Home › Weekly digest › Oct. 19 to Oct. 25, 2026
This week in Windsor News
Oct. 19 to Oct. 25, 2026. 61 stories from the week, newest first, each with a one-line summary. Every story links its sources.
News
- Ward 10 candidate asks who runs the air sampler by E.J. Lajeunesse
Ward 10 candidate Mark Masanovich says an air sampler sits beside École E.J. Lajeunesse, near Zalev Brothers, and it's unclear who runs it. It's not on provincial or federal station lists. We asked the ministry, the City and all Ward 10 candidates.
- Hydro prices drop Nov. 1. So does your rebate.
Ontario hydro prices drop Nov. 1: off-peak 9.1 cents per kWh, mid-peak 14.6, on-peak 18.9. But the provincial rebate falls to 15.7 per cent from 23.5, so don't count on a smaller bill. Winter on-peak is weekdays 7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.
- St. Clair softball wins its 7th OCAA title on a walk-off single
St. Clair softball won its 7th OCAA title Saturday, beating Durham 6-5 on Chloe Cole's walk-off single. John McLaughlin scored on the power play with less than a second left as the Spitfires beat the Soo 4-3. Lancer football won 27-23 at Guelph.
- Voting Monday? What happens after the polls close at 8
Voting Monday in Windsor? Any voting place in your ward, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with ID. Then what? Monday night's results are unofficial until the clerk declares them. A tie means an automatic recount. Winners take office Nov. 15.
- Guns in Windsor-Essex: what the numbers show
Guns in Windsor-Essex: mixed signals. StatCan: Windsor-area firearm-related violent crimes rose to 156 in 2024, from 108. Windsor Police: crime guns down 9% in 2025. CBSA: 150 guns seized at the bridge and tunnel, Jan to Oct 2025.
- Myth vs. fact: didn't Ontario stop changing the clocks?
Myth: Ontario passed a law, so we're done changing clocks. Fact: the 2020 law never took effect. Windsor falls back one hour at 2 a.m. next Sunday, Nov. 1.
- Crime Stoppers tip leak: privacy watchdogs say they can't investigate
Sent a Crime Stoppers tip? Canada's and Ontario's privacy watchdogs say they can't formally investigate the leak of more than 1.5 million tips, because the law mostly skips non-profits. What it means for you:
- St. Clair fastball beats the top two seeds, plays for OCAA gold at home today
St. Clair fastball beat the top two seeds, Durham and Humber, 8-2 each on Friday and plays for OCAA gold at the SportsPark at 1 p.m. today. Lancer women's basketball won 87-65 at Guelph. Spitfires host the Soo at 7:05.
- Voting Monday? Here's how it works, step by step
Voting Monday in Windsor? Bring ID with your name and address, go to any Voting Day spot in your ward, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Paper ballot, fill in the oval, tabulator. Buses are free for voters.
- OPP name 2 charged after Belle River cocaine search
OPP have named the 2 Belle River residents charged after an Oct. 22 drug search: Sarah Ball, 47, and Damien Malott, 31. Each faces a cocaine trafficking charge. Court dates are Dec. 1 and Dec. 3 in Windsor. The charges have not been proven in court.
- Overdose safety in Windsor-Essex: what to do if someone may be overdosing
Overdose safety for Windsor-Essex: medetomidine, a veterinary sedative, is turning up in street opioids. Naloxone may not wake someone it sedates, but give it anyway. Call 911, give rescue breaths, stay with them. Never use alone: 1-888-688-6677.
- U.S. customs phone and laptop searches up 32%: what it means at the bridge and tunnel
Crossing into Detroit? U.S. customs searched more than 52,000 phones, laptops and other devices in the first 9 months of its 2026 fiscal year, up more than 32%. What that means at the bridge or tunnel, and why it's still rare:
- What Mayor Dilkens has said about the Bellaire discipline, and what the record shows
Asked about the Bellaire investigation Oct. 14, Mayor Drew Dilkens, police board chair, said the board approved training as the sanction. Public minutes name none; we found no record it was completed. CBC reported more Oct. 22.
- Spits and Soo, round two: Saturday's Halloween game at the WFCU Centre
Round two Saturday. The Soo beat the Spits 5-4 in overtime Thursday after Windsor rallied from 2-0 down. The rematch is at the WFCU Centre, Saturday at 7:05 p.m. It's Halloween night: come in costume for a chance at a Spitfires gift card.
- Overdose visits have more than doubled in Windsor-Essex. Here is what officials have and have not answered
Windsor-Essex opioid overdose ER visits: 96 in Q3 2025, 199 in Q3 2026. We asked officials what happens next and if they back a joint local task force. Our deadlines passed with no yes or no. Many questions are unanswered.
- Tribunal overturns Tecumseh refusal, approves four-lot townhouse split on Chene Street
The Ontario Land Tribunal gave provisional consent to split 137 Chene St. Town staff had recommended approval.
- Think your lawyer's bill is too high? Here's how to challenge it in Ontario
Think your lawyer's bill is too high? In Ontario, a Superior Court assessment officer can review it. Apply within one month of getting the bill. The client's court fee is $105. The Law Society can't reduce bills, only deal with conduct.
- Where to vote Monday: every Voting Day location, ward by ward
Where do you vote Monday? New this year: any Voting Day location in your ward. Our card lists all 47, ward by ward. Polls open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bring ID with your name and address. No voter card needed.
- Emily Owen's walk-off homer lifts St. Clair past Fanshawe in the OCAA fastball championship
Emily Owen hit a two-run walk-off homer in the 8th as St. Clair beat Fanshawe 4-2 to open the OCAA fastball championship. Danna Juarez struck out 10. Today: Saints vs Durham at 1 p.m. Tonight: Lancer women's hockey hosts Ottawa at 7:30.
- Council votes today on a 70% cut to development charges on new homes
Building a new home in Windsor? Council votes at 11:30 a.m. today on cutting residential development charges 70% for three years, back-dated to March 30. On a new single detached home, that's about $31,500 off the City's $45,064 charge.
- Why news posts vanish from Facebook in Canada, and what works instead
Why do news posts vanish from Facebook in Canada? Meta says it blocks news there to comply with the Online News Act. On Oct. 21, our Page posts with news links showed as sent but stayed out of our feed. Link-free photo posts showed right away.
- LaSalle search finds 8 firearms, 11 more charges after standoff
LaSalle Police say a search of an Oakridge St. home after Tuesday's standoff found 8 firearms, incl. a .50-cal sniper rifle. Robert Stuparyk, 58, of LaSalle, now faces 11 more charges. Not proven in court.
- Can you vote in Windsor on Monday? Students, renters and property owners, checked
Can you vote in Windsor on Monday? You must be a Canadian citizen, 18 or older, and live in Windsor or own or rent property here (or be their spouse). Students here for school can vote here and at home. Polls: Mon. Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Pumpkin Splash floats into Adventure Bay on Saturday
A floating pumpkin patch is back downtown. Pumpkin Splash fills Adventure Bay's Lazy River with pumpkins on Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Take one home (one per guest, while supplies last). Regular admission applies.
- Windsor Police pause Crime Stoppers participation after tip-platform breach
Windsor Police have paused their Crime Stoppers participation after a breach at a third-party tip platform that WPS says exposed 1.5M+ tips across Canada. Police tips: 519-258-6111 or windsorpolice.ca. Emergencies: 911. News tips: windsornewsdesk@gmail.com
- Windsor Police plan online freedom of information requests, target January 2027
Windsor Police say people will be able to file and pay for freedom of information requests online, with a target date of January 2027. For now: in person or by mail, with a $5 fee. Can't do either? WPS says to contact its Information Services office.
- Dirty yards and alleys are the No. 1 reason people contact Windsor's 311
The No. 1 reason people contacted Windsor's 311 this year: dirty yards and alleys. 6,160 of 29,612 requests, about one in five, City of Windsor 311 data shows (Jan. 1 to Aug. 23). Next: trees 4,147, 3-day parking 1,614, potholes 1,471.
- Victoria Walsh scores six as Saints women beat St. Lawrence 9-0 in the OCAA playoffs
Victoria Walsh scored six as St. Clair women's soccer beat St. Lawrence 9-0 in the OCAA playoffs. Saints men fell to Seneca on penalties after a 1-1 draw, and the Lancer women lost 1-0 at Brock. Tonight: Spitfires at the Soo, 7:07.
- Selling online? Windsor Police point to their Safe Internet Exchange Zone after marketplace robbery arrest
Selling something online? Windsor Police say to meet at their Safe Internet Exchange Zone, 2696 Jefferson Blvd., watched by live video 24/7. Police say a seller was choked and robbed at an Oct. 17 meetup. Darcy Inshimwe, 21, is charged.
- Windsor Police seek suspect after knifepoint robbery at Drouillard Road store
Windsor Police said they're looking for a man who pulled a paring knife and demanded cash at a Drouillard Rd. store shortly before 4 a.m. Oct. 9. He wore a green, gold and white Green Bay Packers toque and jacket. Tips: 519-255-6700 ext. 4830.
- Fourth suspect arrested in April Lauzon Road robbery and kidnapping, Windsor Police say
Windsor Police said a fourth suspect in the April 16 robbery and kidnapping on Lauzon Road was taken into custody Oct. 20 at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel after fleeing to Michigan. The charges have not been proven in court.
- Want to keep biking this winter? Windsor Bike Kitchen's Winter Wheels is taking applications
Want to keep biking through a Windsor winter? Windsor Bike Kitchen's Winter Wheels program offers six months of membership, 50% off winter tires, workshops and group rides. Riders commit to biking at least once a week.
- Gordie Howe bridge path hours shrink Nov. 1: what walkers and cyclists need to know
Walking or biking the Gordie Howe bridge? The path's hours shrink Nov. 1. Now: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (no entry after 7). Nov. 1 to March 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last entry at 3). It's free. Bring travel documents for both countries.
- Working on Voting Day? Ontario law gives you time to vote
Working on Voting Day, Monday, Oct. 26? Polls are open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. If your shift doesn't leave you three hours in a row to vote, Ontario law says you can take the time you need, with no pay cut.
- Saints beat Madonna 79-65 as Lancer and Saints soccer open the playoffs tonight
Saints women's hoops beat Madonna 79-65 Tuesday behind 19 from Kaelyn Batten. Spits add D Thanasi Marentette from Peterborough. Tonight: Lancer women at Brock in the OUA playoffs, Saints women host St. Lawrence at 6, Saints men at Seneca at 8.
- Myth vs. fact: what Ontario and Windsor rules say about e-scooters
Myth: kids can ride e-scooters if they're careful. Fact: Ontario's rules say electric kick-scooter riders must be 16 or older, under-18s need a helmet, and there are no passengers. Windsor's bylaw also bans e-scooters on sidewalks.
- OPP name 2 men charged in Belle River raid tied to Hells Angels support club
OPP say they seized 20 guns, about $70,000 in cash and suspected cocaine in an Oct. 1 raid on a Belle River home tied to a Hells Angels support club. Two Belle River men, 52 and 31, are charged and due in Windsor court Dec. 23.
- Myth vs. fact: what the rules say about campaign signs in Windsor
Myth: taking a campaign sign is no big deal. Fact: Windsor Police say removing, damaging or defacing one without permission may be theft or mischief. Landlords can't ban tenants' election signs. Signs come down within 72 hours after Voting Day.
- National Adoption Week: meet Humane Society pets at two Windsor PetSmart stores
Thinking about adopting a pet? It's National Adoption Week (Oct. 19 to 25). The Windsor/Essex County Humane Society has adoptable pets at PetSmart South Windsor on Dougall and PetSmart Tecumseh Mall, with an Adopt Joy event Wednesday.
- Opinion: The Online News Act was meant to save local news. It's shutting us out instead.
Opinion: The Online News Act was meant to save local news. It's shutting us out instead.
- Fewer library visits, more people online: Windsor Public Library by the numbers
Fewer people are walking into Windsor Public Library branches this year, but more are using it online. Jan. to Aug.: visits down 4%, physical checkouts down 4%, website and social use up 23%, total use up 9%. Fontainebleau visits up 44%.
- Two 12-year-old girls hurt in Windsor e-scooter crash
Two 12-year-old girls are in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries after their e-scooter collided with a minivan at McDougall St. and Elliott St. E. Monday night. Police say the e-scooter went through a red light.
- Windsor logged 1,471 pothole reports to 311 this year. March alone had 445
Windsor logged 1,471 pothole reports to 311 between Jan. 1 and Aug. 23, City of Windsor 311 data shows. March alone: 445. Most reports: Ward 2 (232), Ward 9 (180), Ward 5 (167). Spot one? Call 311 or use the Windsor 311 app.
- Playoff soccer week: Lancer and Saints teams open the postseason Wednesday
Playoff week for local soccer. Wednesday: Lancer women open the OUA playoffs at Brock, Saints women host St. Lawrence at 6 PM in an OCAA qualifier and Saints men visit Seneca at 8. Tonight: Saints women's basketball hosts Madonna at 5.
- What if hackers shut down the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel? A cyber drill runs today
What if hackers shut down the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel? That's the made-up scenario at Operation: Defend the North, a cyber crisis drill St. Clair College is hosting with siberX today, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts.
- Why you can't see news on Facebook or Instagram in Canada
Since August 2023, Meta has blocked news on Facebook and Instagram in Canada, saying it is complying with the Online News Act (Bill C-18). News links can't be shared there. Follow Windsor News at windsornewsdesk.ca, on X, Telegram and by newsletter.
- One week to Voting Day: your plan for Oct. 26 in Windsor
Windsor votes one week from today: Monday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Vote at any Voting Day location in your ward. Bring ID with your name and address. No voter card needed. In line by 8? You can still vote. Buses are free for voters.
- Tuesday lane restrictions on McDougall and Eugenie, Dougall Parkway ramps still closed
Tuesday commute heads up: lane restrictions 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on McDougall St. (Tecumseh to Monarch) and Eugenie St. E. (Ouellette to Howard) for routing and sealing. Dougall Parkway ramps at Sixth Concession stay closed through Thursday.
- Windsor Regional Hospital now offers ThuLEP prostate surgery
Windsor Regional Hospital now offers ThuLEP, a minimally invasive laser surgery for an enlarged prostate. It's one of only three health-care centres in Ontario that do it. Weak stream, up at night to pee, stuck with a catheter? Ask your family doctor.
- 127 kg of cocaine seized at the Ambassador Bridge
Border officers seized 127 kg of suspected cocaine from a commercial truck at the Ambassador Bridge on Sept. 11, CBSA announced today. Two Mississauga men, 61 and 41, are charged with importing and trafficking. The case is before court in Windsor.
- Crime is down in Windsor and Amherstburg this year. Fraud is up 5.9%
Crime is down in Windsor and Amherstburg so far this year. Fraud isn't. Jan. to Sept., per Windsor Police: Crimes against people: 2,174, down 6.9% Property crimes: 7,762, down 5.7% Fraud: 1,482, up 5.9% Scammed? Call 519-258-6111.
- Unifor members at Stellantis vote 97.3% for strike mandate
Unifor members at Stellantis, including Windsor Assembly workers, voted 97.3% to authorize strike action if needed. A mandate doesn't start a strike; Unifor says it isn't in a legal strike position. Stellantis says it's committed to bargaining in good faith.
- Lancer women blank Waterloo 4-0; Saints women edge Fanshawe 1-0
Lancer women blanked Waterloo 4-0: Penny, Allen, Marenchin and Pozzi scored, Barrette made 10 saves. Saints women beat Fanshawe 1-0. Lancer men drew 0-0 at Waterloo. Vipers fell 6-2 at St. Thomas. No local games today; Spitfires at Soo Thursday 7:07.
- Pastabilities lunch today raises money to fight hunger in Windsor-Essex
Pastabilities is today: a $20 ticket gets you three pasta dishes from 25 local restaurants, and you vote for the best one. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ciociaro Club in Oldcastle. All proceeds go to UHC's fight against hunger.
Witching Hour
- Witching Hour - Strange History: The bridge that was restrung before it opened
Witching Hour - Strange History The cables were already up when the builders decided to replace them all. Broken wires had turned up in the Ambassador Bridge's new steel cables in 1929. It still opened to traffic on Nov. 15, 1929.
- Witching Hour - Strange History: The tunnel they sank into the river
Witching Hour - Strange History Not a ghost story tonight. Work began in 1906 on a rail tunnel made by dredging a trench in the Detroit River bottom and sinking steel tubes into it. Trains have run through since Oct. 16, 1910.
- Witching Hour - Dark History: The night downtown Windsor burned
Witching Hour - Dark History It started around 3 a.m. on Oct. 12, 1871, at Ouellette and Pitt. Wind drove the flames west through a downtown built of wood, and Detroit firefighters crossed the river to help. About 100 Windsor buildings were lost.
- Witching Hour - Dark History: The night the Clarion burned off Point Pelee
Witching Hour - Dark History On Dec. 8, 1909, the freighter Clarion burned in a Lake Erie gale off Point Pelee. Captain Bell and 12 men left in a lifeboat and were lost. Six crowded at the stern until the steamer L.C. Hanna took them off. Fifteen died.
- Witching Hour - Legends: The werewolf tale of le Detroit
Witching Hour - Legends A bride, a werewolf and a catfish. In Hamlin's 1883 Legends of Le Detroit, a loup garou snatches a bride at her own wedding in Grosse Pointe. Her groom chases it to the shore, where it vanishes into a catfish's mouth.
- Witching Hour - Strange History: The steel town that never came
Witching Hour - Strange History Some of Windsor's woods were laid out as city streets. In 1913 Ojibway was incorporated as a U.S. Steel company town. Roads went in, the homes never came and the Depression ended it. Windsor annexed it in 1966.
- Witching Hour - Dark History: The evening a tornado crossed the river
Witching Hour - Dark History Windsor's deadliest tornado came across the river. On the evening of June 17, 1946, an F4 tornado crossed the Detroit River into Brighton Beach. It killed 17 people, damaged about 400 homes and flipped railway boxcars.
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