Municipal World Magazine has named Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens 2026 “Mayor of the Year”. Municipal World is a monthly Canadian publication that has been around since 1981. The magazine’s “Mayor of the Year” award is chosen by the editors of Municipal World following research, personal interviews, and first-hand observations of the municipal sector. The award recognizes a Canadian mayor who goes above and beyond the call of duty for their municipality. “It is such an honour to be selected as Mayor of the Year by Municipal World Inc.,” said Dilkens. “Windsor is a city that works. We build things. We fix things. We look after each other, and when something knocks us down, we get up and get on with it. None of us gets unlimited time, and what you do with the time you have is more or less the whole question. My work as Mayor has been about helping to guide our community into a position of strength as we seize every opportunity and meet every challenge ahead of us.” The magazine’s editorial team noted, “In recent years, [Dilkens] has advocated for policies that preserve the integrated Canada-U.S. supply chain; protect manufacturing jobs; and maintain the efficient movement of goods across the Detroit-Windsor corridor, North America’s busiest commercial border crossing. These challenges have become increasingly significant amid heightened trade tensions and uncertainty surrounding the future of Canada-U.S. economic relations.” Dilkens has served as Mayor of Windsor since 2014. He was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, and holds business and law degrees from the University of Windsor and an M.B.A. and Doctorate of Business Administration. “As mayor, Dilkens took a fiscally responsible approach, strengthened Windsor’s relationship with Detroit, and kept the city on the world stage with world-class sports/tourism events. His focus was supporting economic development that created jobs and attracted numerous investments,” according to a news released from the city. This is the third year for the Mayor of the Year award, and Drew Dilkens joins Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and former Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek on the honour roll of recognition. On Oct. 26, Fred Francis defeated Dilkens in the municipal election, ending his bid for a fourth term as mayor of Windsor.
