WCA News

Click here for Schedule 3 containing the updated 2025 Building permit fees. These new fees were approved by City Council and went into effect on March 1, 2025.

Exciting news for our members! Free to members! 
You now have the option to showcase that you produce and/or supply Canadian-made products in our online roster. This feature will make your business searchable under the "Canadian" filter, making it easier for customers to find Canadian made products. 
If you’re proud to support Canadian manufacturing and craftsmanship, this is your chance to highlight it and attract more customers looking for homegrown goods.

 Email to cprymack@wca.on.ca to have this added to your company profile

We are excited to unveil the WCA Standard Purchase Order (SPO), developed by a team of construction legal experts in collaboration with our Link2Build (L2B) partners.

This innovative new tool is designed to ensure full compliance with the Construction Act, including the latest updates from 2019 and 2024, while also streamlining the purchase order process for your projects.

How the new SPO benefits you:

 ~ Fully compliant with the Construction Act.

~ User-friendly fillable format for ease of use.

~ Space for a required digital signature, simplifying your filing process.

~ Customizable with your company logo for a professional touch.

~ Works seamlessly for businesses with or without an existing PO system.

The SPO is exclusively available at no charge to WCA, HCA, and L2B members.  To request your copy, please email cprymack@wca.on.ca or call 519-974-9680.

Understanding the Tariff Impact on Windsor’s Construction Industry

On Thursday, January 23, 2025, Lakeshore Council approved the municipality’s 2025 Budget. 

On average, the approved tax rate increase will add $54 per year ($4.50 per month) to the municipal portion of property tax bills. County of Essex and school board levies will add an additional $55 per year ($4.58 per month). 

“Our deliberations took a critical and comprehensive look at the entirety of Lakeshore’s financial picture and Council made a number of difficult decisions,” said Mayor Tracey Bailey. “We continue to face significant financial challenges, including the ongoing impact of inflation as well as pending costs outlined in the Water and Wastewater Master Plan and Fire Master Plans. In the face of those pressures, the 2025 Budget is the product of a sensible decision-making process that focuses on delivering value while limiting the impact on taxpayers.”

“As a Council, we’ve delivered another budget that is below the rate of inflation. Hats off to the entire team for their fantastic work on the Budget, as well as to all the residents who shared their feedback throughout the past two months,” Mayor Bailey added.

“The Budget is a critical document that guides our operations and reflects Council and the community’s vision for the future of Lakeshore. I’d like to thank all the members of Team Lakeshore who contributed to the creation of the Budget, as well as to Council for their thoughtful deliberations and decisions,” said Justin Rousseau, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

Throughout the deliberations, Council reduced the originally proposed increase of 7.66 per cent to 2.91 per cent. The reduction was accomplished through reductions in reserves, as well as reprioritization of projects and operating dollars to support roads and Council’s strategic goals.

The Budget will return to Council for final approval at an upcoming meeting.

Stay tuned for 2025 Budget highlights and more!

Capital Budget highlights:

• $1.14 million for road surface treatment
• $2.9 for asphalt resurfacing, with projects identified through the Roads Needs Study
• $8 million for Comber watermain project
• $3 million for County Road 22 sewer infrastructure improvements to align with CR22 widening
• $3.7 million Rochester Watermain replacement
• $3.5 million for Stoney Point Community Park
• $2.07 million for two new Fire Trucks (Tanker and Engine)
• $250,000 for sidewalk replacement and connection
• $980,000 for a pedestrian bridge over Duck Creek
• $20,000 for parks signs
• $100,000 for an accessible kayak launch dock system
• $150,000 for accessible pathways in parks
• $300,000 for skate park at Optimist Park

We will be open Dec. 23, closed Dec. 24 to Jan. 1 and reopen Jan. 2

To all WCA Members: 
In order to comply with the requirements of the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA), we have undertaken a comprehensive review and revision of our current bylaws. These revised bylaws have been carefully crafted to ensure alignment with ONCA regulations, aiming to enhance transparency, governance, and operational clarity within the WCA..
We are pleased to announce that the revised bylaws will be presented for your review and approval at the upcoming General Meeting scheduled for mid September  We encourage all members to review the revised bylaws. They are also availabe for review in our weekly newsletter. 

The WCA has received, from the City of Windsor, links to two apps:

MappMyCity
Learn about Windsor from underground up! We have apps that display our sewer system, roads, sidewalks, addresses, buildings, parks, trails, bike lanes and routes, waterways, schools, government offices, parking lots, playgrounds, public washrooms in parks, and much, much more.

The new MappMyCity application has combined the old applications into one new and fluid experience. In the new MappMyCity, you will find the old:

• MyCity
• MySchoolNeighbourhood
• MySewer
• MyParks
• MyBikesAndTrails
• MyDetour

We’ve also mapped things you can’t feel or see, like ward boundaries; street centreline with information about roads, speed limits, direction and more; districts of many types; property descriptions and info; services, size and distance for a number of features; and aerial photos over the years since 2000.

Visit us often! As needs expand, so will the new easy-to-use MappMyCity app.
You can find this here

City of Windsor Open Data Catalogue
Citizens are encouraged to use or repurpose the City of Windsor's open data for research purposes or to improve their interaction with municipal services and facilities. Members of the community can use the raw data provided here to create and share resources from maps to applications and more.
You can find this here.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/am800/news/amherstburg-council-moving-ahead-with-next-steps-in-belle-vue-process-1.20353570

The "GREEN BOOK" is available for Direct Print or Download from the Government website. 

Click here to get it. 

Payment delays and disputes can cost your business a LOT of time and money. That’s why Ontario has added Prompt Payment and Adjudication to the Construction Act.

For construction, the law now requires payors to pay invoices according to fixed timelines. If your payor does not make payment when it is due, you can choose to use adjudication to enforce your right to payment. It’s a fast and inexpensive way to resolve construction payment disputes.

Prompt Payment and Adjudication rules took effect on Oct. 1, 2019 and apply to all construction projects, with few exceptions.

You can find fact sheets on Prompt Payment and Adjudication here

https://mailchi.mp/wca/important-information-for-link2build-plansroom-members

Government improving access to care for local patients and families

The Windsor Construction Association Board of Directors is pleased to offer to the members of the WCA and HCA a new valuable, member feature. 
We know many of you are looking to hire new staff, from in house employees such as estimators, project managers, or office staff, to shop workers, warehousemen, drivers, to tradesmen of all kinds  and we are aware of the challenges you are facing to find the right new hire.

This guide helps you understand and adapt to Ontario's new Construction Act, which came into full effect October 1st.