Touring by foot

By Miranda Monahan

Windsorites and visitors can tour the city on foot, through the walking tours Windsor has to offer.

Windsor has three walking tours, including the Walkerville Heritage Walking Tour, the Sandwich Heritage Walking Tour and tours of the sculpture garden at the Art Gallery of Windsor. The tours are put on by Museum Windsor, and the tourist season begins in late April.

The Walkerville Heritage Walking Tour takes visitors to over 40 different locations including Hiram Walker’s semi-detached houses, the Walkerville Brewery, Walkerville Collegiate Institute and the Low-Martin House. The tour takes approximately two hours to complete.

The Sandwich Heritage Walking Tour takes visitors to well-known locations in one of Windsor’s original neighbourhoods, including Assumption Church, Assumption College, Dillon Hall and Assumption Cemetery.

“Sandwich we launched this year and Walkerville we launched last year,” said Kristina Tang, acting heritage planner for the City of Windsor.

Locations on the tours are chosen through public input and museum staff determine which places have stories they can tell the public. Some locations are also listed on the municipal heritage registry.

Matthew Pritchard is the education and programming coordinator for Museum Windsor.

“The Sandwich Tour was started with the Heritage Planning Office working with Museum Windsor to create a walking tour app. Museum Windsor also offers in-person tours. The first neighbourhood walking tour Museum Windsor conducted, in recent history, was the South Walkerville Great War Street Sign Tour in April 2017,” said Pritchard. “Museum Windsor has offered an art cart and walking tours of the sculpture garden for about a decade.”

Amherstburg used to have the popular Spirits of Amherstburg Ghost Walk, which the organizer no longer runs.

If anyone is interested in going on the walking tours offered in Windsor, more information can be found on citywindsor.ca

In addition to this, Windsor has also introduced a proposal to create colourful crosswalks.

There will soon be some colourful street art installations throughout the city after Windsor city council approved a proposal for crosswalk art.

The proposal was approved on Feb. 4, after Ward 4 councillor, Chris Holt presented the idea of painting crosswalks in the city.

A number of organizations, including Frank W. Begley Public School, Windsor Police Services and Windsor Essex Pride Fest provided support for suggesting the city allow painting that intersections.

John Wolf is the senior manager of traffic operations, parking and transportation planning.

“The size, colour and location of crosswalks are governed by the Ontario Traffic Manuals,” said Wolf. “Several different types of crosswalk treatments exist, with use determined by the purpose. Typical crosswalk lines must be parallel, retroreflective lines 10 cm to 20 cm to provide greater delineation of a pedestrian crosswalk.”

Cathy Masterson is the manager of cultural affairs for the City of Windsor.

“The Painted Crosswalks project came forward as a result of requests by organizations,” said Masterson.

Painting these crosswalks will come with a steep price tag.

“Asphalt painting could cost $1,000 and thermoplastic paint could cost up to $15,000. Both have different life cycle expectancies. As the community organization will fund the project, it will be their choice as to how long they wish the crosswalks to remain visible,” said Masterson. The life expectancy of thermoplastic paints can be up to five years, as long as 3mm of paint is applied. If there is 1mm of paint applied, the paint will only last three years.

There is no funding available. However, there could be one grant opportunity available.

According to the official city council meeting minutes from Feb. 4, “The council approved grant program known as the arts culture and heritage fund (ACHF) is a grant that has two rounds of funding each year at a value of $43,600, each round totalling $87, 200 each year. It should be noted that this grant is established each budget year and is not a guaranteed funding opportunity.”

When designs are submitted, transportation and cultural affairs staff will decide if the design is appropriate for the location proposed. Crosswalks will be painted by the people who live in the neighbourhood where the crosswalk is located.

Julien Butler is a volunteer with The Initiative (Glengarry to Marentette). She said that the proposed local sites for this pilot project are Aylmer Avenue and University Avenue East, and Marentette Avenue where it intersects with Assumption Street.

Justin LaFontaine is with the Stroll Windsor organization. He sent a letter of support to the council for painted crosswalks.

“Stroll Windsor is a soon-to-be-launched, community initiative that supports, celebrates, and promotes meaningful pedestrian experience and interactions in our urban villages, to foster the “tradition” of strolling among Windsor’s residents and visitors, and encourage people to discover the city’s diverse neighbourhoods and support local businesses,” wrote LaFontaine.

The Windsor Symphony Orchestra has produced a musical notes concept for the themed crosswalk.

Tom Lucier is the owner of Phog Lounge on University Avenue West.

“I think music notes are universal. So, it applies to the Windsor Symphony, Phog Lounge, Villains and other arts-related businesses in our area,” said Lucier. “It is good way to demarcate our section of downtown as the arts hub with something like this.”

According to Lucier, whenever these things get tendered through the city, the cost is often much more expensive than if a local artist was commissioned to do it.

“It beats the plainness of having nothing there. Downtown needs lots of comprehensive solutions to get people to hang out in the core,” said Lucier. “Crosswalks won’t do it, but they are a part of the welcoming solution.”

It is unknown how soon there could be some colourful crosswalks in the city. However, according to Masterson, there have already been four designs submitted for consideration.