Passionate plea for a fix to Windsor's transit troubles highlights Ward 1 debate

A passionate plea for answers from an international student at St. Clair College opened the floor to debate on the transit troubles for Windsor's Ward 1.

Thecandidates four of five debated in front of a live audience at event hosted by the Club ofWindsor-RoselandYoung Rotary Leaders at St. Clair College Wednesday night.

Incumbent Fred Francis,DarcieRenaud,WiquarHusainandKrystaGlovasky-Ridsdaleattended. Matthew Ford was not there.

The St. Clair College student wanted to know what candidates would do to offer relief to students and Windsor Transit riders expecting more out of the city's busing service.

One solution could be a dedicated bus service for St. Clair College students, Husain suggested.

"It cannot go for all the duration, throughout the day but it could go from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.," he said, who added he's heard about this issue from students while on the campaign trail.

'Breakdown in communication'

DarcieRenaudbelieves the issue comes down to bad communication between the City of Windsor and St. Clair College.

"They simply have not prepared for it because they weren't aware," said Renaud, who said more buses are needed to relieve the pressure on the system.

"There was a breakdown in communication from what I understand and I don't think it's acceptable."

Francis, the incumbent, responded that the current council has spent tens of millions of dollars on the Windsor transit system.

"Along with purchasing 24 new buses, we kept some of the buses we were going to discontinue in service to deal with higher demand," said Francis, who insisted that Transit Windsor and St. Clair College are in communication now.

'Heart-wrenching'

Glovasky-Ridsdale said she shares the same concerns about transit issues that the student raised.

She also spoke earlier that night about other concerns she'sheard frominternational students.

Some students told her thatthrough miscommunications on both the studentand school side, some are having a hard time accessing affordable food.

"To have to tell your parents that you have to go to a food bank? It's heart-wrenching for me," said Glovasky Ridsdale.

"We've invited these people to our city and to have them come here and make them feel completely unwelcome when they don't have the services they need, it's something we need to work on," she said.

Candidates also touchedon issues such as taxes, addiction and homelessness and city budgets.

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The discussion took place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Student Life Centre on college campus.

Tap the player below to watch the debate, which was moderatedby CBC's Jonathan Pinto.