'here it comes' — for the first time, open streets windsor moves east
walk, run, cycle, rollerblade — whatever you do, don’t ...
aug 28 2024
2 minute read
windsor mayor drew dilkens (left) and john fairley, vice president of communications and community relations for st. clair college, show off this year's open streets windsor route at farrow riverside miracle park on tuesday, aug. 27, 2024.
taylor campbell
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windsor star
walk, run, cycle, rollerblade — whatever you do, don’t drive.
eight kilometres of windsor roadway will once again banish motor vehicles for the annual open streets festival on sept. 22, this time in the city’s east end.
now in its ninth year, open streets will see eight distinct hubs with activities and entertainment bring to life roads on a new route typically dominated by traffic.
“for the eight years that we’ve been providing this event, i’ve seen the number grow and grow and grow,” said ward 6 coun. jo-anne gignac on tuesday during a media event at farrow riverside miracle park, the location of the most easterly open streets activity hub.
“the original idea was to get our residents out into as many neighbourhoods as we could to experience what’s available to them, and areas they might not be totally familiar with. on the 22nd, here it comes.”
ward 6 coun. jo-anne gignac talks about open streets windsor east end edition during a media event at farrow riverside miracle park on tuesday, aug. 27, 2024.
taylor campbell
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windsor star
the new route begins to the west at howard avenue and runs east on erie street, then turns south onto parent avenue before heading east onto ottawa street. it snakes north onto walker road, east onto richmond street, and north onto drouillard road before a lengthy stretch east on wyandotte street east, finishing at st. rose avenue.
the route runs through the bias of erie street, ottawa street, ford city, pillette village, and olde riverside town centre.
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roads will be closed to vehicles from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the day of the free event.
the map for open streets windsor east end is shown on tuesday, aug. 27, 2024.
taylor campbell
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win
“we want to share the value and the benefit of open streets with other bias and other parts of the city, and keep the event fresh so residents want to come out and explore their city in a way that only open streets can provide,” said windsor mayor drew dilkens.
in february 2023, gignac presented a petition to council from the olde riverside town centre and pillette village bias requesting that the event either start in the east side of windsor or be extended to include specific easterly areas.
in a report to council later that year, city staff recommended alternating the annual street festival between windsor’s east and west ends each year.
open streets windsor began with two pilot runs in july and september of 2016 and continued nearly every year since.
the westerly route was adopted in 2019 and started in the west end at brock street. it ran east along sandwich street and riverside drive, snaking up university avenue west, along wyandotte street east, and eventually turned south onto drouillard road. that route passed through the bias of sandwich town, downtown windsor, wyandotte town center, walkerville, and ford city.
if you’d like to host an activity along the route or sign up to volunteer, visit openstreetswindsor.ca . before sept. 6. the four-hour event requires roughly 200 volunteers.
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opens streets gives participants the feeling of freedom on windsor roads, as seen in this sept. 18, 2022, photo.
dax melmer
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windsor star
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