WECHU renovating downtown Windsor site

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has been granted more than $1 million for renovations, allowing Windsorites to get better access to healthcare.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is renovating its space in downtown Windsor.

The building at the corner of Ouellette Avenue and Erie Street West is undergoing renovations thanks to $1.1 million in provincial funding.

The funding is for renovations on the first and second floors.

Work on the first floor is complete, while upgrades on the second floor should be completed later this summer.

The health unit says the project is focused on making the office more accessible for both clients and staff.

Some of the work includes layout changes that will help WECHU services run more smoothly, reduce wait times, and make it easier for residents to access programs.

WECHU executive director Dr. Ken Blanchette says the money is being used on capital upgrades within the building.

“We were working with what we had in place, but the conversations when we approached the ministry, they were very open to the request,” says Blanchette. “We had some great conversations with them and went through the entire plan with them, and they came with the full ask that we had put forward for the renovations, and I’ll tell you, it’s making a huge difference even for people when they come in.”

He says the renovations are making a huge difference.

Blanchette says it feels like a true medical facility with the new look compared to what it was.

“In the past we had had clients that had to navigate through the entire four floors of the building,” says Blanchette. “So we reshuffled the staffing where we were allocated where people were and then put all the services within the first two floors for ease of accessibility, added some accessibility washrooms as well, and then also making the space more welcome.”

He says staying downtown is important for the health unit.

“For us the vast majority of the clients that would be using our services, they really reside within the downtown core of Windsor,” he says. “There’s also a very large population in downtown of Leamington as well. That’s why our facilities are strategically located there, but we do service the entire county as well.”

The health unit says the upgrades will also improve access to services such as immunizations and dental care for children and seniors.

Blanchette says the health unit leases the building and believes it hasn’t been renovated in about 40 years.

He says the health unit plans to renovate floors three and four.

Upgrades on floors one and two started in early 2025.