Today’s post is proof that not every building lost downtown was a gem. Here are a pair of old postcards that show a couple of old Windsor landmarks that were lost in the 1990’s.
The plywood palace. The waterfront Holiday inn. It was vacant, and scheduled for demolition when a mysterious fire broke out and the place burned to the ground in 1999.
Another beauty was the former Art Gallery of Windsor. It was a converted Brewery, that was also the temporary home of Casino Windsor. It was demolished around 1996-1997, and the new Art Gallery of Windsor rose in its place.
Crescent Lanes first opened on Ottawa Street in 1944 at 1055 Ottawa Street, opposite Lanspeary…
Above is a photo of the home of Mr & Mrs Oswald Janisse, located at…
in 1917 two Greek brothers Gus & Harry Lukos purchased a one story building on…
Photo from Google Streetview A long time reader sent me an email the other week…
An unremarkable end to a part of Windsor's history. The large vacant house at 841…
One for the lost Windsor files, is this house that once belonged to Joseph Reaume…
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That's a cool long exposure, and some neat old cars too. Shame about the plywood palace getting in the picture though. ;)
I SURE MISS THEM...........I WAS WALKING DOWN THERE THE OTHER DAY AND I FELT AS I WAS WALKING RIGHT THROUGH IT....AND IT WAS INVISABLE.......LOT'S OF MEMORIES.......I REMEMBER MY HOUSE BEING ALL SMOKY AND MY BACKYARD LOOKED LIKE FOG WAS RISING FROM THE SMOKE...APR 8 1999........WHAT A SAD DAY........I HAVE THE PICTURES OF WHEN IT WAS ON FIRE....CKLW HAS THEM ON THE WEBSITE....WHAT A SHAME..EVERYTHING IN WINDSOR IS ALL GONE.....ALL WE CAN DO IS CHERISH EVERY PICTURE WE SEE AND THANKS TO ANDREW FOR SHARING THESE WITH US...
It's amazing they even got a building permit to construct this building. It was doubtlessly a fire trap from the day it openend. I was in Essex the day the Holiday Inn burned. From the looks of it I would say it probably could be seen from as far away as Tilbury.
The Holiday Inn was built on top of the old goverment dock which was to be reinforced before the hotel was built. Somone knows why it never happened. Anyway, I had dinner once at the restaurant. We sat by the window looking out at the river. The carpet was soggy from the leaks. I saw Easy Rider at the Odeon with the potheads lying on the carpet smoking up. Also saw the movie The Battle of Britain in the company of Don Plumb when he said he had to get one of those planes [spitfire] and he did. It was a rare 2 seat spit.