Lost WindsorOld PhotographsWindsor

The Ritz Hotel

May 14, 2010
Photo From The Collection of Windsor’s Community Archives In all the discussions of buildings we’ve lost along the waterfront, rarely do I ever hear any mention of what was known in its last years as the Ritz Hotel. Located at the north west corner of Riverside and Ouellette, this eclectic piece of Victorian architecture started life as a branch of Merchant’s Bank. The building…
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Windsor

Forster Secondary School

May 12, 2010
Over on Felix Avenue in Windsor’s west side, you’ll find another classic old school building. Today known as J.L. Forster Secondary School. The building was designed by an architect named Andrew Johnston Riddell in 1922. Riddell is a bit of an interesting…
Windsor

1567 Ouellette - The Ernest Wilby House

May 10, 2010
This big Tudor Revival house on Ouellette Avenue, has seen better days, but was also the home to one of the most important architects of the 20th century. Ernest Wilby was born in England in 1869, moving to Toronto at age 4, and retuning to England for college. He…
Old PhotographsWindsor

Walkerville Theatre - 1920

May 7, 2010
A neat shot of C. Howard Crane’s Walkerville Theatre, on Wyandotte Street East, between Gladstone & Lincoln. The theatre opened in 1920, and this photo, based on the film noted on the marquee, was also taken in 1920. When built the theatre straddled the town line, with half the building in Windsor and the other half in Walkerville. The theatre was also known as the Tivoli Theatre…
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Windsor

Gordon McGregor Public School

May 5, 2010
One of the largest public schools in the City can be found on the edge of the ford test track on Alexis Road… The School was expanded after only two years to accommodate the influx of students, to Ford City during the boom years in the mid 1920’s The first part…
Lost WindsorOld PhotographsWindsor

Devonshire Racetrack - 1932

April 30, 2010
This old news photo was taken July 23, 1932 at Devonshire Racetrack. Back when horse racing was illegal in Michigan, people used to flock to the Windsor tracks to see live racing. A neat view of the old clubhouse that fronted Howard Avenue. Also visible in this old photo, along with the Detroit skyline, is the old Windsor Gas Works. The Gas Works were located on the spit of land bordered by…
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Windsor

St Clair College Mediaplex

April 28, 2010
The old Salvation Army building at Victoria & University, which has sat derelict for many years, is nearing the end of its conversion into the new St. Clair College Mediaplex. The Mediaplex, is nearly done, and on a super tight deadline in order to qualify for…
Windsor

Hydro Substations

April 26, 2010
Today’s post is a bit of a big one… But this is only the tip of them… I’ve been long interested by the small neighbourhood hydro substations. Many blend in almost seamlessly into the surrounding area, with only the “Danger High Voltage&#8221…