Chamber leader enters mayor’s race in Windsor
Windsor’s mayoral campaign will be a true battle when chamber of commerce president and CEO Matt Marchand formally announces Tuesday he is entering the race for the top job in municipal politics.
“I am born and raised here, my family has been here for generations,” Marchand told the Windsor Star. “My adult life has been spent working to make this community better.
“I see unlimited potential, but the only way to achieve that is to work together. I am the person to do that.”
Marchand, 50, has been in a high-profile role as president and CEO for the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce since March 2012. He served for two years as a board member prior to that.
Starting in 2004, he served as director of government affairs for eight years with the Continental Rail Gateway — a group pushing to get a new Windsor-Detroit rail tunnel.
Before that, Marchand cut his teeth in municipal politics for a dozen years as a key staffer and top adviser throughout the fourterm tenure of former mayor Mike Hurst, between 1991 and 2003. “Based on my 12 years of experience in the mayor’s office, combined with my time at the chamber, I understand how business needs to work well with labour,” he said. “I understand you need the community working together to get results. “You have seen that through my work at the chamber. The only way we can achieve our potential is by everyone working together.”
Marchand in his chamber role has been an outspoken advocate for both the Windsor area and across Ontario to remove cap and trade, get hydro rates under control, secure single-event sports betting, develop a provincial auto strategy and improve educational training opportunities to match available job vacancies locally — especially in the skills trades sector. Three other candidates — Ernie Lamont, Tom Hensel and Frank Dyck — to date have filed to run for mayor in Windsor, but none match Marchand’s resume in terms of community and political background.
Mayor Drew Dilkens has not yet announced whether he will seek re-election and a second term after winning the last election in 2014 by a substantial number of votes over downtown businessman Larry Horwitz.
But there has been every indication Dilkens will soon launch his own campaign to retain the mayor’s job. Marchand said his decision to run for mayor has little to do with whether or not Dilkens runs. “This is not about anyone in particular — it’s about fresh ideas and new approaches,” Marchand said. “There is a strong interest (in the community) for an outsider who has a successive track record of working corroboratively with business, labour and community groups.” Marchand was to file his nomination papers at city hall first thing on Tuesday morning. He scheduled a 10 a.m. event at Charles Clark Square to formally announce his candidacy for mayor. Several community leaders are expecting to be on hand to support Marchand’s pursuit of the mayor’s job, including local labour leader Dino Chiodo. “Personally, I believe Matt is a good choice because he has proven time and again he can work well with business and labour,” said Chiodo, national auto director for Unifor, former local labour council president and Unifor Local 444 president.
He knows the intricacies of municipal politics based on working in the mayor’s office, so I feel he is an excellent candidate.
“He listens to people’s concerns and tries to come up with solutions. He is not one-sided, so for that reason I think he would be a great choice for mayor.” Chiodo has worked closely alongside Marchand on several issues to develop local strategies that include the North American Free Trade Agreement, the auto sector and steel tariffs. “Nobody is 100 per cent perfect, but based on how I have watched Matt working with business and labour I know his door would always be open to help things move forward,” Chiodo said. “I think he has the right leadership qualities to take on this challenge.
“He brings business and labour together to find common ground. He knows the intricacies of municipal politics based on working in the mayor’s office, so I feel he is an excellent candidate.” Marchand grew up in the Jackson Park area where he attended Victoria Public School and Kennedy Collegiate.
He graduated from the University of Windsor in business administration with an honours bachelor of commerce in 1990. He then received his graduate degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1991. Marchand resides with longtime partner Charlotte Loaring, who operates Loaring Physiotherapy.