.
“We heard the municipalities were not happy, and we want to improve those communication channels, and that is what we are going to do,” he said.
LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche said her concerns were answered through the consultation process.
Tecumseh Deputy Mayor Joe Bachetti spoke of the importance of looking at what other regions are doing to ensure the region can compete, as the region has been hit hard and needs the jobs and industry.
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy said there has been an increase in communication, and that shows results. She would still like IWE to report to County Council every year, and another survey should be done in a few years.
County Warden Hilda MacDonald said IWE has the reach the local municipal economic development departments do not.
