Warden McNamara welcomed the members of County Council, Administration and members of the public and delivered the following greeting:
"As we begin this evening’s meeting our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine. We are shocked, saddened and horrified at the unprovoked Russian invasion of their country.
We stand behind our federal and provincial governments in their condemnation of this large-scale military aggression. We also back Canadian actions to support Ukraine in any way we can.
Residents of our region, who have family in Ukraine and who have roots there, are directly affected by this tragic situation. They are hurting and scared for their loved ones. They are calling on us all to stand with them and stand up for Ukraine.
As a sign of solidarity with the brave people of Ukraine, the County of Essex is shining yellow and blue lights on the exterior of the Civic Centre. Let’s all show them our continued support.
While we condemn the Russian leadership’s actions, we do not condemn the Russian people. They too are suffering because of this senseless act of war.
This attack on Ukraine has awoken us to the need to defend the sovereignty and freedom of democratic states – as imperfect as they may be. Today, we are all Ukrainian.
On a more hopeful note, next week we will celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women in our region and around the world.
Tuesday, March 8, is International Women’s Day – a day that has been marked for over a century.
Women have made great strides in breaking down barriers and levelling the playing field for all over the last one hundred years. But there is more to be done.
Sadly, bias still prevents many women from moving ahead and being treated equitably.
“Break the Bias” is the theme of International Women’s Day this year. I encourage residents to make a difference for women on March 8 by celebrating their achievements, raising awareness about women’s equality and supporting female-focused charities.
Let’s “Break the Bias” on International Women’s Day.
I want to close by giving a shout-out to our County of Essex information technology and GIS team.
They are among the finalists in the WEtech Alliance Tech Awards category for Tech Team of the Year.
This small and mighty group works tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure all operations at the County of Essex run smoothly 24 hours day, seven days a week.
They have been integral in moving services online during COVID-19 so that residents could reach us and get the help they need. The services they support include road maintenance, Essex-Windsor EMS and Sun Parlor Home.
The winner of the Tech Team of the Year award will be announced during the fifth annual TeCK Week YQG, which takes place from March 21 to March 27.
TeCK Week and the Tech Awards do an outstanding job of shining a spotlight on Essex County and Windsor’s strong technology sector.
Thank you to the WEtech Alliance and the region’s entire tech sector for all you do to make us better, stronger and smarter."