Healthy Communities, Informed Choices: Municipal Elections 2026
Elections are a time to think about the issues that shape our communities. Public health topics like substance use, food security, emergency preparedness, personal safety, and mental health all play a role in the health of Windsor-Essex County. Learning more about these issues can help residents feel informed as they consider their choices.
Get Informed. Ask Questions. Make Your Voice Count.
Over the course of the election, residents will have chances to ask candidates about their priorities. Public health factors have a place in those conversations! To feel prepared to bring these topics forward, click on each to learn more:
Substance Use
Substance use is a local issue that shows up in neighbourhoods, parks, businesses, schools, housing services, emergency departments, and community safety discussions. Alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, cannabis, opioids, cocaine, and other substances can contribute to preventable illness, injury, addiction, and death. Municipal councils can work with public health to help lower risk, strengthen prevention, and support healthier communities.
The Impact
Substance-related harms put pressure on hospitals, paramedics, police, housing and homelessness services, public spaces, local businesses, and families. In Ontario, substance use contributed to more than $18 billion in health, social, and economic costs in 2020. Locally, substance-related emergency department visits remain a concern. In 2025, alcohol accounted for the highest rate of visits at 422.70 per 100,000 population, followed by cannabis, cocaine, and opioids, each at approximately 70 per 100,000 population.
- How do you plan to use local alcohol policies, licensing practices, and event regulations to reduce harm and protect community well-being, particularly as alcohol availability continues to expand?
- How do you plan to build substance use prevention into housing, community safety, recreation, youth engagement, mental health, and neighbourhood planning?
- Do you plan on investing in things that help prevent substance-related harms, including safe and welcoming public spaces, inclusive recreation, positive youth development?
- Do you plan on partnering with people who have lived and living experience to help guide future work in substance prevention?
Emergency Preparedness
Emergency preparedness is essential to protecting community health and essential services from a wide range of evolving hazards. Emergencies such as infectious disease outbreaks, extreme weather, hazardous materials incidents, infrastructure failures, and cyber disruptions put a strain on many community organizations and services. Municipalities can help reduce risks through planning, timely communication, and supporting recovery for their communities.
The impact
Emergencies can disrupt health care, schools, workplaces, municipal operations, community services, and daily life. In 2025, Windsor and Essex County reported 3,363 Diseases of Public Health Significance cases and 152 confirmed outbreaks. Tuberculosis (TB) activity has also increased, with active TB cases rising from 10 in 2023 to 18 in 2025, and latent TB infections increasing from 291 to 368 cases. The region also experienced 150 measles cases, showing the importance of planning for emergencies such as disease outbreaks.
- In the case of an emergency, what is your plan for communication to the community, transportation, and continuity of critical supports?
- Do you have any plans to increase or further enhance local access to cooling or warming stations? How do plan to let the community know about these stations?
- Do you work with other partners like public health, health care, emergency services, and other municipalities around their emergency plans to make sure everyone is working together?
Child and Youth Mental Health and Well-Being
Children and youth mental health concerns can affect learning, relationships, employment opportunities, and long-term well-being. Approximately 70% of mental health conditions begin during childhood or adolescence, making prevention and early intervention critical. Excessive screen use, inadequate sleep, and low physical activity can also contribute to poor mental health outcomes.
The Impact
Local data show substantial mental health challenges among students in Windsor-Essex County. In 2023, only 35.3% of students in Grades 7 to 12 rated their emotional health as excellent or very good; among female students, the proportion was 20.4%. Nearly one in four students (22.4%) reported experiencing more stress than they could handle, with 15% of students reporting self-harm.
- Can you tell me about the affordable recreation options in our area for children, youth, and families?
- Do you have plans to work on new or existing parks, trails, libraries, community centres, and public spaces to support the well-being of children and youth?
- How do you plan to improve access to municipal programs and services for all members of our community? Have you identified the financial, geographic, accessibility, and transportation barriers that some individuals may face?
Food Insecurity
Reliable and affordable access to basic needs support good health, while insecurity can cause harm. Household food insecurity refers to the inability to consistently afford or access adequate food. Those facing food insecurity may worry about running out of food before being able to buy more, not being able to afford balanced meals, or having to make decisions between buying food and paying for other basic needs such as housing or heating.
The Impact
Household food insecurity (HFI) now affects 1 in 4 households in Windsor-Essex. Difficulty securing adequate food can cause chronic stress, reduce diet quality, strain relationships, worsen health, and compromise children’s development.
- What is your stance on building more affordable housing in our area? Do you think the housing options available are supportive for the average family?
- What supports can be offered to increase access to government benefits?
- Do you have plans on how to support existing food access programs?
Intimate Partner Violence
Safe communities support good health, while exclusion and exposure to harmful situations can have long-lasting negative impacts on health. Intimate partner violence refers to the physical, sexual, psychological, or financial harm caused by a current or former intimate partner and is a growing concern in our community.
The Impact
Locally and nationally, rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and youth relationship violence are increasing. Experiencing IPV or relationship violence can increase the risk of mental health concerns, substance use, eating disorders, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs), and unintended pregnancy. Youth who experience relationship violence are also at greater risk of experiencing IPV later in life.
- Do you have any plans on ways to help lower or prevent intimate partner violence in our community?
- Do you have connections with other organizations who work to support those who have experienced IPV, or work to prevent it?
- What is your stance on creating or improving access to services for people experiencing IPV?