There are about 851 households experiencing homelessness in Windsor-Essex, and according to researcher Jennifer Bondy, that number is unlikely to decrease without proper access to health care.

The region experienced a 27 per cent increase in its homeless population between 2018 and 2021. But it’s not a trend unique to the area; many jurisdictions are facing the same issue.

To address the health care needs of this growing population, Dr. Bondy, an adjunct professor in family medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, led a research project funded by a WE-Spark Igniting Discovery grant. The project, “Understanding the Landscape for a Shelter Health Initiative,” brought together community partners to conduct a needs assessment study.

“These are all professionals working in the field, each with their own focus, and I wanted to bring them together. When WE-Spark announced the think tanks, I saw an opportunity to create a research team,” Bondy said. “The idea was to gather people from different sectors to collaborate, think ahead, and plan programs. Then we would have an embedded research team for continuous quality improvement, ensuring that what we offer truly meets the needs of the community we serve.”

She said step one was speaking to frontline workers and getting their perspective on what they would like to see to better help their clients.

“Overwhelmingly, they said they would like to see health-care services on-site at shelters,” Bondy said.

She explained a large reason for that response is there are known barriers to accessing care for those experiencing homelessness. Bondy said there is evidence to suggest that much of that population has experienced stigma when trying to receive health care, which may result in a mistrust of the system and reluctance to visit doctors’ offices or emergency rooms.

“Having something on-site, where we meet them in their environment instead of expecting them to come to us, is helpful for them. However, other barriers were identified, such as limited transportation. While the city isn’t geographically large, a lack of access to a car or bus, money for a taxi, or even a bike being stolen can make it very difficult to get around,” Bondy said.

Care services requested at shelters included harm reduction, wound care, counselling and primary care for issues such as coughs, colds, injuries and blood pressure checks.

“Finally, we learned that while frontline workers find it relatively easy to navigate social services, they struggle more with health care referrals,” Bondy noted. “This is where we can help as health-care providers. By being on-site, we can better understand the barriers faced by both clients and workers and work to reduce these obstacles to improve follow-up care.”

Bondy said the research team sought funding from various sources to implement their findings. After partnering with the Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor-Essex for primary care team funding, they secured additional funding to hire more medical professionals for the shelter system.

“We’ll have six physicians working part-time within the system, and we have three full-time nurses and more people being onboarded every day,” she said. “So, there’s been an explosion in the capacity to provide care since the survey was done.”

According to the By-Names Priority List compiled by social service providers in Windsor, there are 851 households currently experiencing homelessness, 527 of which are experiencing chronic homelessness, meaning they have been homeless for at least six months out of the last year, Bondy explained.

She cited several factors contributing to homelessness, including the impacts of COVID-19, job losses, housing affordability, inflation, abusive home situations, and poor health.

“If people are in poor health, and if they have a health issue that doesn’t allow them to work, they’re not going to be able to afford many things. Poor health can therefore lead to homelessness, and homelessness also leads to poorer health outcomes. So, it’s this terrible cycle for people that ends up being hard to get out of,” Bondy said.

“That’s why we say housing is health care.”

Students are now developing a manuscript from the project, which will serve as a baseline for creating and supporting programs to improve health care access. Additional research is ongoing to inform local and broader health responses to homelessness.

When Mike O'Neil (MHK 1993, BEd 1994) ran off the football field after a Lancer game 35 years ago, one woman in the crowd caught his eye with a captivating smile he would never forget.

Fast forward to Saturday, Sept. 21, when the Lancers hosted the Ottawa Gee-Gees. O’Neil had a special surprise planned for that same woman, Michele Daignault (BEd 1995).

At the time, Daignault attended Western University, a rival school during O’Neil’s football days. Despite attending different schools, the two had mutual friends, and eventually, their paths crossed again. As O’Neil put it, “The rest was history.”

O’Neil carefully orchestrated the day. They would attend the football game, but to keep his plans under wraps, he told Daignault he and his classmates would be honoured on the field at halftime.

Standing at centre field, Coach John Purcell took the mic to introduce O’Neil, who then got down on one knee and proposed to Daignault.

“She didn’t have a clue,” he laughed. “She even grabbed the ring to pass to me, thinking it was a token of appreciation for me.”

Among those witnessing the special moment were many of O’Neil’s former teammates, their family, friends and colleagues.

Daignault was overwhelmed by the surprise and the effort put into making her day so memorable.

“I couldn’t believe everyone was there for me,” she said, tears of joy in her eyes.

Reflecting on the day, O’Neil said the lead-up to the proposal was “very overwhelming” and expressed his gratitude to UWindsor, his family, friends, past teammates and coaches who helped make the moment possible.

“It was a full-circle moment to propose at the place I first saw her,” he said.

When asked what he would say to the young football player running off the field, knowing he would one day propose to the girl with the smile, he laughed and replied, “Good for you, lucky you!”

The Special Constable Service invites members of the campus community to join in a survey of fixtures to make sure UWindsor grounds are safe for staff, faculty, students, and visitors.

The annual lighting survey involves touring the campus and observing building perimeter lights, foliage, and emergency alert poles.

The Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Reports are essential to create a feeling of safety on campus, says staff sergeant Michelle Farrah-Nohra.

“Although there are many safety features in place, we are constantly assessing natural surveillance, target hardening, access control, and much more,” she says. “We take great pride in the safety features that exist on campus, however there is always the potential to improve.”

The survey is conducted in two phases: main campus at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3; and the downtown campus at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17.

Volunteers will receive refreshments and snacks. To sign up, email Farrah-Nohra at fara@uwindsor.ca.

Organizers of the annual Campus-Wide Treat Trail invite UWindsor offices to put themselves on the map and get candy ready for Halloween trick-or-treaters.

Sandra Riccio-Muglia, director of events for the Student Centre, says the Oct. 31 event is fun and informative for participants: “This is our eighth year hosting this event and it’s always a treat!”

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., trick-or-treaters enjoy this twist on a childhood activity, following a map of participating departments to visit stops and collect their booty.

“We welcome departments to dress up, theme their areas, and promote their departments and areas,” says Riccio-Muglia. “It’s a wonderful chance to educate students about the services available to them as they access our offices, often for the first time.”

To claim a place on the treat trail, contact Riccio-Muglia by Oct. 18 at smuglia@uwindsor.ca with department name, building, room number, and an individual contact.

Edward Cruz began a five-year appointment as associate dean for undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Nursing effective July 1.

Dr. Cruz has been a faculty member at the University of Windsor since 2018 and was granted tenure and promotion to associate professor in July 2023.

Cruz is internationally-educated, having received his education in Canada, the Philippines, and Japan. In Canada, he has worked in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and Southwestern Ontario; he brings nearly 20 years of experience in the field of nursing.

Prior to joining University of Windsor, Cruz held teaching, curriculum development, and leadership positions at Centennial College in Toronto, including:

• acting chair – Child and Family Studies
• program co-ordinator – Internationally Educated Nurse Bridging Programs and Health Foundations; RPN to BScN Bridging to University Nursing
• full-time college faculty – practical nursing, IEN bridging, RPN to BScN, and BScN programs
• member and co-chair – Research Ethics Board

Most recently, Cruz received the national Golden Balangay Educator of the Year Award, which celebrates the success and contributions of an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and active Filipino Canadian educator. The award highlights commitment to inspiring and empowering students to achieve their academic and social potential, while making significant contributions to their local community.

“Dr. Cruz makes all of us at the Faculty of Nursing Windsor proud,” says dean of nursing Debbie Sheppard-LeMoine. “We are excited to welcome his leadership impact on our undergraduate program, students, and faculty team.”

Cruz’s core research centres around social care, health human resources, interprofessional collaboration, and nursing education. He advocates for improved education and career transitioning initiatives that promotes positive experiences and enhanced quality of life for internationally educated nurses.

He envisions an undergraduate program that fosters excellence by graduating resilient nursing professionals equipped to address health, social justice, and equity issues locally and globally.

Cruz expresses gratitude for the support of and mentorship from Susan Fox, who completed her second term as associate dean.

An Alzheimer’s disease awareness group has awarded two UWindsor research labs a total of $5,000 to advance their work.

The group Precious Memories hosted its 11th annual Alzheimer’s awareness event called Friends Supporting Friends on Sunday, Sept. 8, to raise funds for the Alzheimer Society of Windsor & Essex County.

The event also supports research and demonstrated that with the donation to professors Siyaram Pandey of chemistry and biochemistry and Anthony Bain of kinesiology. Dr. Pandey’s lab feeds mice natural extracts to slow down the progression of the disease. Dr. Bain’s laser research treats Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Gino Lomazzo is the chair and lead organizer of the event, which he created after his mother lost her battle with the disease.

“Precious Memories is about friends getting together to share their experiences and challenges about Alzheimer’s,” says Lomazzo. “We are all so grateful for our grandparent and parents, their struggles have given us the lives we live today.”

He says this year’s focus was local research, as it is the only way forward.

“I pray to God we have a cure soon; it is all about research,” he says.

Over the years the annual event has raised approximately $90,000. The 2024 Precious Memories event raised $9,000 with $5,000 going to the UWindsor labs and $4,000 going to the Alzheimer Society of Windsor-Essex.

A new format for DailyNews, the University’s e-newsletter, is intended to better serve readers as well as the institution.

“The focus of the redesign is on creating a user-friendly, dynamic format that aligns with the University’s strategic priorities and highlights its achievements,” says Dylan Kristy, strategic communications manager in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications.

The new format, which will roll out Wednesday, Oct. 2, will structure content into several categories:

• Feature articles highlighting major university initiatives, high-impact research, and projects with significant community or academic influence. This section will have prominent original photography, with stories that align with strategic priorities like innovation, equity, and sustainability.

• Secondary news articles identified as supporting such areas as Athletics, Campus & Community, and Research. These stories will have smaller photos and concise, engaging headlines and excerpts.

• Briefs and events providing quick updates that don’t require strong visuals, including internal news, policy changes, and project progress. The events section will promote significant upcoming activities and encourage using the University events calendar instead of DailyNews to promote them.

In addition, Kristy says, the design will incorporate the flexibility to include media coverage related to the University, faculty or staff achievements, and innovative student projects.

“These additional features will ensure that the newsletter remains dynamic and responsive to current events,” he says. “We want to make DailyNews relevant to current readers and expand its reach both on campus and in the broader community.”

With an increase in Ontario’s minimum wage to $17.20 per hour effective Oct. 1, Jody Fraser, associate vice-president, human resources, has issued a reminder to departments and faculties to ensure the new rate is reflected on all timecards.

The hourly rates for student staff working within a faculty or department that has adopted the online version of the Authorization to Hire a Student will be automatically updated to the new rate.

Direct questions to Brittany Rife, manager of total compensation and workforce planning, at brife@uwindsor.ca.