About Windsor

Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, although administratively separated from the county government. Windsor is located south of Detroit, is separated from that city by the Detroit River, and has views of the Detroit skyline. Windsor is known as The City of Roses and residents are known as Windsorites.

History

The City of Windsor was the site of the Battle of Windsor during the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837, and was also a part of the Patriot War, later that year.

Windsor was established as a village in 1854 (the same year the village was connected to the rest of Canada by the Grand Trunk Railway/Canadian National Railway), then became a town in 1858, and ultimately gained city status in 1892.

A fire consumed much of Windsor’s downtown core on October 12, 1871, destroying over 100 buildings.

On October 25, 1960, a massive gas explosion destroyed the building housing the Metropolitan Store on Ouellette Avenue. Ten people were killed and at least one hundred injured. The 45th anniversary of the event was commemorated by the Windsor Star on October 25, 2005 and later re-enacted on History Television’s Disasters of the Century.

Economy

Windsor’s economy is primarily based on manufacturing, tourism, education, and government services. It is one of Canada’s major automobile manufacturing centres and is often referred to as the Automotive Capital of Canada. However, plant closures and significant job losses in recent years have significantly impacted Windsor’s manufacturing industry. The city is home to the headquarters of Chrysler Canada. Automotive factories include the Chrysler minivan assembly plant, a Ford Motor Company engine plant, a General Motors transmission plant (scheduled to close in June, 2010), and a number of smaller tool and die and automotive parts manufacturers.

Windsor has a well-established tourism industry. Caesars Windsor (formerly Casino Windsor) ranks as one of the largest local employers and has been a major draw for U.S. visitors since its opening in 1994. The city also boasts an extensive riverfront parks system and fine restaurants such as those on Erie Street in Windsor’s Little Italy, another popular tourist destination. Additionally, the Lake Erie North Shore Wine Region in Essex County has enhanced tourism in the region. Caesars is also the largest casino in Canada.

Both the University of Windsor and St. Clair College are significant local employers and have enjoyed substantial growth and expansion in recent years. The recent addition of a full-program satellite medical school of the University of Western Ontario which opened in 2008 at the University of Windsor is further enhancing the region’s economy and the status of the university.

The city’s diversifying economy is also represented by companies involved in pharmaceuticals, insurance, internet and software. Windsor is also home to the Windsor Salt Mine and the Great Lakes Regional office of the International Joint Commission.

Education

Windsor is home to the University of Windsor, which is Canada’s southernmost university. It is a research oriented, comprehensive university with a student population of over 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students. The university is just east of the Ambassador Bridge, south of the Detroit River. Windsor is also home to St. Clair College with a student population of 6500 full-time students. Its main campus is in Windsor, and it also has campuses in Chatham and Wallaceburg. In 2007, St. Clair College opened a satellite campus in downtown Windsor in the former Cleary International Centre.

Transportation

Windsor is the western terminus of both Highway 401, Canada’s busiest highway, and VIA Rail’s Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. The city is served by Windsor Airport with regular, scheduled commuter air service by Air Canada Jazz and heavy general aviation traffic. The Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is located approximately 40 km across the border in Romulus, Michigan and is the airport of choice for many Windsor residents as it has regular flights to a larger variety of destinations than Windsor Airport. Windsor is also located on the St. Lawrence Seaway, and is accessible to ocean-going vessels.

Local transportation is provided by Transit Windsor, the city-owned bus company, which shares its newly-constructed $8-million downtown depot with Greyhound Lines. The new depot opened in 2007.

Windsor has a municipal highway, E.C. Row Expressway, running east-west through the city. Consisting of 15.7 km (9.8 mi) of highway and nine interchanges, the expressway is the fastest way for commuters to travel across the city. E.C. Row Expressway is actually in the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest freeway that took the longest time to build as it took more than 15 years to complete. The expressway stretches from Windsor’s far west end at Ojibway Parkway east to Banwell Road on the city’s border with Tecumseh.

There are eight north-south roads interchanging with the expressway: Huron Church Road, Dominion Boulevard, Dougall Avenue, Howard Avenue, Walker Road, Central Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard, and Lauzon Parkway. Traffic backups on some of these north-south roads at the E.C. Row Expressway are common, mainly at Dominion, Dougall, Howard, and Walker as the land south of the expressway and east of Walker is occupied by Windsor airport and there is little development.

Windsor is connected to Essex and Leamington via Highway 3, and is well connected to the other municipalities and communities throughout Essex County via the county road network. Nearly 17,000 vehicles travel on Highway 3 in Essex County on a daily basis. It is the main route to work for many residents of Leamington, Kingsville and Essex.

Windsor has an extensive bike trail network including the (Riverfront Bike Trail, Ganatchio Bike Trail, and Little River Extension). They have become a blend of parkland and transportation, as people use the trails to commute to work or across downtown on their bicycles.

The Port of Windsor is located on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System, on the Detroit River. The port is the third largest Canadian Great Lakes port in terms of shipments.

Windsor Planning and Economic Development

Follow the link for the most recent Windsor Community Strategic Plan.

Windsor Property Taxes

Click the link for the most recent Windsor property tax rates.