WINDSOR, Ont. — The city of Windsor’s economic health is in serious trouble, says the respected Canadian automotive industry expert Dennis DesRosiers.

DesRosiers — founder of market research and industry forecasting firm DesRosiers Automotive Consultants — repeated the claim several times in a speech at the Export Development Corporation Tooling Conference on the Canadian side of North America’s busiest border point.

In the speech — the text of which was obtained by WindsorCityBlog.com, a website operated by Windsor resident and community activist Ed Arditti — the outspoken DesRosiers blasted Windsor’s elected officials and mayor for, in his words, lack of leadership and for policies that he says are driving business away from the city. He added that his hometown of Windsor would soon cease to be an automotive sector powerhouse if reforms aren’t made soon.

“Windsor’s automotive sector is in serious trouble your suppliers are in trouble, your OEMs have very serious issues to resolve, your tool sector is in trouble and the ordinary citizen walking down the street is in trouble,” he said. “This City’s automotive sector is in trouble and when the automotive sector is in trouble, Windsor is in serious trouble.

“I’m also very concerned because I also cannot identify any champion for Windsor,” he continued. “(The city) desperately needs leadership, someone who will put this region ahead of political gamesmanship. Unfortunately, I do not see this leadership coming from City Hall and I don’t see this leadership coming from someone in local industry.”

DesRosiers made several key criticisms. Among them:

What he says is a refusal to acknowledge that Windsor’s reputation as a stronghold for organized labour is impacting the new reality of the auto sector — “strong growth in non-union jobs and heavy declines in union jobs.” He warned that the “unions must re-invent themselves and find a way to add value to the automotive sector or face extinction.”

DesRosiers also urged the city to scrap what he called its “foolish and selfish ‘no trucks’ bylaw” on EC Row and to extend Lauzon Parkway. “Help me understand why investors would come to Windsor where a sign states: ‘no trucks on our expressway’. This is one of most anti-auto things Windsor could possibly do; make no mistake — it is hurting investment opportunities in this City.

“Just for a moment pretend you want automotive investments. The automotive industry across Ontario needs access to EC Row and, yes, that means trucks on EC Row — get over it. They will not invest in Windsor until this happens. This is the first and easiest step.”

Not yet finished, DesRosiers also questioned the city’s decision to spend money on a report by NY City traffic consultant Sam Schwartz, who recommended a 8 km ring road be built so trucks could bypass Huron Church Rd. en route to a new border crossing that Schwartz suggested should be build 3k southwest of the current Ambassador Bridge.

“Why has City Council wasted millions of dollars on the Schwartz ring road to nowhere while your automotive sector has been crumbling around them? Talk about fiddling while Rome burns,” he said.

However, the Schwartz Report has received support from various other interests beyond the city of Windsor, including some automakers. “We applaud the report by Sam Schwartz,” Canadian Automotive Partnership Council chair and DaimlerChrysler Canada President Mark Norman said earlier this year. “The recommendations will allow the Let’s Get Windsor/Essex Moving Strategy to move to Phase II with improvements to major traffic arteries.”

The Ontario Trucking Association has applauded most of Schwartz’ recommendations, but hasn’t officially backed any proposal. Instead, the OTA is lobbying for a speedy decision in regards to all infrastructure improvement plans. “The two options that have been proposed — the by-pass proposed by the Schwartz Report and improving EC Row Expressway — both present challenges or objections that the three levels of government have not been able to overcome,” the OTA stated.