Windsor (Ontario)

I

Introduction

Windsor (Ontario), city, seat of Essex County, in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Windsor is located on the Detroit River. A port of entry on the United States-Canadian border, the city is connected to Detroit, Michigan, by bridge and tunnel. Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and serves as a gateway to the United States and as a center of the automobile industry.

II

Description

The city of Windsor is laid out along the banks of the Detroit River. Unlike many cities, Windsor did not grow from a central downtown core but was instead the product of the amalgamation in 1935 of the four distinct communities of Windsor, Sandwich, Walkerville, and Ford City (later East Windsor). Additional territory was annexed in 1966. The current city of Windsor covers a land area of 120.3 sq km (46.4 sq mi). The Windsor census metropolitan area (CMA), which consists of the city of Windsor and ten other municipalities, covers a land area of 861.7 sq km (332.7 sq mi).

Most of Windsor’s retail shopping areas are centered outside of the city’s downtown area, primarily at Devonshire Mall in the west central suburbs. Windsor’s downtown area is the administrative center of the city, where City Hall and City Hall Square are located. The downtown also contains several fine historic buildings, including the Duff-Baby House, a large manor dating from 1798. Other buildings are Willistead Manor, a large mansion that was completed in 1906, and Mackenzie Hall, which was built in 1855 by the second prime minister of Canada, Alexander Mackenzie, and is now an arts center. Points of interest in the city include the Cleary International Centre, a convention center located on Windsor’s waterfront, and Dieppe Gardens, a waterfront park in the downtown area. Other sights are the Canadian Club distillery, which offers guided tours; Coventry Gardens, which is home to the Peace Fountain and is located along the river on the city’s eastern edge; and the Ojibway Nature Centre, which is in the western part of the city. The new Casino Windsor, a complex of gambling halls, restaurants, bars, and a 21-story hotel, was completed in 1998.

III

Population and Culture

The city of Windsor had a population of 208,402 at the 2001 census, up from 191,435 in 1991. The 2001 population of Windsor’s CMA was 320,800. Windsor has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Canada. The largest group is made up of people of British descent, who represent about a third of the population. The next largest groups are those people with French or Italian backgrounds. Immigration from Asia, the Caribbean, South America, and Africa has increased substantially since 1980. More than one-quarter of Windsor’s citizens speak a tongue other than English as their first language.

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Windsor is home to several cultural institutions. The Windsor Symphony Orchestra and the Windsor Light Opera perform in the Chrysler Theatre of the Cleary Centre. Museums include the Community Museum, which features exhibits about the city’s history, and the Art Gallery of Windsor, which houses collections of Canadian art. The Windsor Sculpture Garden along the Detroit River features major works by noted Canadian artists.

Higher education in the area began with the establishment of Assumption College (later Assumption University) in 1857. This institution became part of the University of Windsor in 1963. St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology was established in Windsor in 1966.

Annual events in Windsor include the International Freedom Festival in late June and early July, during which Windsor and Detroit jointly celebrate their countries’ birthdays. The Festival Francophone takes place in April with concerts, readings, and theater conducted primarily in French.

IV

Economy

Windsor has been a base of American automobile companies from the beginning of the 20th century and it remains a major center of auto industry employment and manufacturing. The Ford Motor Company built an auto manufacturing plant in Windsor in 1904. Ford was followed by Chrysler (now part of DaimlerChrysler AG) and General Motors Corporation, which built plants in the 1920s, and by several smaller companies such as Studebaker and Packard. DaimlerChrysler is now the city’s biggest employer, with over 8,000 employees. Other major employers in the city include the H. J. Heinz Company, which processes farm products from the agriculturally rich land outside of the city, and Hiram Walker and Sons Limited, makers of Canadian Club whisky. Additional manufactures in the city include salt, metal products, plastics, high-tech equipment, machinery, and pharmaceuticals. The most significant new stimulant to the local economy is Casino Windsor, which opened in 1994 and moved to its permanent home in 1998. The operators of the casino claim that they provide 15,000 direct and indirect jobs to the city. The casino has also increased tourist traffic to Windsor.

Windsor has many transportation links. It is one of the busiest ports of entry into Canada and is connected to the city of Detroit, Michigan, by the Ambassador Bridge and by the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Windsor is located at the end of the Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, which connects the city with Toronto, Ontario, and Montréal, Québec. The city is also served by several rail lines and provincial highways, as well as Windsor Airport.

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