Business View Magazine | December 2020

295 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 LASALLE , ONTAR IO a varied assortment of wares. The town is close to St. Clair College and the University of Windsor, and with a network of trail systems, parks, and waterfront amenities, LaSalle continues to ensure all aspects of life are respected and fostered. “We really have created that walkable area for our community,” shares Mayor Marc Bondy. “We do hear from some of our consultants that what we have created in our area is something to be proud of and folks are very envious of us.” LaSalle is a watchful steward of its natural landscape and bordering waters, so quality of life and connectivity to the land are always at the forefront when it comes to planning for the future. CAO Joe Milicia explains, “About two years ago our council had authorized the acquisition of property along the waterfront to augment our existing holdings, and it is almost at the completion phase. We’re in the design stage at this point. The project is between $45 million and $50 million dollars of investment that we’re making down at the waterfront that is going to expand our existing holdings from about 25 acres up to 65 acres.” The waterfront project is the community’s pride and joy. Mayor Bondy enthuses, “It will include a new boat launch and some sort of marina, some buildings, a park, a play water feature, and waterfront shoreline protection. I would say that it will be green as well because we are going to have some solar panels in there for lighting and signage. And it will be environmentally friendly because we are dealing with the Essex Region Conservation Authority; we’ll be working hand-in-hand with them on how we can protect the shoreline and maybe put some fishing activities in place.” A portion of marina that was included in the purchase will be repurposed into a large event centre, and a heritage home on the property will be used in a heritage or museum capacity. In addition to shoreline protection, flood prevention measures will also be undertaken. Milicia notes, “The site is quite unique in the