Since the start of the Community Benefits plan, the Gordie Howe International Bridge project team has recognized community safety as a priority area for funding, with $3.8 million invested to date. A new initiative is being added to the Plan that will help users of the bridge as well as visitors to Windsor’s riverfront.
The Lifeline Windsor Project offers assistance to people in distress by providing evidence-based suicide prevention measures. Delivery partners include the Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor-Essex County Branch (CMHA-WECB), Windsor Police Services, the City of Windsor, Port Windsor and the University of Windsor.
The initiative includes a blend of tactics located along the Windsor waterfront and also on the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Crisis intervention signage will be installed at both locations, offering compassionate messages with information connecting to local and national crisis supports.
Along the waterfront, location markers and enhanced life buoy systems will be installed at strategic locations. The numbered and mapped location markers will provide first responders with exact coordinates along the waterfront, allowing swift intervention should a crisis occur.
The signs on the Gordie Howe International Bridge complement other safety measures that are already installed, including 12-foot high means restriction fencing on both sides of the bridge to prevent people from climbing over, emergency call stations where people can request assistance, security cameras and lighting, and barriers that separate the bridge’s multi-use path and the vehicle lanes.
“The project team is proud to provide the funding for the Windsor Lifeline Project,” said Heather Grondin, Chief Relations Officer, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. “By working together, we can make a difference, especially in moments where kindness and compassion are needed the most.”
