By: Saeed Akhtar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
The newly enhanced Comber War Memorial was the centerpiece of this year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies, marking the completion of a project funded through the Community Support Agreement (CSA) between the Municipality of Lakeshore and Hydro One.
The enhancements include landscaping, new lighting, signage, four standard benches, four custom-made poppy benches, and new concrete throughout the site. This project is among the first to be completed under the CSA.
“While Remembrance Day serves as an annual reminder of the important role Canadian veterans played in our country’s history, this project will help to commemorate their sacrifices on a year-round basis for residents in Comber and throughout Lakeshore,” said Mayor Tracey Bailey.
Sonny Karunakaran, Vice President of Strategic Projects and Partnerships at Hydro One, emphasized the company’s commitment to community development. “Hydro One invests in projects that foster vibrancy, wellbeing and growth in communities like the Municipality of Lakeshore where we live and work. As the southwest grows, we’ll continue to build partnerships whenever we build infrastructure that supports a clean and sustainable future,” he said.
The Community Support Agreement, approved by Lakeshore Council on August 15, 2023, is part of Hydro One’s broader effort to support community projects while developing critical energy infrastructure in the region. Hydro One began construction in spring 2023 on a new double-circuit 230-kilovolt transmission line connecting the Chatham Switching Station in Chatham-Kent to the Lakeshore Switching Station to meet the region’s growing demand for electricity.
Additional infrastructure projects planned in the Municipality of Lakeshore include the Longwood to Lakeshore Line, a 500-kilovolt transmission line spanning approximately 120 kilometres; the Windsor to Lakeshore Line, a 230-kilovolt transmission line connecting the Windsor area to the Lakeshore Transformer Station; and Phase Two of the Longwood to Lakeshore Line, which will involve another 500-kilovolt line over the same route.
Further announcements regarding projects supported by the Hydro One Community Support Agreement are expected in the coming months.
