Those controversial alley lights are coming to downtown Windsor

Residents who were passionately advocating for a safer downtown got their wish for alley lights.

Ward 3 Coun. Rino Bortolin's motion to install three new alley lights was passed by the rest of council Monday night, after a deluge of residents addressed the issue. He has previously criticized council for not funding downtown alley lights — comments that landed him in trouble with the City's integrity's commissioner.

"Give us our alley lights and you might make the greatest improvement to downtown that you've ever made," said Glengarry resident Mary Lajeunesse at Monday's council meeting.

"We've been asking for it for so long — please don't back down, give it to us."

And give it to them council did, as it unanimously approved the motion to a cheering crowd.

The new alley lights will be installed between Victoria and Dougall avenues, just south of Wyandotte Street. 

Bortolin thanked the residents for fighting so fiercely for their lights, saying he was "ecstatic" the motion passed. 

The approval came on the same night Bortolin apologized to council for comments he made to the Windsor Star back in October when talking about council's decision to spend $750,000 to refurbish a 99-year-old trolley.