River Town Times
80 Richmond St., Unit #9 N9V 1E9 Amherstburg, ON, Canada

GOODFELLOWS RAISING MONEY - The AAM Goodfellows are raising money again this year through their annual newspaper sales. They will be on the streets and at area businesses until 6 p.m. tonight and back out selling newspapers Saturday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Proceeds help pay for their food basket program, with food baskets to be packed and distributed later this month.

TURKEY GIVEAWAY Courtesy of local developer Michael Dunn, a turkey giveaway will be held this Saturday (Dec. 12) at the Amherstburg Community Hub to benefit those truly in need this holiday season. People can access the line on Richmond St., near Fryer St. Contact-less delivery, volunteers will place food in vehicle. Runs from 10 a.m.-12 noon.

Environment Canada has now issued a wind warning for Essex County, Windsor and Chatham-Kent, predicting that gusts of up to 90 km/hr are possible in the region Sunday. The earlier special weather statement has ended. https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html

SCHOOLS CLOSED TO STUDENTS NEXT WEEK Schools will be closed to students next week, with students to transition to online/remote learning. The following statement was issued by Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health with the Windsor Essex County Health Unit: Due to the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in Windsor and Essex County and the evidence of ongoing community transmission, I am issuing a Section 22 order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, that requires a...ll elementary and secondary school students to transition to online/remote learning effective Monday, December 14. This order will be in place for one week from December 14 to 18, which will bring students into the school holiday break. An extension of this order may be considered based on COVID-19 epidemiological data for Windsor and Essex County. The health and safety of students and staff remains a priority for the WECHU. This action is being taken in an effort to keep our community safe and prevent further spread of COVID-19. The WECHU is working with all school boards in Windsor and Essex County to ensure that continuity of learning remains a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key elements of the order include: Schools will be closed to all students and in-person learning including before and after programs Schools will remain open for educators and staff Schools will remain open for full time day cares only Further information will be released tomorrow morning during the YouTube Live briefing at 9:30 a.m."

Environment Canada has now issued a severe thunderstorm WARNING for Windsor-Essex County. https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html

COMMUNITY HELPS "MEGAN'S MISSION" Local businesses and services recently helped "Megan's Mission," the Amherstburg Fire Department-led fundraiser for 27-year-old Megan Monk, who is battling an aggressive form of breast cancer. She is the wife of fire clerk Dan Monk. The pink fire truck was at several locations around Amherstburg last week gathering donations.

BLOOD DONOR CLINIC OCT. 21 Canadian Blood Services is hosting a mobile blood donor clinic at the Columbus Community Hall (190 Richmond St.) in Amherstburg Wednesday, October 21 from 1:30-7:30 p.m. Clinic is by appointment. To book your time, visit www.blood.ca or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

UNIFOR LOCAL 1959 WITH ANOTHER ASSIST Unifor Local 1959 gave another $1,000 holiday gift to a local service organization in Amherstburg. Local 1959 president Bill Wark (right) makes the cheque presentation to Amherstburg Community Services executive director Kathy DiBartolomeo. The proceeds will go towards ACS' general operations. ACS is now located within the Amherstburg Community Hub, located at 320 Richmond St.

PROJECT HOPE OPENS PANTRY Project HOPE Windsor-Essex worked, in conjunction with the Town of Essex and several community partners, to open a new community pantry in front of the Harrow Arena. The pantry will be open 24/7 and assist anyone in need of food. A donation bin will also be inside of the 100-square-foot structure. Project HOPE Windsor-Essex volunteers will help monitor the pantry on a regular basis.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Essex County, Windsor and Chatham-Kent. There is a possibility of thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts this afternoon. https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html

ATTENTION NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OR CHURCHES The River Town Times is bringing back our "Community Events" column. Events/programs being conducted by churches or non-profit groups can be included free of charge. Send listing to [email protected]. Please keep it to the point and give us the main details. Thanks!

Thanks to our partnership with the Marsh Historical Collection, the River Town Times has a new feature to help showcase the vast and rich history of Amherstburg! Check out "Memories of Yesterday" as part of this week's edition! If you are a business willing to sponsor this new feature, contact our sales representative Laura George at 519-736-4175 or [email protected].

Environment Canada has issued a fog advisory for Windsor-Essex County and Chatham-Kent. There could be areas of limited visibility for the next few hours. https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html

ATTENTION NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OR CHURCHES The River Town Times is bringing back our "Community Events" column. Events and programs being conducted by churches or non-profit groups in and around Amherstburg can be included free of charge. Send your event or program listing to [email protected]. Please keep it succinct. Events will be published as space permits.

Royal Canadian Legion Br. 157 held Remembrance Day services down at the cenotaph in King's Navy Yard Park in Amherstburg Nov. 11. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was shorter than usual and involved fewer people as to comply with provincial regulations. The parade that normally occurs could not happen this year, also due to the pandemic. Names of the fallen were still read aloud and two minutes of silence was observed in their honour.

Check out this week's issue of the River Town Times. Not only are we in participating retailers and newspaper boxes in Amherstburg, but we have drop-off locations in LaSalle and Essex as well!

Halloween is coming up and the Grant, Shank and Dubois households are set up for the occasion. They are also collecting canned goods for the Amherstburg Food & Fellowship Mission and the public is invited to bring their non-perishable items and place them in the bins that are also outside. The homes are lit up nightly at 440, 436 and 437 McLellan Ave. in the Kingsbridge subdivision. Hours are 7-9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 7-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

This week's edition of the River Town Times is at participating retailers and newspaper boxes around Amherstburg! Also, we have additional pick-up locations in LaSalle and Essex!

WECDSB & HEALTH UNIT ISSUE STATEMENT ON POSSIBLE COVID-19 EXPOSURE Students at Stella Maris School and St. Thomas of Villanova Secondary School have been cleared to return to school Tuesday following a dismissal Friday due to a possible COVID-19 exposure. The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board and the Windsor-Essex County HEALTH UNIT have issued the following statement: "After further investigation by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, it has been determined th...at the three cohorts of students who were dismissed from Stella Maris Catholic Elementary School and St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic High School on Friday may return to school when classes resume on Tuesday, October 13th. Based on the health unit’s direction to err on the side of caution, the students were dismissed because of an identified exposure to COVID-19. It has since been confirmed that there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among the dismissed cohorts and the students can return to school. We have informed the affected school communities via voice message and have apologized for any confusion this may have caused, but have also explained that after consulting with the health unit we felt it was in the best interest of our students and staff to dismiss those cohorts on Friday. We have asked the parents in those school communities to continue monitoring themselves and their children for symptoms of COVID-19 each morning, and to keep them home if they are ill. We will continue to work with the health unit and do everything we can to make sure that we are providing a safe and healthy learning environment for our students and staff." See more

Pick up a copy of this week's River Town Times! In addition to the pick up locations in Amherstburg (participating retailers and drop-off boxes), we also now have pick-up locations in LaSalle and Essex!

BLOOD DONOR CLINIC OCT. 21 Please be reminded of the Canadian Blood Services mobile blood donor clinic at the Columbus Community Hall (190 Richmond St.) in Amherstburg Wednesday, October 21 from 1:30-7:30 p.m. Clinic is by appointment. To book your time, visit www.blood.ca, go to the GiveBlood App or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

Happy Thanksgiving from the River Town Times! Reminder that our office is closed Monday, October 12 for the holiday but re-opens Tuesday, October 13 at 9 a.m.

The Amherstburg Fire Department held a "Megan's Mission" fundraiser Oct. 17 at Amherstburg fire station #1 in which 15 fire department members had their heads shaved and were also joined by members of the town staff and community including bylaw officer Neil Mawdsley and Councillor Marc Renaud. A pink fire truck was also unveiled and the truck will be going around the Windsor-Essex County community gathering signatures in exchange for a donation for the Monk family. Megan Monk, the 27-year-old wife of fire clerk Dan Monk, is battling cancer and proceeds will be used by the family since both are not working at the present time due to her medical situation. To donate to "Megan's Mission," visit www.bit.ly/megansmission.

BIG CREEK BRIDGE RE-OPEN Construction on the County Road 20 bridge over Big Creek has now been completed after four months. The project was paid for by the County of Essex and the bridge was re-opened to traffic last week. The county originally estimated the completion date to be in mid-September and then Oct. 16 but work wrapped up just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend. Photos submitted by Carl Gibb.

AMHERSTBURG YOUTH MAKES $1,500 DONATION TO HELP ANIMALS Amherstburg resident Emily Beauchamp raised $1,500 through sales of bracelets she made and donated the proceeds to Second Chance Animal Rescue-Windsor & Essex county. She presented the cheque to Second Chance Animal Rescue president Cherie Smith. Beauchamp is continuing to make bracelets and has colours to make them for the Halloween and Christmas seasons. People can order a bracelet by e-mailing Emily at [email protected]. If people simply want to make a donation via e-transfer, they can do so through her mother Janice’s e-mail address at [email protected].

TURKEY GIVEAWAY - Fifty free turkey dinners were distributed Thursday by Amherstburg Community Services. Users of the Amherstburg Food Bank were identified and food was given in a drive-thru format. Food collected during the June 27th Miracle was used with the turkeys themselves being purchased with monetary donation. Free smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detectors were also distributed thanks to "Project Zero," which is a partnership between the Amherstburg Fire Department and Enbridge Gas. "Project Zero" is designed to assist those in need with free smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

Thanks to our new partnership with the Marsh Historical Collection, we have launched a new feature to help showcase the vast and rich history of Amherstburg! Check out "Memories of Yesterday" as part of this week's edition! If you are a business willing to sponsor this new feature, contact our sales representative Laura George at 519-736-4175 or [email protected].

APPLE DAY 2nd Amherstburg Scouting will be out in the community at Sobeys, Home Hardware and No Frills on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for their annual Apple Day fundraiser. The Beavers, Cubs and Scouts of Amherstburg state that they appreciate the community's continuous support!

Check out this week's River Town Times! Pick up your copy at one of our many participating stores in Amherstburg or from one of our newspaper boxes around our community. We also have drop-off points in LaSalle and Essex!

The Windsor-Essex County HEALTH UNIT has identified the Walmart store in Amherstburg as a possible public exposure location for COVID-19. According to the WECHU, "the potential exposures listed on this page are considered low risk, however as a precaution the WECHU asks anyone who visited any of the locations on the identified dates to monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days from the date of exposure."

Environment Canada has issued a frost warning for Essex County, Windsor and Chatham-Kent https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html

ANOTHER BELLE VUE CLEANUP HELD Members of the Belle Vue Conservancy and local volunteers gathered at the 200-year-old Dalhousie St. mansion last Tuesday for the second fall cleanup this year. The group of volunteers was greater than the first and work was done around the exterior of the property. Other cleanups are proposed, if necessary. For more information on the Belle Vue Conservancy or to donate, visit www.bellevueconservancy.com.

BLOOD DONOR CLINIC OCT. 21 Canadian Blood Services is hosting a mobile blood donor clinic at the Columbus Community Hall (190 Richmond St.) in Amherstburg Wednesday, October 21 from 1:30-7:30 p.m. Clinic is by appointment. To book your time, visit www.blood.ca or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

PROJECT HOPE OPENS PANTRY Project HOPE Windsor-Essex worked, in conjunction with the Town of Essex and several community partners, to open a new community pantry in front of the Harrow Arena. The pantry will be open 24/7 and assist anyone in need of food. A donation bin will also be inside of the 100-square-foot structure. Project HOPE Windsor-Essex volunteers will help monitor the pantry on a regular basis.

SERVICE ONTARIO RE-OPENED The Service Ontario office in Amherstburg has reopened. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. They are closed Thursday and weekends. They were closed to the public since June 30. The office is located in the Heritage Square plaza, located at 80 Richmond St. However, people are asked to visit a Service Ontario location only if it is absolutely necessary.