going, going, gone...Old Newspaper StoriesOld Photographs

New Simpson-Sears Store - 1970

April 7, 2024
With the news of the impending demolition of the Sears Store at Devonshire Mall, here’s a look back at when the store was new and getting ready to open as a brand new Simpsons-Sears. Simpson-Sears was a joint venture between the two companies, in 1984 the company officially became just Sears, while stand alone Simpsons stores eventually became The Bay, and Simpsons name vanished from the…
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ChurchesRenderings

834 Lawrence Rd

February 18, 2024
Located at 834 Lawrence just south of the large Shopper’s Drug Mart parking lot, is this odd building. Clad in siding, it stands out as not being like the houses around it. A bit of digging turned up that it was built a church back in 1923. This was the original home of St. Aiden’s Anglican church, which was located here until it moved to a new home at the corner of Wyandotte and…
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News

James Patten - In Memoriam

February 4, 2024
Back around 2005, I first met James Patten when he came before what was then the Windsor heritage committee with concerns about the impending demolition of the Cleary Guest House on the riverfront and the lack of concern/appreciation of Modern Architecture in Windsor. I was…
Old Newspaper StoriesOld Photographs

Proposed Howard Avenue Subway - 1930

January 21, 2024
This is a great shot form 1930, looking south along Howard Avenue. There was a proposal to build an underpass under the tracks here in 1930, that obviously never came to be. The location of the proposed $500,000 Howard avenue grade separation is shown in this photograph.
Old Photographs

Mitchell Sworn in as Mayor - 1924

January 7, 2024
The photographer caught Mr. Frank J. Mitchell, Windsor’s new mayor, in the act of taking his oath of office this morning, and secured an interesting picture The top photograph shows Mayor Mitchell being administered the oath by City Clerk Dickinson in the Mayor’s office. An intimate study is also seen in the lower picture, which depicts Herbert W. Wilson, retiring mayor, bidding…
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Buildings of WindsorOld Photographs

Park Building - July 2002

December 17, 2023
Going though some old photos from 2002, I came across this shot of the Park Building at the south west corner of Park & Ouellette. This photo is pre-stuccoing when the 1925 still displayed its architecture. This one was designed by Windsor architects Nichols, Sheppard…
Buildings of WindsorWindsor

Jackson Park Bandshell

December 3, 2023
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…