What should Lakeshore look like tomorrow? New project wants your input

Municipality of Lakeshore sign. (Source: Alex Denonville)

The Municipality of Lakeshore and the University of Windsor’s Centre for Cities (C4C) have launched a new initiative aimed at shaping the future of the fast-growing community.

Dubbed Horizons, the project kicks off with a series of public information sessions this month, designed to engage residents in conversations about development, housing, and sustainability.

The initiative comes as Lakeshore continues to experience rapid growth — the population rose by more than 10 per cent between 2016 and 2021 — prompting a closer look at how the municipality can manage expansion while preserving local values.

“This is the start of a transformative project,” explained Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey. “The development of a new vision for the future of Lakeshore’s communities that prioritizes thoughtful, long-term planning, sustainability, and meaningful resident engagement.”

“This approach will ensure that our communities, from Lighthouse Cove to Woodslee, Comber to Puce, reflect their unique identities and visions,” Bailey said. “This project will also happen alongside our significant infrastructure work, particularly in our water and wastewater systems, so we can maximize the value of those investments for the benefit of taxpayers.”

The sessions are part of a broader partnership between Lakeshore and the Centre for Cities at the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law. Through Horizons, the municipality plans to develop new planning strategies and implement key elements of its Housing Accelerator Fund.

The public is invited to attend one of three information sessions, all held at the Atlas Tube Recreation Centre in Belle River:

• Monday, June 16 from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 18 from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, June 19 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Each session will include interactive discussions on themes such as creating walkable neighbourhoods, balancing economic growth with environmental protection, and preserving farmland and natural areas.

Anneke Smit, director of the C4C, said the project will help ensure that future development in Lakeshore reflects what matters most to residents.

“Horizons is about engaging the community directly in conversation on social, economic and environmental priorities, while ensuring that growth reflects what Lakeshore residents value most” said Smit.

The Horizons project is supported by a formal memorandum of understanding between the university and the municipality — the first three-year project under the new partnership.

Officials say Lakeshore is currently the fastest-growing municipality in the Windsor-Essex region, noting planning decisions made now will have lasting effects on everything from infrastructure to quality of life.