How Protected Is Your Neighbourhood?

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• Very interesting! I was driving around today taking looking at the hydrants. I noticed that on my residential street (a main street in central Windsor) that most of the hydrants are red, except for the ones closer to Tecumseh Rd. E., which are blue.

  I hope the word gets out there about this.

• Well wasn't the Money coming from the Canadian Government, for the Canal Project, only to be used for Beautification Projects of Cities... As the Canal Project is considered 1 of these projects, and It would also make some of the vacant area thats in our downtown core get used again for something...

  Also as for Hydrants in all area, its also how old the Hydrant is in your area. Some area that have old Hydrants, can only pump out so much, as they are not as large as the newer ones... They may look all the same size on top, but the Pipe leading up from the Ground on the older style ones, normally means smaller pipe, which can also Restrict flow... If you feel your block is unsafe with its hydrants that are on the lower side, then start compaining to Public Works and see what they say, and if enough of your neighboors compain with you about it, then something may happen... I know that happened near my sisters place on the west side, as they had a fire on there block and found out there was not enough pressure in there system, so they all signed a petition and brought it into the City and Fire Dept, and they got new Water system put in on her block...

• Why don't they also fix up Wyandotte St. from Victoria up to Caron while they're at it with all the canal money they're saving up for. I see half rusty, painted gray street lights all over the north side that should be repainted black, broken up and worn out sidewalks, cracked to damnations roads. That should be a higher priority than this white elephant of a canal. I was walking around downtown Chatham the other day. I couldn't believe how clean it was compared to Windsor. Nice streetscaping, beautiful brick Victorian mansions all over the place. Cost of living a lot lower. Lower taxes. You can tell there's a real pride of ownership of historical buildings. Very tempting to move down there. Then, I come back to downtown Crap-sor. They're slowly streetscraping Ouellette, but forget about the rest of downtown (especially an older area like this one) because we don't want anyone other than rats and druggies to live in it.

• Maybe canals will actually boost money to the city so that you whining suckers (like me) won't have to keep bitching about rising property taxes?
  Hey it might even diversify our downtown from just bars to retail. It might even give an area for families to come down an enjoy (as a children's attraction is also part of the theme). It might even bring people to live downtown! Fuck why would we want any of that? Density is for suckers but sprawl is for the smart guys.

  Sorry people but the city can't replace watermains and streets in the timeline needed. In fact they will be maxed out replacing that infrastructure soon enough. But in Windsor we can only concentrate on one thing right? Why let the feds and province pay the majority of it. Let's wait another 20 years so that only Windsorites pay for a change in our downtown.

  The short-sightedness of Windsorites still amazes me. The manufacturing mentality is still alive and well. Sprawl abound! It is so much better than trying to make improvements. Because roads and sewers always attract new residents, new business (but let the mall have them all right?) new tax areas.

• David, it sounds like Chatham is in need of funds for canal development!!
  The Windsor canal plan makes no sense given the elevation from the river water level.... no matter how you dress it up.
  What downtown Windsor needs is something that will attract people to live in the core. Once the downtown is populated, outsiders and tourists will follow. Unfortunately that means some sort of 'big box' department store to nucleate development. The Rideau Centre in Ottawa is a good example as it contains some grocery stores as well as things like Sears. All the smaller shops in the area do very well as I have seldom seen vacant stores. The Marketplace area is heavily concentrated with restaurants as well. Local farmers even sell produce there. And yes, Ottawa does have a canal but I doubt it contributes greatly to the prosperity of downtown in the summertime.

• You want to see a contrast to what a clean and properly laid out downtown should like? Check out the Doors Open in downtown Chatham tomorrow. It's too bad we couldn't drag our mayor and all our councilors to downtown Chatham to see what a clean downtown looks like with pride of ownership so they can follow their example. They even have a two-storey mall with parking garage in the heart of downtown and the shops have a fraction of the vacancies that downtown Windsor has.

• I have to say Andrew, this is probably the most interesting blog article I've ever read!

• I have a blue one in my old neighbour hood cause i live across the old grace hospital !! lol

• JBM,
  Then what to do propose will bring people to live downtown? Retail follows population not the other way around.
  Feelers were already put out by the city back in 2005/06 (around that time) and every developer approached stated they wanted an attraction of sorts to bring people to live there. Wihtout it they wouldn't be able to sell any of the lots. Remember, these aren't just condo's on the river but row housing as well. What is the attraction to being people to live downtown?

  Do you really think having a costco or Lowe's downtown would bring people to live there? I don't think that is the case.

• ME,

  In your first statement you claim that "Retail follows population..." and then you cite a survey of developers that states that "they wanted an attraction of sorts to bring people to live there...". So, is this a chicken and egg discussion?
  When downtown was a vibrant place to live, there were many stores such as Smith's, Bartlett's, Kresges, Zellers, Metropolitan, various appliance and furniture stores, theatres, food stores, clothing shops.... Then the exodus began. Instead of keeping pace and encouraging more up to date shopping opportunities and development, these enterprises relocated and took hold in the suburbs. I recall the debate over the shopping strip on Dougall (Century Plaza?) and how this would jeopardize the downtown. Business kept moving outwards to Lauzon and Tecumseh, Gateway Plaza and West to Huron and Tecumseh. The population soon followed and agricultural land was swallowed up. To keep pace and maintain a tax base, the city kept expropriating the surrounding area and extended its borders; the core was experiencing a slow death.
  As a rural youth, I enjoyed coming downtown on the Greyhound on Saturdays for the shopping, to go to the farmer's market or just to go to the show. Eventually, there was nothing to 'come to' and no reason to go downtown. Everything was now in the burbs! If the city would have encouraged an urban shopping centre or provided some opportunities to merchants, I believe commerce would have remained downtown, Instead, the vacuum created by the exodus of business was filled by strip bars, large 'dance clubs' and boarded up storefronts; not exactly the environment to raise a family in... no schools and limited family oriented entertainment. The Casino did nothing to make downtown a place to live.
  That said, I suppose you could consider the downtown a safe place visit at night given that security cameras have been installed. At least they may be able to identify the criminal once you are dead. Or, they will capture the acts of urination and vomiting as the bars let out.
  Some seem to think that building a canal will stimulate urban growth. I do not. The geography is not right; least to say that there is an elevation impediment. So, this will be no more than a ditch in the end. Perhaps it will encourage more kiddie bars... so install more cameras please.
  There has to be some sort of development to encourage the return of citizens. Not slumlord, geared to income housing. Maybe the city should spend some of its capital on a professional study on urban development instead of proposing a canal to solve these problems. If a canal is the conclusion of such a study, then build it. Don't build in in hopes that it may be a solution. It could end up as another hole that has to be filled. Such a hole was recently filled due to project failure.
  Just perhaps, this subject should be part of the mayoral race?? It may be time for prospective candidates to start thinking on this and other issues. As stated in this sites banner, "546 more days until the 2010 Windsor Municipal Election. Change is coming". Let's hear some proposals to bring the City of Windsor back to a clean and dynamic city and a desirable place to live.
  This blog provides a good place to express opinion, ideas and discussion.... negative and positive.... thank you Andrew for this opportunity.