Windsor Jockey Club Grandstand – 1912

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• I remember sitting in that grandstand as a child. I also remember seeing the smoke from our house where the E C Row Expressway is now. However, if it hadnt burned I am sure they would have tore it down anyway.

• Unless the building had been altered over the years I'm kind of surprised something made of "steel construction on a cement and brick foundation" could burn like that?

• The fire did what Windsor would have done eventually anyways. Maybe jumped the gun by 30 years or so...

• Have any plans been announced yet for leveling the recently defunct WIndsor Raceway? Or maybe they can stucco it?

• Freeman,
  Oh God,
  If they were to stucco it ,it is better to tear the raceway down then do that.It would be a total insult to the building.
  Does anybody know if this is the same grandstand that was by the Kennedy high school?If it is ,I thought the grandstand came down earlier then that.
  I'am thinking 1930's.Correct me if iam wrong.

• still cant beleive they closed the raceway, I was sitting on a horse watching them build it only yesterday, hmmm maybe I should get out before they realize I am old!!

• Anyone who grew up in Jackson Park knew every inch of the grandstand, esp. the ground floor: our "soupy's" equipment was stored in a room there; we drank at her water fountains; a confectionary store sold pop and chips and creamsicles. A rink was flooded on the Pelissier St. and we skated or played shinny hockey there day and evenings and the store sold hot chocolate. After the firemen and UAW picnics, we'd scavange the seats looking for dropped coins. It seemed always cool and breezy sitting in the seats on the hottest of Windsor summers. What a great place to rest and talk for kids. We raced to the park to watch the fire and the next day we could hardly believe our grandstand was gone and with it a large part of our childhood!

• We were a group teenaged buddies from Walkerville Collegiate playing pickup baseball on a hot and sunny afternoon at Memorial Park on Ypres Blvd. in the second week of July, 1957, when we saw thick black smoke rising to the west. We hopped on our bicycles (mine was a balloon tire Schwinn....it cost $35!) and pedalled frantically toward Jackson Park. What we witnessed was one of the most intense fires I've ever seen, and I was a volunteer firefighter in the former Sandwich West Twp. for 15 years and a CBC news reporter for 26 years....including being in the thick of the Detroit riots of 1967 for two days. The Jackson Park grandstand was fully engulfed and there were swirling fire "tornadoes" between the grandstand and the bandshell. These quickly destroyed the bandstand as well. To a kid who was not quite 16 the whole thing was an exciting adventure and I haven't forgotten a single detail of it to this day.

• They could use the track at windsor raceway to hold car races they talked about building one out near comber that never materializedbut then people living in the area would probably bitch about the noise would be a shame to just knock it all down knowing windsor if they get their little ferrette paws on it they will probably sell it to some developer and he'll build houses on it more green space in Essex county lost

• It would be nice if they converted the windsor raceway track into car racing they were gonna build a track near Comber a few years back but i guess those plans fell by the wayside But!! knowing Windsor if they get there paws on it they will just turn around and sell it to some out of town developer to put up a new subdivision so another piece of windsor's already sparce green space will be lost gotta add to the tax base what a crock!!