Francis pledges to fund the Sandpoint Beach plan; Dilkens pledged to finish it

Pledge check: Fred Francis says he'd fund the Sandpoint Beach plan and swap the fencing for nicer barriers right away. Drew Dilkens pledged Oct. 1 to finish the same plan. Cost about $15M, about $4.6M budgeted. Campaign pledges, not City policy.

By Kyle L. Stewart | Published Oct. 17, 2026, 3:01 p.m. ET | Windsor, Ontario

Topics: Election 2026

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Mayoral candidate Fred Francis released the final part of his platform on Friday, Oct. 16, at Sandpoint Beach in Ward 7, with the beach as its focus. This is a campaign pledge, not City policy.

The pledge

Francis said he would fund the Sandpoint Beach Master Plan and move the action items needed to open the beach "as fast as we can in a safe secure place." He also said the City could act immediately to replace the current fencing with barriers that are "more aesthetically pleasing." The same release pledged support for an Ojibway National Urban Park, stricter rules for e-bikes and e-scooters, more trails and cycling routes, and an end to the naturalization of city parks.

The incumbent's position

Mayor Drew Dilkens pledged on Oct. 1 to complete the same approved master plan, saying engineering work is underway on a project of about $15 million. Windsor News reported that pledge on Oct. 4.

The money

The master plan was estimated at about $15 million at the start of 2025. WindsorNewsToday.ca reports about $4.6 million is in the City's capital budget. Council reaffirmed the plan in June 2026 without a full budget or timeline.

The record

Council voted to close water access in June 2025, and it has stayed closed. On June 29, 2026, council approved a phased approach to the master plan; both Francis and Dilkens voted for it. Francis seconded a June 2025 motion to fast-track the plan's safety components, which lost 2 to 9, and a June 2026 motion to study reopening the east end for 2027, which lost 5 to 6. Dilkens voted against both. Francis also seconded a January 2025 motion that deferred the master plan for talks with the Windsor Port Authority; council endorsed the plan two weeks later.

Eleven candidates are running for mayor. Voting Day is Monday, Oct. 26.