Jackson Park Bandshell

The Jackson Park Bandshell has been in the news lately with Council’s decision to spend $100,000 on a feasibility study for the reuse of the site.

The mayor who doesn’t care about the bandshell, and doesn’t rate it as a part of Windsor’s heritage worth protecting and bringing back into use, attempted to bully and control council into voting against the motion. At the end of the day only his usual puppets voted against it, and by a margin of 6-5 it passed.

Shamefully the most urban wards across the core of the city had their lapdog representatives vote against trying to preserve it.

 Supporting the feasibility study were Ward 1 Coun. Fred Francis, Ward 2 Coun. Fabio Costante, Ward 7 Coun. Angelo Marignani, Ward 8 Coun. Gary Kaschak, Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie, and Ward 10 Coun. Jim Morrison. Opposed were Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino, Ward 4 Coun. Mark McKenzie, Ward 5 Coun. Ed Sleiman, Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac, and Mayor Drew Dilkens.

Above and below are a few shots I took of the bandshell when I did my project on Modern Architecture in Windsor back in 2007. Over the last 16 years the condition has continued to deteriorate. The building features nice brickwork and musical elements.

The original bandstand in Jackson Park burned down in 1957. The plans for a replacement were started after the insurance money was secured by the city. One of the biggest uses of Jackson Park back in this era was the annual Emancipation Day Celebrations. The celebrations would routinely see tens of thousands of visitors flock to Windsor for the event. The concern over traffic noise, led the replacement to be built on the east side of the park against Windsor Stadium. A large grandstand at Windsor Stadium was built, that could pivot and be turned to face the field at Windsor Stadium or face the Bandshell. That stand was demolished and as the Bandshell laid vacant, the plans for Windsor stadium no longer needed to include considerations for it.

In early 1959 plans for the new Bandshell were announced:

February 24, 1959

Council Approves Park Bandshell

Approval of the new Jackson Park bandshell to replace the one burned in 1957, brings an entirely new design to the Windsor scene. City Council Monday night approved specifications for the bandshell as part of the capital works program. To he built at an all-inclusive cost of $42,200, the bandshell will be a permanent structure of pre-engineered steel in cantilever design. masonry and brick walls and a lifetime aluminum roof.

Completion date is set for June 1.

Semi-circular in design. the bandshell will be a “conical segment.” It provides for a reinforced concrete stage which is 50 feet across the stage mouth and 22 feet, 6 inches at the rear with a 24-root depth from the rear to the stage mouth plus an additional 12 feet ahead of the covered stage area. The stage roof is conical, providing 22 feet, six inches of height at the front. The over-all stage width is 67 feet.

The rear portion of the building is fully enclosed and includes men’s and women’s dressing rooms and lavatories with hot and cold running water and dressing tables set at stage level.

Circling the stage area are wide corridors and a storage area also at stage level, with stage entrances at both sides and the back of the stage.

At ground level there are first aid and equipment rooms, while a large service entrance at the rear is set at stage level. The stage will be three feet, six inches above the ground.

Designed for maximum safety from fire and vandalism, the budding has no windows in the side walls. Instead it is equip-ped with fibre glass light panels set in the roof. The rear area of the building will be completely ventilated, with each room having individual blowers operated from the light switch. There are three stage entrances leading from the rear portion of the building and an entrance on each side of the stage leading to the ground level.

Designed stage lighting will provide adequate lighting for all activities and a designed amplification system will serve up to 30,000 people with remote microphone facilities which are also tapped into the dressing rooms.

The bandshell will be placed on the east side of Jackson Park and will face east. The bandshell will be built by Loaring Construction Co. The design combines pre-engineered steel structure and roof by Butler Manufacturing Co. of Burlington for whom Loaring is the local representative.

The architectural consultants for the project are Johnson and McWhinnie.

Separate from this project, but associated with it, are two pivot-type grandstands now in the planning stage.

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Nice to see that the majority of council agreed with Lana Talbot, Leslie McCurdy & Joi Hurst that the Bandshell is an important part of our local history and it’s worth at least seeing what can be done to save it. Kudos to those women for taking a stand to protect Windsor’s past. Shame to both the Ward 3 & 4 councilors. The next municipal election can’t come soon enough.