A month ago, we captured some pretty extensive video and published a driving tour of downtown Windsor, Ontario at our YouTube Channel. Today, we look at eight attractions or landmarks seen in that video. Included below the video is some info on each location and when it appears in the video.
Downtown Windsor, Ontario Driving Tour Video
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Caesar’s Windsor
It’s no secret that the Detroit / Windsor area has been treated pretty badly by the automotive industry over the past several decades. In what has become the ultimate solution to mass unemployment in North America, casinos move in when industry leaves.
Caesar’s Windsor opened on July 29, 1998 as Casino Windsor. The original structure, the Forum Tower, contains 23 floors and has 389 hotel rooms. The Augustus Tower opened in 2008 with 27 stories and 369 hotel rooms. The name change came with the opening of the Augustus Tower.
Owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the complex also has a 5,000 seat venue for concerts and other events. Keeping with the Roman theme, the venue is called the Colosseum.
You can first see Caesar’s close-up at 8:37 of the video. We drive pretty much the full circumference starting at around 9:20.
Windsor Arena
Quick, hockey fans – see a bit of history before it’s gone. The Windsor Arena is seen starting at 14:40 of the video. This sports venue was opened in 1924 and seated 4,400 for hockey. The building closed in 2013 and is slated for complete demolition. A Catholic High School is to rise from its ashes.
Originally called the Border Cities Arena, the venue housed the Detroit Cougars for the 1926-27 season. When the team moved across the river, the name changed to the Red Wings. It was home to the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires from 1975-76 to 2007-08.
Ambassador Bridge
Later in the video, we get a good look at the Ambassador Bridge. We approach starting at around 23:19 and proceed to pass alongside then under this iconic suspension bridge.
The Ambassador Bridge opened on November 15, 1929 and connects the United States with Canada, crossing the Detroit River. The bridge is 7,500 feet or 2,300 metres in total length. The longest span in 1,850 feet or 560 metres and it stands 152 feet or 46 metres above the water.
Detroit, Michigan Skyline
Of course, the Windsor downtown skyline is enhanced by skyscrapers from another country. We first see downtown Detroit at around 6:40 in the video, making Ouellette Avenue look like the main drag of much larger city. We see it again close-up at 9:03.
Detroit is a city of 700,000 residents and shrinking. In fact, it is down significantly from the 1.9 million in the 1950’s. The city was founded in 1701 and incorporated as a city in 1806.
The most dominant structure on the opposite side of the river is the Renaissance Center complex. The main tower opened in 1977 and stands 73 floors high with a height of 750 feet or 230 metres.
Check out the sunset photos we captured later on this day: Detroit Skyline Sunset.
Adventure Bay Family Water Park
Indoors at 401 Pitt Street West is the Adventure Bay Family Water Park. This indoor attraction is first seen at 7:30 and better seen at 11:47.
The park covers 35,000 square feet and features five water slides. There is also a surf simulator, wave pool, lazy river and splash zone. Daily admission for adults is $24.50.
Windsor Riverfront
What I personally found the be the real gem in downtown Windsor was the riverfront. There are over five kilometres of paved, multi-use pathways running alongside the Detroit River.
Views of Detroit and downtown Windsor are exceptional. Also, the heavy Great Lakes freighter traffic is a sight to see. Parking is available, either free or at quite reasonable prices. The riverfront is first seen at 6:50 with a much more intimate look at 19:30.
Chimczuk Museum
The building at Riverside and Church. The Chimczuk Museum opened in the past few years and features permanent exhibits on the history of Windsor and area. The museum is open until 5pm six days per week and closed on Mondays. Adult entry is $5.50. This building is see at 7:18 in the video.
Our Lady Of Assumption Church
We didn’t get too close to this historic church but it is seen on the left, starting at 24:02, just before passing under the Ambassador Bridge. The present version opened in 1845 and has been expanded over the years. The Roman Catholic church is the oldest continuous parish in the province of Ontario. Currently, a new copper roof is being installed with a completion date in the fall of 2019.
