Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and lies at the western end of the heavily-populated Quebec City-Windsor Corridor and lies across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan, to which Windsor is linked by the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel for vehicles, and by the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel for rail traffic.
Windsor's motto is
"The river and the land
sustain us."
Windsor is located south of Detroit and marks the only location where entering the United States from Canada involves travelling north.
Windsor was first settled in 1748 as a French agricultural settlement, making it the oldest continually inhabited city in Canada, west of the Quebec border. The area was first named Petite Côte (Little Coast), and the site later became known as La Côte de Misère (Poverty Coast) because of the sandy soils near LaSalle.
Windsor's French heritage
is reflected in many French streetnames, such as Ouellette, Pelissier, Marentette and Lauzon.
There is a significant French speaking minority in Windsor and the surrounding areas. Many of them are in the Lakeshore area.
Although the
Windsor area is not officially enumerated as part of Metro Detroit by either the Canadian or American governments, unofficial population figures for Metro Detroit in marketing materials may include the Windsor area.
Windsor competes with Oshawa, Ontario for the title of automotive capital of Canada.
Windsor tourist attractions
include Casino Windsor,
a lively downtown, Little Italy,the Art Gallery of Windsor, the Odette Sculpture Park, Ojibway
Park, and nearby Point Pelee National Park.
Windsor's nickname is the
"
City of Roses" and is
hometo the
University of Windsor and
St. Clair College. The university is just east of the Ambassador Bridge, and the college is situated along the main artery between the Ambassador Bridge and Highway 401.
Windsor is noted for its
several large parks and
gardens found on its
waterfront. The Queen Elizabeth II Sunken Garden
is located at Jackson Park in the central part of the city. This park is home to a mounted Spitfire replica and a Hurricane replica.
Every summer
Windsor
co-hosts the two week long
Windsor-Detroit
International Freedom Festival, which culminates
in a gigantic fireworks
display that celebrates Canada Day and the American Independence Day.
The fireworks display is among the world's largest and is held on the final Wednesday in June on the Detroit River between the two downtowns. Each year, the event attracts over a million spectators to both sides of the riverfront.
Windsor has also been
the place where many
Detroiters find what is forbidden in the United States. With the minimum legal drinking age at 21 in Michigan and 19 in Ontario,
a number of 19 and 20 year old Americans frequent Windsor's bars.
Windsor is also known for its strip clubs, which allow for fully nude dancing with serving alcohol, which Michigan does not permit. In addtion, one can purchase Cuban cigars, less-costly prescription drugs, certain imported foods, and other items not available in the US.
National Track & Field Championships
Coming to Windsor
Athletics Canada announced that Windsor will relace Edmonton as the host of the 2007 and 2008 Canadian Senior Track and Field Championships.
Windsor's sports fans tend to support the major professional sports league teams in nearby Detroit, but the city itself is home to the following minor league, post-secondary and youth teams.
Windsor Spitfires-
Ontario Hockey League.
The franchise was granted
for the
1975-
1976 season and revived a previous OHA Jr. A Spitfires team which disbanded in
1953.
The "
Spits" as they are commonly known, won their first Emms division title in 1980 and reached the OHL finals, but lost to the
Peterborough Petes.
The
Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior "A" Tier I
ice hockey leagues which constitute the
Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.
Windsor Border Stars -
[FONT=times new roman, times, serif]
Canadian Soccer League[/FONT], formerly formerly a member
of the
American Indoor Soccer League.
The
Border Stars ,the AISL championship in 2005, but declined to play in the 2005/06 season.
The
Border Stars have been successful not only at
indoor soccer but also at outdoor/tradition
soccer, winning the CPSL's
Canada Open Cup in both 2004 and 2005.
Windsor Lancers-
a member
of the Canadian
Interuniversity Sport(CIS) the the national governing body of
university sport in
Canada.
The CIS comprises the
majority of degree granting universities in the country.
The
USA equivalent to CIS
is the
NCAA.
Situated at the western
end of Lake St. Clair, on
the Detroit River, the
University of Windsor is Canada’s southernmost university.
This strategic location on
the Canada-U.S. border at the centre of the Great Lakes in the manufacturing heartland of North America provides a special focus for academic and research initiatives in such areas as the environment, the automotive sector, and in social justice.
Windsor Raceway is Canada's
premiere harness racing track is
open seven days a week from noon to midnight. Windsor Raceway offers a combination
of live and simulcast wagering. Home to over 700 slot machines, the facility offers gaming 9 am-3 am, seven days a week.
Windsor Raceway officially opened on October 22, 1965 for its first season of harnessracing. In January of 1999, the Ontario Lottery Corporation introduced SLOTS at all participating racetracks in Ontario.
Windsor Raceway was the first racetrack in Ontario to implement them. Since then slots have boosted purses and quality of racing.
Profits from the Slots
also meant more for Windsor Raceway enabling for an overall better experience when you visit .
In addition to these teams and sports,
Windsor has been lobbying for a Canadian Football League franchise. This franchise would play its regular-season home games in
Windsor .Current CFL commissioner Tom Wright met with
Windsor mayor Eddie Francis about possible expansion to
Windsor during the run-up to Super Bowl XL, in which
Windsor played a major role although the game itself was held in Detroit.
